The Eurovision Song Contest 2025 takes place in Switzerland on Saturday night – but not all countries needed to qualify via the semi final
Remember Monday are representing the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest 2025(Image: Getty Images)
The 69th Eurovision Song Contest takes place in Switzerland on Saturday night following singer Nemo’s win last year.
A total of 26 countries will battle it out in the grand final, which is the biggest and most watched song competition in the world.
The competition returns to Switzerland for 2025, who hosted the very first contest back in 1956, and will be broadcast live from St. Jakobshalle in Basel.
This year Switzerland is being represented by Zoë Më with the song ‘Voyage’, and the show will be presented by Hazel Brugger, Michelle Hunziker and Sandra Studer.
With BBC providing live coverage of the event, viewers in the UK will hear Graham Norton’s commentary.
Representing the UK is all-female trio Remember Monday who are set to take to the stage with their entry song: What The Hell Just Happened?
Remember Monday are representing the UK with What The Hell Just Happened?(Image: Handout)
Ahead of the final on Saturday, two semi-finals took place on Tuesday May 13 and Thursday May 15, with the top 10 countries from each semi-final making it through to the grand final on Saturday alongside the big five plus Switzerland.
The Grand Final kicks off at Saturday, May 17, at 8pm (BST) with coverage of the night available to watch on BBC One and iPlayer.
Why do Eurovision ‘big five’ automatically qualify for final?
Five countries – France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK – get to compete in Saturday’s final without having to qualify. This is because these are the group of countries that make the biggest financial contributions to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) which owns and operates Eurovision.
As a result in 2000, a rule was created that allowed them direct entry into the final of the Eurovision Song Contest.
The final, taking place on Saturday, May 17, will include 20 qualifying countries, plus the big five and Switzerland.