Basel Bulletin: The Big 5 and Switzerland

The Big 5 and Switzerland are on today. We haven’t seen or heard anything so far about them but here they are! They rehearsed today!

EBU has decided to release photo’s of it only the day after. But still we can show you (if available) the national final performance or any other live performance so you got an idea what the artists are capable of. Disclaimer: for the description of the performance, we have to do it with what the EBU tells us.

🇩🇪 Germany

Germany’s first rehearsal for Eurovision 2025 featured Abor & Tynna performing their electro track “Baller.” This is Germany’s first entry in German since 2007. The duo, who are siblings, originate from a musical family based in Vienna. The performance begins with Abor playing a white LED-lit electric cello in front of a tall curtain. As the beat drops, the curtain falls to reveal Tynna standing atop a large 1980s-style boombox prop, about three metres high. She performs the first verse and chorus there before descending to the stage. Four dancers use handheld spotlights to illuminate her as they freestyle around her.

Tynna’s outfit includes black military-style shorts, a crop top, knee-high boots, and leather gloves. The visuals feature intense white and blue strobes, industrial-style graphics, and the word “BALLER” in large LED lettering. For the finale, she dances on the walkway while Abor plays above. The final chorus includes pyrotechnics and a firework display.

🇫🇷 France

France’s Louane rehearsed her song “Maman” for the first time in Basel, presenting a minimalist and symbolic staging. She performs barefoot, wearing a long black lace dress, within a sand-covered circle at the center of the stage. Throughout the song, a steady stream of sand falls from above onto one side of the circle, representing the passage of time.

The performance includes a moment where Louane kneels and clears a patch of sand to reveal a mirror. Her movements are precisely timed with the musical arrangement and camera direction. The lighting builds gradually alongside orchestral strings, culminating in an intense sequence as the drumbeat grows louder.

All visuals are centered around the theme of time, with the hourglass imagery and falling sand reinforcing the song’s message about love, loss, and personal growth. The performance concludes with a wide, backlit shot, highlighting Louane’s stillness as the sand continues to fall.

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

The United Kingdom’s 2025 Eurovision rehearsal features vocal trio Remember Monday performing “What The Hell Just Happened?” The staging begins in a vintage-style boudoir on one side of the stage, designed to evoke the “morning after the night before.” A padded screen with a heart-shaped cut-out frames the trio as they begin the song in corseted dresses—pale blue (Lauren), pink (Holly-Anne), and yellow (Charlotte).

As the chorus hits, the group moves down the catwalk toward the main stage, where a large, tilted chandelier sits—around 2.5 to 3 metres tall—with candles and multi-coloured lighting. This prop represents the chaos referenced in the lyrics.

Throughout the performance, dynamic camerawork follows the trio’s movement, including overhead shots of the LED floor and a sweeping pan over the chandelier. The song concludes with the singers back in the boudoir, framed by the heart cut-out.

Pyrotechnics are expected in future rehearsals but were not included in this run.

🇨🇭 Switzerland

Switzerland’s first rehearsal for Eurovision 2025 features Zoë Më performing “Voyage” in an intimate, cinematic setting. The performance, set entirely in black space with sculptural lighting, is filmed in one continuous handheld shot. There are no cuts, choreography, props, or LED content. Instead, the camera moves gently and closely around Zoë, responding to her presence in real time.

She begins seated and remains alone on stage throughout, wearing an off-the-shoulder black silk dress printed with abstract florals in deep reds, purples, and blues. The performance is shot on vintage Zeiss Super Speed lenses, creating soft highlights and a shallow depth of field that isolates her in the frame.

During the bridge, the quiet atmosphere ruptures with smoke, wind, and overexposed flashes, while the camera continues uninterrupted. As the performance resolves, the audience appears with phone lights raised, before fading to black. The concept focuses entirely on emotional detail and visual restraint.

🇮🇹 Italy

Italy’s first rehearsal for Eurovision 2025 features Lucio Corsi performing his glam rock ballad Volevo Essere Un Duro. The 31-year-old singer-songwriter from Tuscany brings a 1970s aesthetic, both musically and visually, echoing Bowie-era piano ballads. The staging closely follows his Sanremo performance: Lucio begins seated at an extended piano, wearing a bright yellow, giant-shouldered bolero jacket and his signature white face makeup. He is joined on stage by guitarist and co-writer Tommaso Ottomano.

