{"id":881873,"date":"2025-05-01T12:25:36","date_gmt":"2025-05-01T11:25:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/?p=881873"},"modified":"2025-05-14T11:51:26","modified_gmt":"2025-05-14T10:51:26","slug":"eurovision-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.trafalgar.com\/real-word\/eurovision-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Eurovision 2025: Everything You Need to Know About Europe\u2019s Glammest Music Event\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

One of the most iconic events in Europe returns once more: the Eurovision Song Contest. Eurovision 2025 is hosted in Basel, Switzerland, marking the 69th<\/sup> edition of this musical bonanza where 37 countries will compete for the title, proving themselves to the judges and public through a three-minute song. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A household name within Europe but something of a kooky mystery outside it, Eurovision is often likened to a pop Olympics bringing an eclectic mix of high emotions, thousands of sequins and\u00a0geopolitical rivalries.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From ABBA to C\u00e9line Dion, discover famous Eurovision alumni as we dive into the history of Europe’s annual music event, as well as what to expect from Eurovision 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Eurovision\u00a0history<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As television services launched across Europe in the mid-20th century, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) created the Eurovision Network in 1954 to share and produce common programmes, boosting national broadcasters’ content cost-effectively. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Eurovision Song Contest began in 1956 with just 7 countries, each performing two songs. After the Soviet Union\u2019s break-up more countries wanted to get in on the action, with a record 25 competing in 1993 and 1994. A pre-qualification round was added in 1996, and a Semi-Final was introduced in 2004 to streamline the growing number of participating countries. By 2008, a second Semi-Final was introduced, allowing 43 countries to take part.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Typically the winning country hosts the next Contest, though others may step in if needed, as the United Kingdom did for Ukraine in 2023.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rules? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 The song must be original and not publicly released before September 1 of the year prior to the contest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 The maximum duration is 3 minutes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Lyrics and performances must avoid political, commercial, or offensive content. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How does the Contest work? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

After two Semi-Finals, the Grand Final is where the top 10 entries from each Semi-Final (plus pre-qualified entries from the \u2018Big Five\u2019, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK, as well as the host country) will compete for the trophy. The outcome of the semi-finals are decided by a public vote from participating countries (but viewers can’t vote for their own country), and the winner of the Grand Finale\u00a0is decided from a combination of jury voting (each country has a panel of professionals that ranks acts) and public vote. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \u201cBig Five\u201d countries: France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom. They automatically qualify as the biggest financial contributors to the event. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n Related blog<\/span>\n \n

Come together over these 7 musical Trafalgar moments<\/h2>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Which countries perform at Eurovision? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Eurovision 2025 sees 37 countries perform. Participation in Eurovision is open to public service broadcasters that are members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). This includes those in nations across Europe and a few outside Europe, such as Israel and Australia, which are active EBU Members. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Eurovision facts & figures <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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  • In its 69 years, over 1,500 songs have taken part in the Eurovision Song Contest. In 2006, Ireland\u2019s Brian Kennedy delivered the 1,000th entry to the contest, appropriately titled Every Song is a Cry for Love. If you would listen to all the songs without a break, you would need nearly 72 hours spare.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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    • 2001 saw the Contest\u2019s largest ever audience attend; nearly 38,000 people gathered at Copenhagen\u2019s Parken Stadium, witnessing the Estonia\u2019s first ever victory.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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      • Ratings of the Eurovision Song Contest have varied greatly over the past decades. In 2016, some 204 million people saw at least one of the 3 shows in whole or in part.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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        • Ireland and Sweden are the two most successful countries in the Contest, tieing at 7 victories each. Close behind, Luxembourg, France, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom have all won 5 times.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

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          • On the flipside, Norway has come bottom of the Eurovision scoreboard 12 times in 1963, 1969, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1981, 1990, 1997, 2001, 2004, 2012 and 2024\u00a0\u2013 but had three successful years when they won in 1985, 1995 and 2009.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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            • Though the Eurovision Song Contest took place 68 times, it has 71 winners. In 1969, 4 countries topped the scoreboard with an equal amount of points; the United Kingdom, Spain, the Netherlands and France. With no rules to resolve tie situations, the EBU had to declare all four contestants as the winner (rules were introduced shortly after).\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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              • The most covered (and one of the most famous) Eurovision Song Contest song is Domenico Mudugno\u2018s \u2018Nel Blu Di Pinto Di Blu\u2019, also known as \u2018Volare\u2019, entered by Italy in 1958. Though it didn\u2019t win, there are more than 100 different recordings of the song worldwide\u00a0and it\u2019s been covered by famous stars including Dean Martin, Cliff Richard and David Bowie (the most famous version is likely by Gipsy Kings in 1989).\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

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