Yesterday was the first day of rehearsals for Eurovision 2025 at St. Jakobshalle in Basel! We have seen snapshots of the performances of seven of the participating artists in this year’s competition, with commentary provided via Reddit.
🇮🇸 Iceland: VÆB with “RÓA”
The performance is very similar to the one that was first seen in Söngvakeppnin, with some changes. The two-sided boat is now painted white with some waves shown at the bottom at stage level. VÆB are wearing their iconic shades along with the silver hoods that were seen at the original performance. The LED wall at the back of the stage is full width and height, giving a chance for more of the graphics to be shown, which is used in this case for geometric landscapes and seascapes in a very Icelandic neon red and blue.
🇵🇱 Poland: Justyna Steczkowska with “GAJA”
Justyna is sticking to that gladiator-like vibe with the backup dancers wearing fringed skirts paired with some pretty high heels. Justyna starts by being lowered down by two ropes as she is being lowered from the roof. She is adorned in her black catsuit that she wore in Polskie Kwalifikacje. The LED is very sci-fi-like with spinning planets, water, lava and speaking of lava, by the end, Justyna is lifted to a backdrop of fire-breathing dragons.
🇸🇮 Slovenia: Klemen with “How Much Time Do We Have Left”
How Much Time Do We Have Left is about the delicate nature of life, and this is reflected with the LED screen and arch sparkling with lights that go from red and eventually change to blue later in the song. Klemen has changed his outfit from the one seen in EMA with the new one being a black suit with a white t-shirt, rather than the grey turtleneck. Klemen is still seen singing upside down as he is supported by two backup dancers.
🇪🇪 Estonia: Tommy Cash with “Espresso Macchiatto”
The blue suit/long red tie outfit, along with the routine, is the same as what was seen in Eesti Laul. The LED background includes a white plain with “Tommy Cash” fancily near the front of the plane, with mountains behind the plane. The animated graphics are similar to the ones seen in Eesti Laul. The song seems to have a very energetic flair to it.
🇺🇦 Ukraine: Ziferblat with “Bird of Pray”
This standing has changed a bit since Vidbir, along with the garden of grass and flowers now vanishing and replaced with an LED wall that has pink and green neon graphics that pulse and swirl along with the music and explode by the time the chorus hits. There was clearly some thought put into the choreography with Daniels’ moves matching each beat, and it overall looks very clean and polished.
🇸🇪 Sweden: KAJ with “Bara Bada Bastu”
The original sausage is noticeably larger, with the LED screen showing a cosy forest complete with a deer. By the end, there is a massive laser party to make the audience dance. KAJ was able to source some fir trees; however, whether they are real or fake is still up for question. The same greeny-brown suits and fire pit make an appearance, with the fire pit fitting with the sauna aesthetic, looking like a wooden heat rock box.
🇵🇹 Portugal: NAPA with “Deslocado”
The staging is pretty much the same as the one seen in Festival da Canção, with more additions being added for Basel. The band’s outfits have changed with each wearing long-sleeved jackets or shirts in different muted colours, which adds a new mix to the performance. The LED features floating clouds and animated skyscapes whose colours are in sync with the LED arch and change colours.
Today (May 4), the first rehearsal for the remaining participants in Semi-Final One took place in Basel, with the official photographs being revealed tomorrow (May 5)
All About Eurovision 2025
Switzerland will be hosting the 69th edition of the competition following Nemo’s historic win at Eurovision 2024 in Malmö. A few weeks after their win, Reto Peritz, and Moritz Stadler were announced as the Executive Producers, with other roles revealed in July 2024.
Basel, Bern & Biel/Bienne, Geneva, and Zurich submitted bids to host next year’s competition, with Basel and Geneva being shortlisted as the final two cities. After the shortlist, it was decided that Basel will host Eurovision 2025, at St. Jakobshalle with the shows taking place on May 13, 15 and 17.
The visual identity for this year’s contest is “Unity Shapes Love”, which was developed by Art Director Artur Deyneuve, and was inspired by the Swiss tradition of direct democracy, with the message conveyed visually through the iconic Eurovision heart symbol.
What do you think of the rehearsals so far? Let us know in the comments or on social media! Be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Bluesky as we prepare for Eurovision 2025
News Source: That Eurovision Site / Eurovision.tv
Photo Credit: Corinne Cumming/Sarah Louise Bennett/Alma Bengtsson/EBU
Giwrgos Oiko