After the first third of the song, Lucio moves to the centre stage with his guitar. New for Eurovision are two large retro speaker props at the back—one square and approximately four metres high, the other slightly smaller. A sepia filter is applied to the broadcast, enhancing the vintage atmosphere, and English subtitles appear on-screen to support accessibility. A harmonica solo precedes the final chorus, one of the few live instrumental moments in this year’s contest.

🇪🇸 Spain

Spain’s first rehearsal for Eurovision 2025 features Melody performing her uptempo track Esa Diva. Known for her long-standing career in Spanish pop, Melody presents a completely reimagined staging compared to her Benidorm Fest performance. Previously seen elements such as the swing, throne, and neon pink visuals are no longer present. Instead, the new staging introduces a more refined and structured concept.

The performance is now divided into three distinct acts, each marked by a specific visual theme. First, Act One uses purple lighting and graphics. Then, Act Two shifts to red tones, adding intensity. Finally, Act Three transitions into pure white, blending with a mountain backdrop projected on the LED screen.

Throughout the performance, Melody is joined by five dancers—three male and two female—who perform different routines for each act. Additionally, her outfit features a black corseted design with sharp shoulders and hips, paired with a fedora and thigh-high boots. The performance opens in silhouette and concludes with a powerful, high-energy final dance sequence.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Austria in the Eurovision Song Contest, part 7

This year’s Eurovision Song Contest has been won by Austria. It was the 57th Austrian entry. Reason for us to go back to all the Austrian entries in history! For Austria in the Eurovision Song Contest, part 7, we look back at the start of the 21st century. Alf Poier participated for Austria, but there were also some unsuccesful entries. And there was a 3-year gap. 2000 – The Rounder Girls – All To You Austria’s 2000 entry “All To You” was internally selected by broadcaster ORF. The song was written by American songwriter Dave Moskin. Moskin gave the three-piece vocal group The Rounder Girls an up-tempo, gospel-influenced pop track. Performing last in the Stockholm final, the trio, with members from Austria, the US and the UK, delivered slick harmonies and choreography. They finished 14th out of 24 countries with 34 points. The Rounder Girls were a seasoned soul/gospel ensemble, and their Eurovision appearance raised their profile, though Austria’s middling result meant the country sat out the contest in 2001. 2002 – Manuel Ortega – Say A Word “Say A Word” by Manuel Ortega won Austria’s “Song.Null.Zwei” 2002 national final out of ten songs. this entry was an upbeat pop song with a catchy, boy-band style hook. It was composed by Alexander Kahr with lyrics by Robert Pfluger. At Eurovision 2002 in Tallinn, Ortega performed third and Austria placed 18th (26 points) in the final. Manuel Ortega, a young pop singer, had scored a summer hit in 2001 and was nicknamed “the Austrian Ricky Martin” for his Latin pop flair. His Eurovision song’s fun choreography and positive message reflected that image, though the result was a lower mid-table finish. 