Could victory be near? A month before Theo Evan takes the stage to represent Cyprus at Eurovision 2025, the country inaugurates a newly upgraded arena that meets all EBU requirements for hosting Eurovision!
With Eurovision 2025 set to begin in Basel, Switzerland, in just a month, Theo Evan, Cyprus’s representative, is busy preparing for his performance in the first semi-final. Meanwhile, major developments are taking place in Cyprus, as the country upgrades its largest indoor venue, the Spyros Kyprianou Arena in Limassol, from 6,225 seats to a capacity of 9,600—meeting the EBU’s requirements for hosting Eurovision.
The Mediterranean island nation has long been considered a strong contender for victory. Cyprus came close to winning Eurovision in 2018 with Eleni Foureira and her song “Fuego.” Now, it’s safe to say that Cyprus is fully equipped to host the contest should it secure a win. The arena previously hosted the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in 2008 successfully and is set to be one of the venues for the 2025 European Basketball Championship.
Limassol’s tourism infrastructure also makes it well-suited for hosting Eurovision. Thousands of accommodations are available within just a few kilometers of the venue—a testament to the island’s economy, which heavily relies on tourism. All that remains now is for Cyprus to clinch victory at this year’s contest. If it does, hosting Eurovision might prove far less challenging than expected!
What Can We Expect from Cyprus’ Eurovision Performance?
Jaén, who directed Ireland’s performance in Eurovision 2024, is not only working on Cyprus’ entry but also collaborating with Austria’s JJ, one of this year’s top contenders.
He received his first call from the Cypriot national broadcaster while serving as a creative consultant for Finland’s Yle during UMK 2025. Simultaneously, he continues to work on Erika Vikman’s staging for her song “Ich Komme.”
In an interview with a Eurovision-focused website, Jaén praised choreographer Borja Rueda, known for his work with stars like Ana Mena. Rueda is responsible for Theo Evan’s choreography as preparations for Basel ramp up.
On the staging concept, Jaén stated: “There will be movement on stage. I can’t say much more than that. What I can say is that this type of song usually fits a certain staging style—a staging code we’ve seen quite often at Eurovision. I tried to break that code a bit. It was on my mind from the moment I first heard the song. I wanted to change the usual Eurovision staging code we’ve seen over the past six or seven years.”
Cyprus in Eurovision 2025
“Shh” is the title of the song that will be performed by Theo Evan, representing Cyprus in the first semi-final of Eurovision 2025, set to take place on May 13 in Basel, Switzerland. The song was composed by the Greek composer Dimitris Kontopoulos, who has written, produced, and composed 18 Eurovision songs to date. The song was written by Linda Dale and Lasse Nymann who co-wrote and produced the winning Eurovision 2024 song “The Code” alongside the Norwegian singer-songwriter Elsie Bay. The song is sung in English.
The song describes the mysterious identity who is known for its beauty and external traits. It seems to be caught in a cycle of excessive self-assurance, which could lead to its downfall. The lyrics reflect the internal struggles, with emotions such as love, desire, and jealousy pulling in different directions. It’s caught between the extremes of heaven and hell, representing her internal conflict. The song portrays this character as someone torn between the highs of life and the lows, deeply affected by her emotional journey.
Cyprus is currently in 14th place in the betting odds for Eurovision 2025.
Theo Evan – Who Are You?
Evangelos Theodorou, known by his stage name Theo Evan, was born to a Cypriot family in the capital Nicosia. At age 7, Evan began studying dance professionally. He won numerous dance competitions, created many of his own choreographies, and performed as a dancer alongside various musical artists. Later, Evan joined his school choir and began performing in musicals, where he realized he wanted a musical career and to create his own songs. He went on to graduate with honors from Berklee College of Music in Boston, the world’s leading school for jazz and modern pop music.
In 2021, he released his first self-written and composed song “The Wall,” and the following year he released 4 additional songs. His newest song “Fading Dreams” was released at the end of August 2024.
Evan says his biggest musical inspiration is pop star Michael Jackson, from whom he took the rhythm in his songs and the love for dance. Evan mentions that he has been watching the Eurovision contest since he was a child. He believes his artistic stamp is perfectly suited for the competition and claims that representing Cyprus is a great honor for him.
Source: Eurovisionfun
Eurovision 2025: This will be Cyprus’s 41st participation in Eurovision. Cyprus joined the competition in 1981 and achieved its best result in Eurovision 2018 when singer Eleni Foureira finished in second place with the song “Fuego”.
