Eurovision 2025: Semi-Final 1

The First Semi-Final of the 2025 Eurovision

On January 28, a special draw ceremony was held to determine which countries would perform in the first and second semi-finals. The Running Order (R/O) of the semis was announced publicly only after 2 months, on March 27. The contest’s producers determine the running order internally.

Before the draw, all participating countries (minus the “Big Five” and the host, Switzerland) were divided into five pots, with 15 randomly assigned to the first Semi-Final. There should have been 38 countries participating, but Moldova withdrew, leaving 37 participants and an unequal number of acts in the semis (15 in the first one and 16 in the second).

Only the 10 best performances from each Semi-Final will advance to the Grand Final on May 17. 

After the draw, it was announced that the following countries would perform in the first semi-final: Estonia, Iceland, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Sweden, and Ukraine. These performances will be seen in the first part of the first semi-final, while the second part will feature Albania, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, the Netherlands, Norway, and San Marino. 

Worth knowing: in addition to the participating countries, Italy, Spain, and Switzerland have also been granted the right to vote in the first Semi-Final. 

So, without further ado, let’s get to know the 2025 Eurovision’s first Semi-Final participants a bit better!

🇮🇸 Iceland: Væb – “Róa”

Best Performance in ESC: 2nd place (1999, 2009)

Result in 2024: Semi-Final (15th) 

Iceland will open the Semi-Final with Væb’s “Róa.” This song blends modern electronic beats and vibes with ethereal melodies. The title “Roa” means ‘calm’ and reflects the song’s soothing yet powerful composition. 

Væb will seek to return to the top positions and put the 2024 failed qualification for the Grand Final past them. Let’s see if the duo of brothers have what it takes for Eurovision glory!

🇵🇱 Poland – Justyna Steczkowska – “Gaja”

Best Performance in ESC: 2nd place (1994)

Result in 2024: Semi-Final (12th)

An experienced stage diva, Justyna Steczkowska will return to the Eurovision stage after 30 years. She will perform a powerful ballad called “Gaja”, mixing Polish and English lyrics, drawing inspiration from Gaia, the Greek personification of Earth. The song, rich in emotional depth, draws inspiration from themes of nature and resilience.

The Polish performance has been praised for dynamic staging, featuring dancers, a swing and a flamboyant outfit from Justyna Steczkowska. She secured the nomination thanks to 39.32% of the public vote. In the past years, however, Poland hasn’t been the most successful country in the Eurovision Song Contest. Can they recapture their early success, when they placed 2nd on their 1994 debut?

🇸🇮 Slovenia – Klemen – “How Much Time Do We Have Left”

Best Performance in ESC: 7th place (1995, 2001)

Result in 2024: 23rd place 

Klemen Slakonja, better known as Klemen, is a multifaceted Slovenian entertainer, mostly known for his satirical and comical performances on TV. However, he is bringing something entirely different for the 2025 Eurovision. “How Much Time Do We Have Left” is a deeply personal ballad, inspired by his own experience during the time when his wife was battling a serious illness. Topics of love, loss and nature of life itself is something that resonates with all of us and that’s what Klemen seeks to broadcast.

Innovative staging and the emotional depth of Klemen’s performance promises to captivate hearts of many. At one time, the artist is even upside-down, symbolising how facing mortality can turn things, quite literally, upside down. 

Slovenia hopes that this emotionally charged performance can switch their fortunes up from being close to the bottom in last year’s contest. 

🇪🇪 Estonia – Tommy Cash – “Espresso Macchiato”

Best Performance in ESC: 1st place (2001)

Result in 2024: 20th 

A real troublemaker at heart, Tomas Tammemets is a 33-year-old rapper, dancer, and producer from Estonia. He is best known by his stage names Tommy Cash and Kanye East. Tommy Cash performs his songs in English and is locally very well known, mostly thanks to his provocative music videos. The singer has 1 million followers on Instagram and is set to be one of the most popular performers at this year’s Eurovision.

Tommy Cash comes from a Russian family and although he spoke Russian at home, he learned to speak Estonian fluently in kindergarten and primary school. As a teenager, T. Tammemets was arrested by the police several times for illegal graffiti and even expelled from school. Although he took his exams, T. Tammemets never graduated. Instead of formal education, he studied painting and dance.

The artist “Tommy Cash” began his musical career in 2012 and has since released two albums. The participating song “Espresso macchiato” has a quirky, catchy, yet unconventional vibe that can be its key to success. 

