Rehearsals for Eurovision 2025 at St. Jakobshalle in Basel are now in full swing! We have seen snapshots of the performances of the remaining eight participating artists in this year’s first semi-final, with commentary provided via Reddit.
๐ณ๐ด Norway: Kyle Alessandro with “Lighter”
Kyle has kept a lot of the same elements that fans saw in his performance at Melodi Grand Prix earlier this year. The two stone pillars are back, as are the “post-apocalyptic mountain graphics” – but scaled up for the Eurovision stage. A slick dance routine is core to this song, with lighting helping to elevate the performance. Kyle remains fully armoured up in his performance, but has now dropped a dancer, meaning only three will be in Basel. The final run-through sees pyro galore as Kyle dances his way through the song.
๐ง๐ช Belgium: Red Sebastian with “Strobe Lights”
While some elements of Red Sebastian’s Eurosong performance have made it to Basel, others haven’t. For example, the large scissor lift holding Red Sebastian during the national final been completely scrapped. Instead, Red Sebastian is seen on the ground the whole time during his performance. Much like Kyle, Red Sebastian has also dropped one of his dancers, meaning just three extra performers will feature in his performance. Black and red really are the main colours used in this visualisation, with pulsing strobes following the beat of the track. He even looks into his own reflection midway through the song, thanks to the LED floor!
๐ฆ๐ฟ Mamagama with “Run With U”
In a shift from the intensity of Belgium, Mamagama from Azerbaijan bring a more funky-pop vibe – akin to “Nile Rogers and Daft Punk”. Mamagama also sport a black leather ensemble, but with little flitters of red here and there to add a touch of colour. However, the trio also continue to incorporate Azerbaijani motifs into their performance. This is mostly thanks to the traditional instrument Asif plays during the post-chorus instrumental. There are also small props for the dancers and artists to walk up and down on. In total, there are three on-stage dancers, but dancers are also seen on the LED screen behind the band. Pyros are used at the very end of the song, but not as an extensive amount as Norway.
๐ธ๐ฒ San Marino: Gabry Ponte with “Tutta L’Italia”
Heading on with the rehearsals, next up was Gabry Ponte from San Marino. Gabry is mainly the star of the show, donning a fancy silver jacket as he rocks out at his turntable during the song. Graffiti is a prominent motif in this performance, similar to that of the cover art for the track itself. His DJ decks are also massively Eurovision-ified, with mirrorball parts reflecting the light to make it an even bigger moment. No dancers are here anymore, however, as they have been replaced with instrumentalists playing the accordion and the tambourine. In the final run, Gabry unleashes pyromania and a host of flame jets and fireworks are seen in the final chorus.
๐ฆ๐ฑ Albania: Shkodra Elektronike with “Zjerm”
After lunch, rehearsals kicked off again with Shkodra Elektronike from Albania. Intimacy appears to be the name of the game here, with lights from the roof being lowered for a more personal feel. The duo’s performance from FiK has been entirely reworked, with a new concept reaching the Eurovision stage altogether. While there are some creative elements that have stayed – the use of black and red, as well as geometric shapes – these now play a major part in the song’s staging. The band themselves are also dressed up in this, with Beatriรงe adopted a tuille-endowed version of her winning outfit. Beatriรงe drives the movement in this song, with Kolรซ standing firmly in the middle of the stage. Pyros hit every chorus, and Beatriรงe makes her way to the front of the stage whilst doing her signature vogue-style choreo.
๐ณ๐ฑ Netherlands: Claude with “C’est La Vie”
Claude’s performance features far less of the pyros and unnecessary additional elements, and focuses more on himself. It’s alluded to in the commentary that camerawork is to play a major role in his visualisation. He is joined by two dancers who perform around him as he sings his song. He is also seen wearing a vibrant purple outfit, with accents of pearls throughout his suit. The final chorus sees an explosion of blue and pink flowers on the LED wall as he finishes the track.
๐ญ๐ท Croatia: Marko Boลกnjak with “Poison Cake”
Marko’s performance of “Poison Cake” appears to be as far away from the Dora performance as possible. With full use of the stage’s roof lighting, the story told now resembles a “Shakespearean drama”. LED walls appear to show a host of red and green clouds with a host of dramatic lighting from above. Dry ice is used a lot at the beginning of the song, but this soon fades away to an enslaught of flames as the song gets more intense. Marko also brings a prop on – a cauldron – which stays in the centre of the stage throughout. Four dancers make up the rest of the onstage team, while Marko dons an almost pagan-like cape. At the end, he sheds the cape to reveal and blue and white shirt.
๐จ๐พ Cyprus: Theo Evan with “Shh”
Staging notes provided by the Cypriot delegation read: “Two scaffolding towers are placed on stage, and the performance opens with Theo Evan and the two dancers forming the shape of a mysterious figure referenced in the lyrics – a silhouette that will be immediately recognisable. As the performance unfolds, the towers shift positions to create different formations. Theo and his four dancers incorporate them seamlessly into the choreography. Stunning visuals and dynamic lighting enhance each movement, adding depth and intensity to the staging.” The dancers are also moving around a LOT, with the colour palette gradually shifting from black and white to black and red. The mysterious figure is not revealed, but the delegation have said they will speak on who it is following the release of the photos.
Today (May 5th), the first rehearsal for those competing in Semi-Final Two took place in Basel, with the official photographs being revealed tomorrow (May 6th).
All About Eurovision 2025
Switzerland will be hosting the 69th edition of the competition following Nemo’s historic win at Eurovision 2024 in Malmรถ. 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 โThat Eurovision Siteโ 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