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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Related news

History

70 years of Eurovision: from a volcano to a housewife

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. 2010 In 2010, the entire Eurovision Song Contest hung by a thread for a moment. That had everything to do with Iceland. Not with the contestant, Hera Björk. No, with a volcano: Eyjafjallajökull. It erupted. This resulted in an impenetrable ash cloud. Airspace in no fewer than 14 countries was closed on April 15. If it remained closed, the entire festival could not go ahead. Fortunately, everything ended without serious consequences. The song contest was held in Oslo. Erik Solbakken, Nadia Hasnaoui, and Haddy N’jie hosted the show. Georgia participated again, but Andorra, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Montenegro dropped out. The songs The female group Femminem, a previous participant for Bosnia and Herzegovina, now represented Croatia. Former winner Niamh Kavanagh made a new attempt for Ireland. Sweden chose a girl with a guitar: Anna Bergendahl. And what had never happened before (and would never happen again): Sweden did not make it to the final! Anna participated in Melodifestivalen several more times later on, but the Swedes still didn’t dare to send her again. The performance of the Spanish candidate Daniel Diges in the final was disrupted. Jimmy Jump, who often appears in places where he is not allowed to be, placed among the dancers. After he was removed from the stage, Diges was given the chance to sing his song again. Moldova made Eurovision history. Not because of the high score of Sunstroke Project, but because of the sax solo from the song. Over the years, it grew to mythical proportions. There is even a ten-hour compilation of just this sax solo to be found on YouTube. The saxophonist from the group was therefore given the nickname ‘epic sax guy’. Then there was Tom Dice from Belgium. He, too, was among the favorites. For a moment, it really seemed like he was going to finish in the top 3, but ultimately he ended up being a sixth place. The group Manga came second for Turkey. Fireworks weren’t enough for this group: a grinding tool was even used in the act.The Ukrainian entry was the third choice. The winner of the national final was deemed not good enough by the Ukrainian broadcaster. A new national final had to be held. But the song that won back then turned out to already exist and was disqualified. The winning singer, Alyosha, was now allowed to come up with an alternative. Duos Paula Seling and the Romanian-Norwegian (or Norwegian-Romanian?) Ovi, seated at the piano, had great success with their duet “Playing with fire”. The song came in an impressive third place! The two finished just above another duo: Chanée and N’Evergreen from Denmark. With “In A Moment Like This,” they confessed their love to each other. Love that didn’t actually exist; the two could have killed each other. But as is often the case, that very fact led to great success. Lena No one knew Lena Meyer-Landruth from Hanover. As a completely unknown German girl, she had entered Unser Star Für Oslo, the German national selection. Surprisingly, she emerged as the winner. With her distinctive English accent, she sang the song “Sattelite” to first place. Upon her return home, she was welcomed as a heroine. Hanover airport was packed. The producer of the program was Stefan Raab, who himself was on stage in a glitter suit back in 2000. At the winners’ press conference, he already suggested that Lena would defend her title in 2011. And so it happened. And so, after Lys Assia and Corrie Brokken, Lena was the third contestant to participate again immediately after her victory. 2011 Not Hanover, not Berlin, but Düsseldorf became the venue. Stefan Raab was the host, together with Anke Engelke and Judith Rakers. Four countries returned: Austria, San Marino, Hungary and, surprisingly enough, Italy. The lobbying by singer Raffaella Cara, among others, had worked. The songs As mentioned, Lena represented Germany and thereby defended her title. But the entry was not as successful as the previous one, with ‘just’ a tenth place. She was not the only former winner: Israel fielded Dana International. Her glory years were clearly over; it was not enough for a place in the final. The Bosnian Dino Merlin, who was also present in 1999, did better with a sixth place. San Marino came with Senit, an Italian of Eritrean descent. Nowadays she calls herself Senhit, and this year she will take the Eurovision stage again. The main eye-catchers were the twin brothers from Ireland: Jedward. With red suits and enormous quiffs, the two stood out quite a bit. Their song “Lipstick” was sung along to by everyone in Düsseldorf and the surrounding area. Jedward knew how to put on a show. Eric Saade performed for Sweden. He spent his time in Düsseldorf among other things arguing with the Russian Alexey Vorobyov, and vice versa. The British hit machine Blue represented the United Kingdom with an act featuring towering portraits of the four group members on stage. “I Can” did not become the success that was expected of it. The same thing happened to France. Amaury Vassili sang “Sognu,” a classic ballad, entirely in Corsican. He sang perfectly during all rehearsals, except when it really mattered. Amaury finished 15th. Singer Sjonni Brink was supposed to participate in the Icelandic national final but passed away unexpectedly just before it was held. As a tribute, a group of friends decided to sing the song “Coming Home” in his place. Of course, they won by a wide margin. During the winners press conference, there was joy at reaching the final, but traces of a very different emotion were clearly visible as well. Ell & Nikki As the rehearsal week progressed, it became increasingly clear that Azerbaijan stood a chance. Although