Estonia won Eurovision in 2001 and has reached the final for the last three years. With so many experts and Eurovision odds listing Tommy Cash and Estonia as one of the dark horses, maybe a repeat of their 2001 fortunes is in the books?

🇺🇦 Ukraine – Ziferblat – “Bird of Pray”

Best Performance in ESC: 1st place (2004, 2016, 2022)

Result in 2024: 3rd 

In recent years, Ukraine has been one of the most successful participants, winning 3 competitions in the last 20 years. For 2025, they are sending Ziferblat – a Kyiv-based alternative rock trio. Their song “Bird of Pray” is performed in both Ukrainian and English, blending topics of hope, resilience and freedom, all symbolised through the bird metaphor. These topics are relevant to most of us, but should especially resonate with Ukrainians and their closest supporters during the ongoing struggles.

In the national selection “Vidbir”, Ziferblat won the nomination for 2025, after coming in 2nd in 2024. “Bird of Pray” has progressive rock and emotional storytelling elements, presented through a mix of instrumentation and sound scaping. Let’s see if Ziferblat can keep the impressive Ukrainian ESC track record, going. 

🇸🇪 Sweden – KAJ – “Bara Bada Bastu”

Best Performance in ESC: 1st place (7 times)

Result in 2024: 9th

Early Eurovision 2025 predictions see the comedic trio KAJ and their song “Bara Bada Bastu” as one of the early favourites. The humorous ode to sauna culture is performed in the Vörå dialect of Swedish with some Finnish phrases. It’s a great example of the intertwining between Swedish and Finnish cultures that KAJ grew up around.

“Bara Bada Bastu” won the Melodifestivalen 2025, even outperforming former ESC winner Mans Zelmerlow to get the nomination for Sweden. KAJ’s performance features a rustic sauna set and numerous performers and props to playfully resonate with audiences. A melodic hook with simple rhythm is also Sweden’s first Swedish-language entry in the Eurovision since 1998. For KAJ, it’s pressure to prove the Swedish nation and early predictions right!

🇵🇹 Portugal – NAPA – “Deslocado”

Best Performance in ESC: 1st place (2017)

Result in 2024: 10th 

Hailing from Madeira, separated and far away from Mainland Portugal, the indie-pop band NAPA sing about these very same emotions, something they know best. The song’s title translates into “Displaced” with both the lyrics and the music, focusing on longing and the feeling of belonging far from home.

For Portugal, they are trying to replicate Salvador Sobral’s success of 2017. NAPA is one of the dark horses of Eurovision 2025, coming in with little expectations attached to their performance. However, the subtle Madeiran elements with warm acoustics could once again bear the key to the hearts of voters. Praised for emotional depth and authenticity, NAPA’s “Deslocado” might just have what it takes to blow Europe away for Portugal.

🇳🇴 Norway – Kyle Alessandro – “Lighter”

Best Performance in ESC: 1st place (1985, 1995, 2009)

Result in 2024: 25th 

At only 19 years old, Kyle Alessandro is one of the youngest Eurovision performers, ever. His song “Lighter” tells about a deeply personal journey for Alessandro. By taking inspirations from pop, medieval, Baroque and even Norwegian folk music, the young performer tells a story how his mother encouraged him to never lose his inner light. She was battling cancer at the time. 

As is expected with Norway, we have dynamic staging, dance elements and even homage to Vikings in what is probably the quintessential modern Eurovision performance from Scandinavia. Norway hopes that the young talent can bring home their 4th Eurovision crown, but the first Semi-Final will show if the Norseman really has what it takes to excel on the biggest stage!

🇧🇪 Belgium – Red Sebastian – “Strobe Lights”

Best Performance in ESC: 2nd place (2003)

Result in 2024: Semi-Final (13th)  

Belgium enter the first Semi-Final as one of the early favourites. The Flemish nation might just have found its hidden gem in the energetic techno performer Red Sebastian. Tributing the 90s techno & rave culture in his song “Strobe Lights”, Belgium’s singer seeks to take the European stage by storm.

The lyrics of “Strobe Lights”, along with the music, should symbolise the allure of going to the dance floor and just losing yourself. Red Sebastian got the nomination by winning both the televote and the jury vote in Belgium’s national selection. The club-like atmosphere on stage should get both the Basel audience and TV viewers at home going. Maybe that’s just what Belgium needs to beat their all-time best result of 2nd place in the ESC? 

