Hello from St. Jakobshalle once again! I will be live updating you of the proceedings of the first dress rehearsal of semi-final 2 from 15.30 CET.
We are watching the 16 performances from the acts, and then we will be escorted out before interval acts.
Will this semi-final produce upsets like we saw last night in semi-final 1? Only time will tell…
Eurovision theme plays. Let’s do this!
Opening act
We see different people from Basel on the screen saying welcome home, and then a big heart with the Swiss heart is carried across the stage to the back. It ended with a bang so loud that everyone jumped in their seat!
Our hosts Hazel Brugger and Sandra Studer are bidding us welcome to this second semi-final, giving us the information we need in the usual three languages. And now, it’s time for the first act!
1. Australia: Go-Jo – “Milkshake Man”
Go-Jo is visiting a movie museum in his postcard, trying out different equipment and then going into the cinema.
The opening jingle begins, and we see Go-Jo with the milkshaker in the background looking like a 50’s diner.
He brought a grandma on stage to tell about one of his milkshake flavours. Apparently her name is Susan, so she is probably not one of the Baranovskie Babushki from 2012.
Quickest quick change inside the shaker, and he then comes out of it being ripped shirtless by his dancers while rushing to the front of the stage.
He then runs back to his dancers to end in a final pose with them as milkshake girls by his side.
2. Montenegro: Nina Zizic – “Dobrodosli”
I didn’t catch the postcard, but now we see Nina in the back end of the stage in a big white dress with a back puff and blindfolded. She removes the blindfold before the first verse.
She moves slowly forward in the first bridge while we see silhouettes in the background.
The instrumental bridge takes her forward to the front stage and then the big back puff is dropped to reveal her fully white dress.
3. Ireland: Emmy – “Laika Party”
Emmy stands on a podium shaped like space shuttle with the dancers and Spaceboy in front of her on the floor.
We see the same LED’s in the background with Laika as a starsign first and then the marching legs in the “bam-bam” part.
Emmy has four dancers with her, and of course all six are clad in silver.
Low smoke is on the stage throughout the song and then added pyro spraying in the last chorus.
4. Latvia: Tautumeitas – “Bur man laimi”
The big draped curtain is ready for our six fairies from Latvia who begins in their usual a capella harmonies.
They slowly appear through the drapes to stand aligned and then disappearing into the drapes again after the chorus.
Second chorus sees them make a new formation before disappearing back into the curtains and building up to the finale.
Low smoke fills the stage as the final chorus reaches climax and we end with a zoom in on them as the take their final pose.
5. Armenia: Parg – “Survivor”
Parg is visiting a farm in the mountains in his postcard, eating fresh bread and cheese before ending in his signature winner’s pose in front of the beautiful scenery.
Shirtless Parg. It’s a theme in this semi-final.
He is on a slow moving treadmill on the front of the stage as he keeps on running, running, running. Hello Hungary 2014.
Camera shots shift from front to the side of him, and in the second chorus we get pyro and more pyro.
Warm red/orange colours appear in the bridge build-up. Did I mention pyro?
Final chorus goes bonkers as he jumps to and from the treadmill – and pyro. Don’t know if I had mentioned that before.
6. Austria: JJ – “Wasted Love”
Song nr. 6 in semi-final 1 was the bookies favourites KAJ, and in the second second semi-final it’s the number two favourite JJ.
He is wrapped in a blanket while sitting down in a boat-like shape. Remember the whole performance will be black and white on screen, so it’s fun for us to look back and forth between the actual performance and the screens.
Standing up in the first chorus leading on to the second verse where JJ sets sail for the rough sea awaiting him.
Second chorus sees flakes blown at him and then we build up to the final techno part.
We now get some dizzy camera shots with the sea being rough both under and behind him before ending in a kneeling position for the final high note. Think Gjon’s Tears 2021 and Nemo 2024. Biggest applause from the press so far.
Interval act 1
Hazel is being carried by 8 stage technicians lying on her back while asking random questions for a minute. I’m not sure if it was to fill time out or not!
Then we go to a report from the 60+ disco that Basel held last week with some guests telling how much fun they had.
# United Kingdom: Remember Monday – “What The Hell Just Happened”
Now it’s time for the first big 5-performance of the semi-final as the UK trio takes the stage.
They begin in front of a velvet bouduir on the front stage and in the first chorus they move to the back end where a crashed chandelier lies symbolising the morning after a fun night out.
We see replicas of them in the floor during the second chorus as they move forward again.
Plenty of vocal show-offs both individually and in harmonies.
