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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70 years of Eurovision: winners with violins

The Eurovision Song Contest is celebrating its 70th anniversary. That is a wonderful milestone. We at Eurovision Universe love diving into the history of the contest. That is why we are taking a closer look at the contests of the past 70 years. 2008 One semi-final was not enough anymore. From then on, semi-finals would be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The top ten advanced to the final. Only the host country and the four highest-paying countries (the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Spain) automatically qualified for the final. Austria withdrew again in 2008, but San Marino and Azerbaijan participated for the first time.  The Eurovision Song Contest was held in the Belgrade Arena in, of course, Belgrade. Željko Joksimović hosted the show, together with Jovana Janković. That went very well. So well, in fact, that the two married in 2012.  The songs Roberto Meloni made a comeback. He had already participated for Latvia in 2007 with Bonaparti.LV; this time, he was the singer of the group Pirates of the Sea. Former winner Charlotte Perelli was also present, as was former runner-up Dima Bilan. A notable returnee was Tarmo Leinatamm. He was once a conductor, but now stood on stage as a ‘singer’. Tarmo was part of a novelty act. The trio Kreisiraadio sang their song “Leto Svet” in grammatically very poor Serbian. Singing was not the gentlemen’s strong suit. The Pirates of the Sea from Latvia had a sort of Jack Sparrow parody, a sing-along. But Ireland went the furthest with Dustin The Turkey: a turkey hand puppet, who tried to collect many points by incorporating the names of all the Eastern European countries into the lyrics. However, the audience had had enough of low-quality novelty acts. They all failed to advance to the final. Germany thought it could achieve success with a big name, the group No Angels. However, it was not enough; the Germans finished 23rd. The Portuguese Vânia Fernandes, who was the favorite with a song by a Croatian, also failed to live up to expectations with a 13th place finish. Expectations were high for Charlotte Perelli, but her “Hero” stalled in 18th place. And the only novelty act that did make it to the final (being from Spain) also finished low: Rodolfo Chikilicuatre, a character with a pompadour and oversized glasses. Armenia and Ukraine, on the other hand, understood things better. Both countries finished high with a swinging number and a solid act. Moreover, both countries sent their big stars: Sirusho for Armenia and Ani Lorak, who had previously missed the boat, represented Ukraine. Dima Bilan For the second time, Dima Bilan competed for Russia. Russia’s big star did not face strong competition this time, as he did in 2006. He won with ease. Bilan had pulled out all the stops for this. He was accompanied by Edvin Marton, who played a genuine Stradivarius. Additionally, figure skater and Olympic champion Evgeni Plushenko appeared during the act, naturally on skates. Even after the Eurovision Song Contest, Dima Bilan remained a big star in Russia, and he still is. 2009 Slovakia returned in 2009, but San Marino did not. Georgia wanted to participate, but was at the time at war with the host nation, Russia. Their song, “We Don’t Wanna Put In,” which according to the band members was not about Vladimir Putin, was rejected by the EBU. Georgia subsequently withdrew. The festival was held in the Olimpiyskiy Arena in Moscow. A new feature was that the semi-finals had a different presenting duo than the final. Natalia Vodianova and Andrey Malakhov were responsible for the semi-finals. Ivan Urgant and singer Alsou (see 2000) hosted the final. The songs Former presenter Sakis Rouvas participated for Greece for the second time. Chiara tried for Malta for the third time. Internationally famous names were once again present at the festival. Susanne Georgi, who represented Andorra, was one half of the Danish duo Me & My, together with her sister. The two had a European hit with “Dub i Dub,” among others. Noa participated for Israel. She was already a big name throughout Europe. Her song, together with the Palestinian Mira Awad, left little to the imagination regarding the lyrics: “There Must Be Another Way.” Patricia Kaas was also already a very big name in Europe. She participated with the ballad “Et s’il fallait le faire.” Arash represented Azerbaijan. This Iranian singer has lived and worked in Sweden his entire life and is well-known there as well. The Danish Brinck was not a celebrity himself, but performed a song by Boyzone frontman Ronan Keating. And the British Jade Ewen sang a song that could have come straight out of a musical. Not surprising, as Andrew Lloyd Webber was the composer. Jade would later become a member of the Sugababes. Also noteworthy was the group from the Netherlands: De Toppers. In their own country, they were mainly known for their individual careers and annual stadium concerts. In the rest of Europe, no one understood what was so appealing about these three somewhat older gentlemen in glitter suits. Sweden sent an opera singer: Malena Ernman. Malena’s daughter would later gain great fame as a climate activist: Greta Thunberg. Once again, Iceland would make a big impression: this time with a simple song, “Is It True?”. Urban Symphony from Estonia was also often considered a possible winner. Ultimately, their song “Rändajad” finished ‘only’ sixth. The Turkish delegation consisted almost entirely of Belgians. Singer Hadise was born in Belgium and lived there as well. She managed to secure a fourth place for Turkey. Alexander Rybak But the entire festival revolved around one person from the very beginning: a boy with a mischievous face and a violin. The Belarusian-born Norwegian Alexander Rybak easily won Melodi Grand Prix, the Norwegian national selection. With his song “Fairytale”, and thus with his violin, Rybak captured the hearts of all of Europe without any effort. Rybak would become inextricably linked to the Eurovision Song Contest: later as a commentator,

