Following the recent semi-final draw, it was determined what countries will participate in each semi-final of Eurovision 2025 in Basel. What are the chances of the countries to advance to the final, and how are all the competing countries positioned? Here’s our analysis.
Recently, a traditional Eurovision key exchange ceremony took place between Malmö and Basel. Katrin Stjernfeldt Jammeh, the Mayor of Malmö, handed over the Eurovision key to Conradin Cramer, the President of Basel. The ceremony was hosted by television presenter Jennifer Bosshard, who also hosted the stage reveal event last December, along with Jan van Ditzhuijzen. This annual ceremony marks the symbolic transfer of hosting responsibilities from the previous host city to the new one.
Moreover, during the semi-final draw, it was decided that Israel would compete in the second semi-final of Eurovision 2025, scheduled for May 15, with Yuval Raphael set to perform between songs 8 and 16. The exact position will be determined by the Eurovision production team based on the style of the Israeli song relative to the other selected entries over the next two months. This strategic positioning aims to avoid viewer fatigue, for instance, by preventing a sequence where several similar style songs are performed consecutively.
Additionally, the draw determined which semi-final the host country Switzerland and the ‘Big Five’ countries that automatically qualify for the final—Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, and France—will vote in.
First Semi-Final – May 13:
In the first semi-final, 15 countries will compete.
First Part (songs 1-7)
- Sweden
- Ukraine
- Slovenia
- Iceland
- Estonia
- Poland
- Portugal
Second Part (songs 8-15)
- The Netherlands
- Azerbaijan
- Albania
- San Marino
- Belgium
- Cyprus
- Croatia
- Norway
Switzerland, Italy, and Spain will also perform and vote in the first semi-final.
Second Semi-Final – May 15:
The second semi-final will feature 16 countries.
First Part (songs 1-8)
- Austria
- Lithuania
- Armenia
- Montenegro
- Greece
- Ireland
- Australia
- Latvia
Second Part (songs 9-16)
- Czech Republic
- Israel
- Malta
- Finland
- Denmark
- Luxembourg
- Georgia
- Serbia
Germany, France, and the United Kingdom will perform and vote in the second semi-final.
Rewatch the Semi-Final draw:
Eurovision 2025: This will be Switzerland’s 65th participation in the Eurovision Song Contest. Switzerland joined the competition in 1956, being one of the seven founding countries, and has won three times over the years. Its most recent victory was at the last Eurovision in 2025, with Nemo’s song “The Code.” This win follows Switzerland’s previous victory in 1988 with the song “Ne partez pas sans moi,” performed by international singer Céline Dion.