2003 – Alf Poier – Weil der Mensch zählt ORF organized the “Song.Null.Drei” 2003 selection. Petra Frey (ESC 1994) was the runner up. Comedian-singer Alf Poier triumphed with “Weil der Mensch zählt”. Poier penned this satirical song himself. Musically it’s a quirky folk-pop tune delivered in Styrian dialect. The performance, complete with cartoonish animal props, was a parody of Eurovision’s over-the-top style. At the Riga contest, this offbeat entry surprised many by scoring 6th place with 101 points. Alf Poier, an Austrian stand-up comedian known for absurdist humor, thus earned Austria’s best Eurovision result in over a decade. His comedic approach and catchy refrain turned him into a fan favorite that year. 2004 – Tie Break – Du bist Austria’s national final “Song.Null.Vier” chose Tie Break’s “Du bist” for Eurovision 2004. Waterloo & Robinson (ESC 1976!) were the runners up. Note that a song, written by popstar Falco, participated too. So posthumously, Falco did a Eurovision attempt!Written by composer Peter Zimmermann, “Du bist” is a tender schlager-style pop ballad performed in German. Tie Break, a trio of fresh-faced male singers (a boy band formed via a talent search), delivered tight harmonies in Istanbul’s final. Thanks to Austria’s top-10 result the year before, they pre-qualified directly for the final. Tie Break finished 21st out of 24 with 9 points. The group had gained national fame through the selection process, but on the Eurovision stage their gentle ballad struggled to stand out in a field dominated by more dynamic acts. 2005 – Global.Kryner – Y así In 2005, “Song.Null.Fünf” was held and the crossover folk band Global.Kryner won with “Y así”. They narrowly beated Alf Poier. The controversy was that Austria changed the rules of the voting on the very last moment. Would the original voting procedure be used, Alf Poier would have won. Band members Edi Köhldorfer (composer) and Christof Spörk (lyricist) combined Latin salsa rhythms with Austrian alpine polka to create this unique “salsa-polka-pop” song. Global.Kryner was a six-member ensemble known for blending folk and jazz influences. They opened the Eurovision semi-final in Kyiv with an energetic performance featuring yodels and Latin dance breaks. However, “Y así” did not advance to the final, placing 21st of 25 in the semi-final with 30 points. The group had earned acclaim in Austria and Germany, but their daring genre fusion proved too quirky for the Eurovision televote that year. 2007 – Eric Papilaya – Get A Life – Get Alive After a brief Eurovision hiatus, Austria returned in 2007 by internally selecting Eric Papilaya. His entry “Get A Life – Get Alive” – composed by Greg Usek with lyrics by Austin Howard. It was the official anthem of Vienna’s Life Ball AIDS charity event. This song is an upbeat pop-rock anthem with an inspirational message and flashy staging. Papilaya performed with a giant red ribbon on stage. Papilaya, a rock vocalist who rose to fame on the TV talent show Starmania, gave a spirited performance in Helsinki’s semi-final. Unfortunately Austria did not qualify for the final; he placed 27th (four points) in the semi. The entry drew media attention for its charity theme, but it wasn’t enough to overcome tough competition in 2007. 2011 – Nadine Beiler – The Secret Is Love Austria returned to Eurovision in 2011 through the national selection “Düsseldorf – wir kommen!”. The competition featured ten songs. However, well-known artists Alf Poier and Petra Frey failed to pass the online preselection. As a result, Nadine Beiler won the final with her soulful ballad “The Secret Is Love”. She co-wrote the song with veteran producer Thomas Rabitsch. Musically, the entry combines elements of gospel and pop, while it clearly highlights Beiler’s strong vocal range. Previously, Nadine Beiler had gained national fame by winning the television talent show Starmania in 2007 at the age of 16. Therefore, expectations were already high when she took the stage in Düsseldorf. Her Eurovision performance began a cappella and gradually built towards a powerful climax. Consequently, Austria qualified from the semi-final in seventh place with 69 points. In the grand final, Beiler finished 18th, scoring 64 points. Nevertheless, this result marked Austria’s first appearance in a Eurovision final in seven years and therefore signalled a credible and positive comeback.