Read More »
History
Martijn

70 years of Eurovision: winners with violins

The Eurovision Song Contest is celebrating its 70th anniversary. That is a wonderful milestone. We at Eurovision Universe love diving into the history of the contest. That is why we are taking a closer look at the contests of the past 70 years. 2008 One semi-final was not enough anymore. From then on, semi-finals would be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The top ten advanced to the final. Only the host country and the four highest-paying countries (the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Spain) automatically qualified for the final. Austria withdrew again in 2008, but San Marino and Azerbaijan participated for the first time.  The Eurovision Song Contest was held in the Belgrade Arena in, of course, Belgrade. Željko Joksimović hosted the show, together with Jovana Janković. That went very well. So well, in fact, that the two married in 2012.  The songs Roberto Meloni made a comeback. He had already participated for Latvia in 2007 with Bonaparti.LV; this time, he was the singer of the group Pirates of the Sea. Former winner Charlotte Perelli was also present, as was former runner-up Dima Bilan. A notable returnee was Tarmo Leinatamm. He was once a conductor, but now stood on stage as a ‘singer’. Tarmo was part of a novelty act. The trio Kreisiraadio sang their song “Leto Svet” in grammatically very poor Serbian. Singing was not the gentlemen’s strong suit. The Pirates of the Sea from Latvia had a sort of Jack Sparrow parody, a sing-along. But Ireland went the furthest with Dustin The Turkey: a turkey hand puppet, who tried to collect many points by incorporating the names of all the Eastern European countries into the lyrics. However, the audience had had enough of low-quality novelty acts. They all failed to advance to the final. Germany thought it could achieve success with a big name, the group No Angels. However, it was not enough; the Germans finished 23rd. The Portuguese Vânia Fernandes, who was the favorite with a song by a Croatian, also failed to live up to expectations with a 13th place finish. Expectations were high for Charlotte Perelli, but her “Hero” stalled in 18th place. And the only novelty act that did make it to the final (being from Spain) also finished low: Rodolfo Chikilicuatre, a character with a pompadour and oversized glasses. Armenia and Ukraine, on the other hand, understood things better. Both countries finished high with a swinging number and a solid act. Moreover, both countries sent their big stars: Sirusho for Armenia and Ani Lorak, who had previously missed the boat, represented Ukraine. Dima Bilan For the second time, Dima Bilan competed for Russia. Russia’s big star did not face strong competition this time, as he did in 2006. He won with ease. Bilan had pulled out all the stops for this. He was accompanied by Edvin Marton, who played a genuine Stradivarius. Additionally, figure skater and Olympic champion Evgeni Plushenko appeared during the act, naturally on skates. Even after the Eurovision Song Contest, Dima Bilan remained a big star in Russia, and he still is. 2009 Slovakia returned in 2009, but San Marino did not. Georgia wanted to participate, but was at the time at war with the host nation, Russia. Their song, “We Don’t Wanna Put In,” which according to the band members was not about Vladimir Putin, was rejected by the EBU. Georgia subsequently withdrew. The festival was held in the Olimpiyskiy Arena in Moscow. A new feature was that the semi-finals had a different presenting duo than the final. Natalia Vodianova and Andrey Malakhov were responsible for the semi-finals. Ivan Urgant and singer Alsou (see 2000) hosted the final. The songs Former presenter Sakis Rouvas participated for Greece for the second time. Chiara tried for Malta for the third time. Internationally famous names were once again present at the festival. Susanne Georgi, who represented Andorra, was one half of the Danish duo Me & My, together with her sister. The two had a European hit with “Dub i Dub,” among others. Noa participated for Israel. She was already a big name throughout Europe. Her song, together with the Palestinian Mira Awad, left little to the imagination regarding the lyrics: “There Must Be Another Way.” Patricia Kaas was also already a very big name in Europe. She participated with the ballad “Et s’il fallait le faire.” Arash represented Azerbaijan. This Iranian singer has lived and worked in Sweden his entire life and is well-known there as well. The Danish Brinck was not a celebrity himself, but performed a song by Boyzone frontman Ronan Keating. And the British Jade Ewen sang a song that could have come straight out of a musical. Not surprising, as Andrew Lloyd Webber was the composer. Jade would later become a member of the Sugababes. Also noteworthy was the group from the Netherlands: De Toppers. In their own country, they were mainly known for their individual careers and annual stadium concerts. In the rest of Europe, no one understood what was so appealing about these three somewhat older gentlemen in glitter suits. Sweden sent an opera singer: Malena Ernman. Malena’s daughter would later gain great fame as a climate activist: Greta Thunberg. Once again, Iceland would make a big impression: this time with a simple song, “Is It True?”. Urban Symphony from Estonia was also often considered a possible winner. Ultimately, their song “Rändajad” finished ‘only’ sixth. The Turkish delegation consisted almost entirely of Belgians. Singer Hadise was born in Belgium and lived there as well. She managed to secure a fourth place for Turkey. Alexander Rybak But the entire festival revolved around one person from the very beginning: a boy with a mischievous face and a violin. The Belarusian-born Norwegian Alexander Rybak easily won Melodi Grand Prix, the Norwegian national selection. With his song “Fairytale”, and thus with his violin, Rybak captured the hearts of all of Europe without any effort. Rybak would become inextricably linked to the Eurovision Song Contest: later as a commentator,

Read More »
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