Lights, camera, glitter ball: The Eurovision Song Contest reaches its grand final

The world’s largest unrecorded euphony lawsuit has reached its glitter-drenched decision with the expansive last connected Saturday of the Eurovision Song Contest, a celebration of euphony and unity ruffled by discord implicit Israel’s participation.

A trio singing for Sweden astir the joys of saunas and a classically trained Austrian countertenor are among those tipped to instrumentality the microphone-shaped Eurovision trophy astatine the contention successful Basel, Switzerland.

But astatine the ever-unpredictable event, the prize could conscionable arsenic easy spell to almighty singers from France, the Netherlands oregon Finland — oregon adjacent an Estonian who sings astir Italian coffee. The last kicks disconnected astatine 9 p.m. section time.

Bookmakers accidental the favourite is KAJ, representing Sweden with their ode to sauna civilization “Bara Bada Bastu,” followed by Austrian vocalist JJ’s pop-opera opus “Wasted Love.”

French chanteuse Louane has risen up the likelihood with “maman,” arsenic has Dutch vocalist Claude with soulful ballad “C’est La Vie” and Finland’s Erika Vikman with the innuendo-laden “Ich Komme.” Estonia’s Tommy Cash is besides a contender with his highly caffeinated dance-pop opus “Espresso Macchiato.”

Israel’s Yuval Raphael has won galore fans with her anthemic “New Day Will Rise,” but besides faced protests from pro-Palestinian demonstrators calling for Israel to beryllium kicked retired of the contention implicit its behaviour of the war against Hamas successful Gaza.

Acts from 26 countries — trimmed from 37 entrants done two elimination semifinals — volition execute to immoderate 160 cardinal viewers for the continent’s popular crown. No fume machine, pitchy of occurrence oregon dizzying airy show has been spared by musicians who are fixed 3 minutes to marque their mark.

Dean Vuletic, an adept connected the past of Eurovision, said the contention has go much divers implicit the years, some musically and linguistically. There are songs successful 20 languages this year, including Ukrainian, Icelandic, Albanian, Latvian and Maltese.

“In the past it was astir having a catchy, innocuous popular song, usually successful English,” helium said. But successful the past decennary “we’ve seen songs go overmuch much socially and politically engaged, songs that contiguous the assemblage with immoderate benignant of meaning."

“In caller years the formulaic attack to a Eurovision introduction hasn’t succeeded," helium added. "An introduction needs to beryllium memorable and it needs to beryllium authentic successful bid to win these days.”

This year’s contention has been roiled for a 2nd twelvemonth by disputes implicit Israel’s participation. Dozens of erstwhile participants, including past year’s victor Nemo of Switzerland, person called for Israel to beryllium excluded.

Pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel protests person some taken spot successful Basel, though connected a overmuch smaller standard than astatine past year’s lawsuit successful Sweden, wherever tensions spilled implicit backstage and Dutch rival Joost Klein was expelled implicit an alleged altercation with a unit member.

The European Broadcasting Union oregon EBU, which runs Eurovision, subsequently tightened the contest’s codification of conduct, calling connected participants to respect Eurovision’s values of “universality, diversity, equality and inclusivity” and its governmental neutrality.

Performers accidental the backstage vibe this twelvemonth is much relaxed.

After a arguable prohibition successful 2024 connected flags, isolated from nationalist ones, being waved successful the arena, this twelvemonth assemblage members tin bring Palestinian flags oregon immoderate others, arsenic agelong arsenic they are ineligible nether Swiss law. Performers, though, tin lone question their ain country’s flag.

Axel Åhman, 1 3rd of favorites KAJ, acknowledged that it’s pugnacious to support Eurovision an unpolitical event.

“The satellite ever seeps successful in immoderate sense,” helium told the AP. “But we’re present to correspond Sweden and we person prepared for this for each our lives and privation to marque the champion of our infinitesimal arsenic artists successful this immense and legendary competition.

"So our main absorption is there, and the authorities (we) effort to permission that to the EBU and those really making the decisions.”

___

Associated Press journalists Hilary Fox and Kwiyeon Ha contributed to this report.

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.