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Eurovision 2026

Weekly Update

It’s Tuesday, December 23, 2025. Time for another weekly update! This week saw the first two countries confirm their Eurovision 2026 entries. Several others moved forward with national selection plans. Broadcasters from San Marino to Bulgaria unveiled updates on their contests. Meanwhile in Vienna, preparations for the 70th Eurovision Song Contest are in full swing. Here are this week’s top stories: New Entries 🇦🇱 Albania: Alis – Nân Albania has now selected its entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2026. At the 64th Festivali i Këngës, Alis won with the song “Nân”. The festival is one of Europe’s longest-running national selection events. Combined jury and public televoting in the final decided the winner. “Nân” topped both the televote and the jury scoreboard, earning Alis the overall victory and the right to compete for Albania at the upcoming contest. “Nân” is described as a poignant ballad about enduring love and personal connection. Its success at FiK 64 marks a new chapter for Albania’s Eurovision journey. You can write all about the 64th Festivali i Këngës here, and a full biography of Alis here. 🇲🇪 Montenegro: Tamara Živković – Nova Zora Tamara Živković emerged victorious in Montesong 2025. She will thus represent at Eurovision 2026 with her song “Nova zora”. Fifteen acts competed in the live show in Podgorica, where the winner was decided by an equal mix of jury and televote. Tamara is a newcomer on the Eurovision stage. You can read everything about Montesong here. You can read Tamara’s full biography here. National Finals and Selections 🇸🇲 San Marino San Marino RTV has adjusted the dates of its newly rebranded San Marino Song Contest selection. The two semi-finals will now take place on March 2 and 3. This will be followed by the grand final on March 6. Itmoved one day earlier than initially planned. Over the past week, San Marino continued holding casting auditions, including online sessions for international hopefuls. At a year-end press conference, the SMRTV Director General also affirmed ongoing efforts to strengthen the broadcaster’s relationship with the EBU. He was underscoring San Marino’s commitment to a successful Eurovision return. source: SMRTV 🇲🇩 Moldova 16 Finalists Chosen for Selecția Națională – Teleradio-Moldova (TRM) has revealed the 16 artists who will compete in Moldova’s national final on January 17, 2026. These finalists were selected on December 16 after live auditions involving 34 performers. Initially the selection was to be only 10 acts. However, TRM expanded the lineup to 16, citing an unexpected surge of high-quality entries and polished performances at the auditions. Producers noted that the talent level “exceeded initial expectations,” leading to the rule change to give more acts a shot at the big stage. Moldova returns to Eurovision in 2026 after a one-year absence, aiming to build on its past successes. source: TRM 🇧🇬 Bulgaria Bulgaria’s broadcaster BNT has published the rules for its Eurovision 2026 selection. They confirm a national final on February 28. The process will unfold in three televised phases. First, 15 invited artists perform one of their own songs on January 24, with a jury and an online public vote narrowing the field to seven. Those top 7 acts will sing again on January 31. The highest combined jury+public score that night wins the ticket to Eurovision for the artist. Finally, on Feb 28 the winning artist will present three brand-new songs created for Eurovision. A 10-person jury alongside the public will pick the winning song that becomes Bulgaria’s entry. This marks Bulgaria’s return to Eurovision after last participating in 2022. source: BNT 🇦🇹 Austria In host country Austria, preparations continue for the national final “Vienna Calling – Wer singt für Österreich?”. The national final is scheduled on February 20, 2026. This week the line-up of 12 acts was finalized after singer Tamara Flores withdrew from the competition for personal reasons. Sidrit Vokshi, a 35-year-old artist from Vienna, has been announced as her replacement, joining the other eleven contenders vying to represent Austria in May. source: ORF 🇵🇹 Portugal A wave of artist protests has hit Portugal’s Eurovision selection. AGRIDOCE, an indie pop duo competing in Festival da Canção 2026, announced that they will not go to Eurovision even if they win the national final. In fact, 13 of the 16 composers/acts in FdC 2026 have now publicly stated they would refuse Eurovision participation should they win Portugal’s ticket. The artists cite political and ethical reasons behind this stance. In an Instagram post, Agridoce expressed hope for “signs of accountability and justice” in response to ongoing events, lamenting that the situation “remains unchanged”. They refer to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Portugal’s broadcaster RTP has not yet commented on how it will proceed if its FdC winner declines to go to Vienna. source: Instagram Eurovision 2026 News Vienna: 2,000 Apply for Eurovision Stand-In Roles Host broadcaster ORF reports an overwhelming response to its call for stand-in performers for Eurovision 2026. Around 2,000 singers and dancers from around the world applied to be stand-ins. Those are the performers who rehearse in place of the actual acts during early technical rehearsals. ORF invited about 650 of them to live auditions in Vienna this montht. Only 30 stand-in positions are available in total. The final selection of these lucky performers will be announced by the end of January 2026. In past years, stand-in opportunities have even led to some performers later joining actual Eurovision delegations as backing vocalists or dancers. That’s a true backstage springboard. source: ORF Allocation Draw Scheduled for January 12 The official Semi-Final Allocation Draw for Eurovision 2026 will take place on January 12, 2026. This ceremony will be held in the historic Vienna Rathaus (City Hall) and broadcast live on ORF 1 and online via ORF’s streaming platform. During the event, the Mayor of Vienna will receive the Eurovision insignia (the symbolic keys to the contest) from the Mayor of Basel (host city of ESC 2025). He will get it in the traditional Host City handover ceremony. Following that, officials will draw lots