Read More »
History
Martijn

70 years of Eurovision: from a volcano to a housewife

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. 2010 In 2010, the entire Eurovision Song Contest hung by a thread for a moment. That had everything to do with Iceland. Not with the contestant, Hera Björk. No, with a volcano: Eyjafjallajökull. It erupted. This resulted in an impenetrable ash cloud. Airspace in no fewer than 14 countries was closed on April 15. If it remained closed, the entire festival could not go ahead. Fortunately, everything ended without serious consequences. The song contest was held in Oslo. Erik Solbakken, Nadia Hasnaoui, and Haddy N’jie hosted the show. Georgia participated again, but Andorra, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Montenegro dropped out. The songs The female group Femminem, a previous participant for Bosnia and Herzegovina, now represented Croatia. Former winner Niamh Kavanagh made a new attempt for Ireland. Sweden chose a girl with a guitar: Anna Bergendahl. And what had never happened before (and would never happen again): Sweden did not make it to the final! Anna participated in Melodifestivalen several more times later on, but the Swedes still didn’t dare to send her again. The performance of the Spanish candidate Daniel Diges in the final was disrupted. Jimmy Jump, who often appears in places where he is not allowed to be, placed among the dancers. After he was removed from the stage, Diges was given the chance to sing his song again. Moldova made Eurovision history. Not because of the high score of Sunstroke Project, but because of the sax solo from the song. Over the years, it grew to mythical proportions. There is even a ten-hour compilation of just this sax solo to be found on YouTube. The saxophonist from the group was therefore given the nickname ‘epic sax guy’. Then there was Tom Dice from Belgium. He, too, was among the favorites. For a moment, it really seemed like he was going to finish in the top 3, but ultimately he ended up being a sixth place. The group Manga came second for Turkey. Fireworks weren’t enough for this group: a grinding tool was even used in the act.The Ukrainian entry was the third choice. The winner of the national final was deemed not good enough by the Ukrainian broadcaster. A new national final had to be held. But the song that won back then turned out to already exist and was disqualified. The winning singer, Alyosha, was now allowed to come up with an alternative. Duos Paula Seling and the Romanian-Norwegian (or Norwegian-Romanian?) Ovi, seated at the piano, had great success with their duet “Playing with fire”. The song came in an impressive third place! The two finished just above another duo: Chanée and N’Evergreen from Denmark. With “In A Moment Like This,” they confessed their love to each other. Love that didn’t actually exist; the two could have killed each other. But as is often the case, that very fact led to great success. Lena No one knew Lena Meyer-Landruth from Hanover. As a completely unknown German girl, she had entered Unser Star Für Oslo, the German national selection. Surprisingly, she emerged as the winner. With her distinctive English accent, she sang the song “Sattelite” to first place. Upon her return home, she was welcomed as a heroine. Hanover airport was packed. The producer of the program was Stefan Raab, who himself was on stage in a glitter suit back in 2000. At the winners’ press conference, he already suggested that Lena would defend her title in 2011. And so it happened. And so, after Lys Assia and Corrie Brokken, Lena was the third contestant to participate again immediately after her victory. 2011 Not Hanover, not Berlin, but Düsseldorf became the venue. Stefan Raab was the host, together with Anke Engelke and Judith Rakers. Four countries returned: Austria, San Marino, Hungary and, surprisingly enough, Italy. The lobbying by singer Raffaella Cara, among others, had worked. The songs As mentioned, Lena represented Germany and thereby defended her title. But the entry was not as successful as the previous one, with ‘just’ a tenth place. She was not the only former winner: Israel fielded Dana International. Her glory years were clearly over; it was not enough for a place in the final. The Bosnian Dino Merlin, who was also present in 1999, did better with a sixth place. San Marino came with Senit, an Italian of Eritrean descent. Nowadays she calls herself Senhit, and this year she will take the Eurovision stage again. The main eye-catchers were the twin brothers from Ireland: Jedward. With red suits and enormous quiffs, the two stood out quite a bit. Their song “Lipstick” was sung along to by everyone in Düsseldorf and the surrounding area. Jedward knew how to put on a show. Eric Saade performed for Sweden. He spent his time in Düsseldorf among other things arguing with the Russian Alexey Vorobyov, and vice versa. The British hit machine Blue represented the United Kingdom with an act featuring towering portraits of the four group members on stage. “I Can” did not become the success that was expected of it. The same thing happened to France. Amaury Vassili sang “Sognu,” a classic ballad, entirely in Corsican. He sang perfectly during all rehearsals, except when it really mattered. Amaury finished 15th. Singer Sjonni Brink was supposed to participate in the Icelandic national final but passed away unexpectedly just before it was held. As a tribute, a group of friends decided to sing the song “Coming Home” in his place. Of course, they won by a wide margin. During the winners press conference, there was joy at reaching the final, but traces of a very different emotion were clearly visible as well. Ell & Nikki As the rehearsal week progressed, it became increasingly clear that Azerbaijan stood a chance. Although

Read More »
Follow Us: