Eurovision 2025: Basel Calling

[johnnyboy]

As Andy Williams would tell us, it's the most wonderful time of the year.  No, not Christmas but the Eurovision Song Contest!

This year we're in Switzerland, Basel to be precise, because Nemo won with "The Code" last year with a great song, performance, and staging.

Part of that staging was a tilting, leaping, platform and there was speculation on how it was performed.  Magnets?  Hydraulic cannons?  Computerised jacks programmed in time with the music?  Nope, good old stagehands in ninja suits that avoided the broadcast cameras.

 

Edited May 11, 2025 by johnnyboy

[johnnyboy]

Pre-match Buildup

The turquoise (due to Moroccanoil sponsorship) carpet introducing the acts and officially kicking off Eurovision week is this afternoon at 12:45.

Turquoise Carpet Stream

And to really wet the whistle there's the Eurovision 24/7 hits stream.

NON-STOP HITS!

Key Dates

Semi-Final 1 - Tuesday 13th May - 8pm

Semi-Final 2 - Thursday 15th May - 8pm

Grand FInal - Saturday 17th May - 8pm

Edited May 11, 2025 by johnnyboy

[FLips]

Had a listen through the playlist last night and my favourites going into it are Australia, Italy, Portugal and Ukraine.

Italy is already through to the Finals but I think their song is genuinely good but not “Eurovision good”. I think they’ll struggle with it, same as Portugal who have a nice song but I don’t think will make an impact.

Ukraine’s song is really good and could go the distance with a good performance on the night but as with Isreal it’ll be hard to judge if the votes will just be political and how that will effect the result.

Australia is this year’s Windows 95 Man in that it’s 100% gimmick but the song is actually catchy too. I like it but I always like the goofy songs over the ballads.

Malta had a song where they shouted CUNT and it could have gone far but rightfully it was censored because she was just shouting CUNT. It would have took a miracle to try and sneak that through. I’m not sure what it was reworked to but can’t see it going far without the main gimmick.

[johnnyboy]

21 minutes ago, FLips said:

I’m not sure what it was reworked to but can’t see it going far without the main gimmick.

It's just become "serving...[pause]" instead of "serving kant."

Hopefully the live crowd fill in the blanks.

Milkshake Man isn't even the only song about ejaculating in the contest!

Spoiler

Cheeky Finland too.

 

Edited May 11, 2025 by johnnyboy

[SuperBacon]

Eurojizzion?

[Cousin Jim Bob]

Sweden's utterly daft ode to the joys of sauna's is my favourite this year.

[Thunderplex]

Although I hate Eurovision with a passion, I love the annual thread and the fun you all have around it.

[TheScarlettChad]

I kinda miss 2023's. The hype around it being hosted here was really nice. 

[Callum1993]

I can’t see passed Sweden winning. At least this year the UK’s act can sing live. I can’t see us finishing higher than the bottom 10 though. Personal favourites are Czechia and Norway. 

[lanky316]

I was all aboard the German hype train when Feuerschwanz were going to go in full of the sort of ridiculousness as well as a catchy tune that I could see getting people on board. Unfortunately they changed the selection process at the last second - "no girls like rock and Eurovision is 90% girls"-  to stop them getting through and now it's "fine" but nothing more than that so almost certain to be forgotten. Mind you this is the country that turned down Electric Callboy too so let's be honest their selections aren't exactly the smartest. I've kind of forgotten most of the entries since they were selected so going to have to go through and have a proper listen.

Eurovision is silly and a lot of the music is awful but every year I come crawling back.

[Chili]

So it's not going to potentially kick off again is it? What's the current issues? Last year it was Israel being a bit wanky and the Netherlands absolutely not having any shit.

[johnnyboy]

1 hour ago, Chili said:

What's the current issues?

Flags.

Acts are only allowed the flag of their country.  The crowd can have any flag that's legal in Switzerland.

The Icelandic act have the Greenland and Faroe Island flags prominently in their music video, and that's before we get into various Pride flags or the Palestinian one.  Everyone might comply or there might be absolute scenes/cameras cutting away quickly.

[Lion_of_the_Midlands]

The European Broadcast Union does not allow the showing of the flag of the European Union at Eurovision apparently. They will allow the crowd to have Pride flags but not other LGBTQ flags. 

[marc2j]

Listened to the UK entry this morning and was decidedly underwhelmed. I also took the opportunity to listen to last years winner thanks to the link above. The one's I like never, ever, ever do well, so I reckon I'm just not a very good judge of Eurovision songs!

[FLips]

14 minutes ago, marc2j said:

Listened to the UK entry this morning and was decidedly underwhelmed. I also took the opportunity to listen to last years winner thanks to the link above. The one's I like never, ever, ever do well, so I reckon I'm just not a very good judge of Eurovision songs!

My favourite from last year, so much it wormed it's way into my music recap playlist was 5 Minuust x Puuluup from Estonia and they finished really low. For me the weirder the better, if I wanted dull ballards I can stick the radio on.