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Eurovision 2026
Martijn

Weekly Update

It’s Tuesday, December 23, 2025. Time for another weekly update! This week saw the first two countries confirm their Eurovision 2026 entries. Several others moved forward with national selection plans. Broadcasters from San Marino to Bulgaria unveiled updates on their contests. Meanwhile in Vienna, preparations for the 70th Eurovision Song Contest are in full swing. Here are this week’s top stories: New Entries 🇦🇱 Albania: Alis – Nân Albania has now selected its entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2026. At the 64th Festivali i Këngës, Alis won with the song “Nân”. The festival is one of Europe’s longest-running national selection events. Combined jury and public televoting in the final decided the winner. “Nân” topped both the televote and the jury scoreboard, earning Alis the overall victory and the right to compete for Albania at the upcoming contest. “Nân” is described as a poignant ballad about enduring love and personal connection. Its success at FiK 64 marks a new chapter for Albania’s Eurovision journey. You can write all about the 64th Festivali i Këngës here, and a full biography of Alis here. 🇲🇪 Montenegro: Tamara Živković – Nova Zora Tamara Živković emerged victorious in Montesong 2025. She will thus represent at Eurovision 2026 with her song “Nova zora”. Fifteen acts competed in the live show in Podgorica, where the winner was decided by an equal mix of jury and televote. Tamara is a newcomer on the Eurovision stage. You can read everything about Montesong here. You can read Tamara’s full biography here. National Finals and Selections 🇸🇲 San Marino San Marino RTV has adjusted the dates of its newly rebranded San Marino Song Contest selection. The two semi-finals will now take place on March 2 and 3. This will be followed by the grand final on March 6. Itmoved one day earlier than initially planned. Over the past week, San Marino continued holding casting auditions, including online sessions for international hopefuls. At a year-end press conference, the SMRTV Director General also affirmed ongoing efforts to strengthen the broadcaster’s relationship with the EBU. He was underscoring San Marino’s commitment to a successful Eurovision return. source: SMRTV 🇲🇩 Moldova 16 Finalists Chosen for Selecția Națională – Teleradio-Moldova (TRM) has revealed the 16 artists who will compete in Moldova’s national final on January 17, 2026. These finalists were selected on December 16 after live auditions involving 34 performers. Initially the selection was to be only 10 acts. However, TRM expanded the lineup to 16, citing an unexpected surge of high-quality entries and polished performances at the auditions. Producers noted that the talent level “exceeded initial expectations,” leading to the rule change to give more acts a shot at the big stage. Moldova returns to Eurovision in 2026 after a one-year absence, aiming to build on its past successes. source: TRM 🇧🇬 Bulgaria Bulgaria’s broadcaster BNT has published the rules for its Eurovision 2026 selection. They confirm a national final on February 28. The process will unfold in three televised phases. First, 15 invited artists perform one of their own songs on January 24, with a jury and an online public vote narrowing the field to seven. Those top 7 acts will sing again on January 31. The highest combined jury+public score that night wins the ticket to Eurovision for the artist. Finally, on Feb 28 the winning artist will present three brand-new songs created for Eurovision. A 10-person jury alongside the public will pick the winning song that becomes Bulgaria’s entry. This marks Bulgaria’s return to Eurovision after last participating in 2022. source: BNT 🇦🇹 Austria In host country Austria, preparations continue for the national final “Vienna Calling – Wer singt für Österreich?”. The national final is scheduled on February 20, 2026. This week the line-up of 12 acts was finalized after singer Tamara Flores withdrew from the competition for personal reasons. Sidrit Vokshi, a 35-year-old artist from Vienna, has been announced as her replacement, joining the other eleven contenders vying to represent Austria in May. source: ORF 🇵🇹 Portugal A wave of artist protests has hit Portugal’s Eurovision selection. AGRIDOCE, an indie pop duo competing in Festival da Canção 2026, announced that they will not go to Eurovision even if they win the national final. In fact, 13 of the 16 composers/acts in FdC 2026 have now publicly stated they would refuse Eurovision participation should they win Portugal’s ticket. The artists cite political and ethical reasons behind this stance. In an Instagram post, Agridoce expressed hope for “signs of accountability and justice” in response to ongoing events, lamenting that the situation “remains unchanged”. They refer to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Portugal’s broadcaster RTP has not yet commented on how it will proceed if its FdC winner declines to go to Vienna. source: Instagram Eurovision 2026 News Vienna: 2,000 Apply for Eurovision Stand-In Roles Host broadcaster ORF reports an overwhelming response to its call for stand-in performers for Eurovision 2026. Around 2,000 singers and dancers from around the world applied to be stand-ins. Those are the performers who rehearse in place of the actual acts during early technical rehearsals. ORF invited about 650 of them to live auditions in Vienna this montht. Only 30 stand-in positions are available in total. The final selection of these lucky performers will be announced by the end of January 2026. In past years, stand-in opportunities have even led to some performers later joining actual Eurovision delegations as backing vocalists or dancers. That’s a true backstage springboard. source: ORF Allocation Draw Scheduled for January 12 The official Semi-Final Allocation Draw for Eurovision 2026 will take place on January 12, 2026. This ceremony will be held in the historic Vienna Rathaus (City Hall) and broadcast live on ORF 1 and online via ORF’s streaming platform. During the event, the Mayor of Vienna will receive the Eurovision insignia (the symbolic keys to the contest) from the Mayor of Basel (host city of ESC 2025). He will get it in the traditional Host City handover ceremony. Following that, officials will draw lots

Read More »
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