🇦🇿 Azerbaijan – Mamagama – “Run with U”

Best Performance in ESC: 1st place (2011)

Result in 2024: Semi-Final (14th)  

All of Azerbaijan hopes that an unforgettable name can bring an unforgettable performance en route to a second Eurovision win. Indie rock trio Mamagama started their musical journey in 2021. Their songs are usually a mix of traditional Azeri music, contemporary indie pop and alt rock elements.

“Run with U” is exactly that – modern pop-rock with a dash of Azerbaijan’s traditional instruments (notably the saz). The lyrics are about love, passion and inner freedom to pursue them. It’s time to see whether Mamagama can revitalise Azerbaijan’s status as one of the top nations in recent decades.

🇸🇲 San Marino – Gabry Ponte – “Tutta l’Italia”

Best Performance in ESC: 19th place (2019)

Result in 2024: Semi-Final (14th) 

Popular Italian DJ Gabry Ponte got into Eurovision via San Marino by a fortuntate series of events. The infectious dance tune “Tutta l’Italia” was first created as the official theme for the 75th edition of the legendary Sanremo music festival. However, it went viral, pushing Gabry Ponte to submit it to the San Marino song contest, which the Italian managed to win.

As the title could indicate, “Tutta l’Italia” celebrates Italian culture, heritage and lifestyle, featuring the accordion and even the tarantella – symbols of Italian music. Gabry Ponte is no newbie in the music world. He has worked with Eiffel 65 and also co-wrote Austria’s 2022 song “Halo”. So, the star DJ is dead set on making 2025 San Marino’s best Eurovision yet. Let’s see how that works out!

🇦🇱 Albania – Shkodra Elektronike – “Zjerm”

Best Performance in ESC: 5th place (2012)

Result in 2024: Semi-Final (15th) 

Shkodra Elektronike is a folk and electronic music duo consisting of Kole Laca and Beatrice Gjergji. The duo formed in 2019 and gained popularity in 2020 after releasing a couple of hits in Albania. 

In 2022, they participated in the National selection of Albania, where they took 3rd. This year, their song “Zjerm” won and we will see Shkodra Elektronike perform it at Europe’s biggest stage. “Zjerm” is about power, purification and renewal. In essence, it’s a very Albanian song with modern elements. Fans and experts think that the duo could be a strong contender for the TOP 10. 

In recent years, Albania has struggled to achieve great results, so 2025 could bring a change.

🇳🇱 Netherlands – Claude – “C’est la vie”

Best Performance in ESC: 1st place (1957, 1959, 1969, 1975, 2019)

Result in 2024: DSQ

After the shocking disqualification of Joost Klein in 2024, the Dutch threatened to quit ESC altogether. However, they did something that’s even more newsworthy – they came back with a supreme performance that is already being labelled as one of the heaviest favourites of Eurovision 2025.

Claude is performing a song, “C’est la vie.” The music is charming and sophisticated, with lyrical wit and a laid-back vibe, offering a stark contrast between the club tunes and alt-rock ballads that ESC 2025 seems to be packed with. The main question is, can the Netherlands bounce back after last year’s fiasco? 

🇭🇷 Croatia – Marko Bošnjak – “Poison Cake”

Best Performance in ESC: 2nd place (2024)

Result in 2024: 2nd

After Baby Lasagna was inches away from ESC victory in 2024, Marko Bošnjak will try to finish what his predecessor started. The dark pop track “Poison Cake” blends elements from various musical genres, including the opera, EDM and even industrial. Bošnjak took inspiration from everyone’s favourite fairytales like “Snow White” and made it much darker. Delving into the themes of revenge, self-empowerment, the song uses a metaphor of deceptively sweet, yet deadly dessert to broadcast its message.

Marko Bošnjak is a Herzegovinian Croat singer, born in 2004. He won a famous Serbian talent show and is a recognisable figure in the Balkans. After the success of Baby Lasagna, Croats have their hopes running high. It will be hard for Marko Bošnjak to rise up to this challenge, but the Eurovision stage is exactly where legends are made. 

🇨🇾 Cyprus – Theo Evan – “Shh”

Best Performance in ESC: 2nd place (2018)

Result in 2024: 15th 

The internal selection process of the Cybc (Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation) determined that a young Greek-Cypriot star, Theo Evan is the best person to try and conquer European hearts by way of music. Cyprus was the first nation to announce its singer by doing so all the way back in September 2024. 

Evan’s song “Shh” is a pop track with trance, electronic and slightly dark elements. It’s about a secret identity and piecing the clues together as a listener. Staging plays a huge part in this performance. Theo Evan had some strong backing from Cyprus and Greece with numerous Eurovision veterans contributing to lyrics and music.

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