They end up in the front of the bouduir where they look out through a heart shaped window for the end shot.
7. Greece: Klavdia – “Asteromata”
Klavdia stands on a podium behind a big rock while we see the mountain formations to the side of the stage being lit up.
Back LED opens up and we see lava and flying birds when Klavdia then moves to stand on top of the rock.
All of the LED is use as we shift from a burning tree to blue tones and more birds.
Third chorus sees the melted lava surrounding her and then ending in total white and a dress reveal also in white.
Lots of Greeks in the arena, so the cheering went wild.
8. Lithuania: Katarsis – “Tavo akys”
We see the band in formation on the back part of the stage with smoke filling the floor.
Back LED showing an eerie landscape with a single empty house. It’s definitely Lithuanian winter.
Three of them move forward to the front stage in the second chorus. Only the drummer is being left behind.
We see the camera shots shifting between the three, and as we go in the “tavo” part blue and whit light is flashing on the frame.
We build up to the final chorus with Lukas going back and forth on the podium.
Camera shots are slightly dizzy with the repetitive “tavo’s” and ends in a effectful finish with Lukas’ final outcry.
9. Malta: Miriana Conte – “Serving”
Miriana begins in a puffy yellow and black dress inside som big lips in front of a big disco ball.
She walks out of it getting accompanied by her dancers all in black stockings and red puffy belore jackets. Think Käärijä but in red.
We see leopard dotted panties on the side mountains while a Colosseum in pink colours builds up on the back LED.
Dress reveal in the bridge where we see the dancers mimicking the kicking legs on the back LED, and then they all move to the front stage to bounce on those Swiss balls.
Before they bounce there is an extra second of pause to get Miriana to belt out her high note in “doing all the……. TIIIIIME!”
They then bounce away as a Barbie-esque universe is revealed in the background before the end.
10. Georgia: Mariam Shengelia – “Freedom”
Mariam is on a leaning podium in a big white dress with a long veil and is then accompanied by dancers in front of her waving big white flags.
She steps down from the podium moving to the front end while her dress is removed and reveals a red pant suit underneath. Think Damiano David from Måneskin 2021.
In the final chorus she moves to the front stage while the dancers are now waving black flags in warrior poses in the background.
Interval act 2
Sandra is now up at the commentators’ booths talking to different commentators, among them the Danish and Swiss-French commentator.
# France: Louane – “maman”
It’s time for another of the bookies favourites, as Louane gets an icecream in front of Lake Geneva in her postcard.
A big round sand box is set up in the back end of the stage with Louane lying in it.
Sand is also falling thinly on top and behind her so she can reach out and touch it.
Second verse sees her digging slowly while the colours are shifting to more earthy tones.
Spraying sand is then moved to the side and then in circles from above.
Powerful final chorus where the sand flow stops as Louane takes a pose and the camera moves closer towards her.
Hazel and Sandra are put to work to dust of some of the sand. There is a lot!
11. Denmark: Sissal – “Hallucination”
I promised I wouldn’t be subjective in my descriptions, but this is my home country. And my queen Sissal.
Okay, now that it’s out of the way I can tell that a very tall and thin drape is being hoisted on the back end on the stage.
Sissal is sitting patiently waiting while Hazel and Sandra is still dusting the stage. I’m not sure it will take this long tomorrow evening!
Begins in a close-up black and white shot changing in “I see colours” going into soft purple/pink tones.
In the second verse dancers join her to form silhouettes behind the drapes.
Second chorus sees the dancers move forward while Sissal stands up and reveals her blue sparkly leotard with big boots while moving forward towards the dancers and a veil flowing after her.
Final chorus sees the five of them on the front stage and ending on a high note. Vocally flawless!
12. Czechia: Adonxs – “Kiss Kiss Goodbye”
We begin with Adonxs on the back end of the stage alone in his white tight suit with a black cape.
He is joined by his dancers in the first chorus and second verse.
All colours are in black and white until the dancebreak, where warm yello/orange colours appear as they all lose their black tops.
They move to the front stage in the final chorus to end in a big pose.
13. Luxembourg: Laura Thorn – “La poupée monte le son”
Laura begins lying down while the floor is a form of chess game moving around her.
She is then lifted up by her five dancers in the first chorus while doll house in very 1960’s fashion shows up on the back LED.
The whole group then moves forward in the second verse while the stage changes to more pink and black.
Last chorus sees a dress reveal where Laura is now in a silver dress during the little dance break. They end on a line where we see Laura silhouettes on the back LED and the dancers posing with her.
14. Israel: Yuval Raphael – “New Day Will Rise”
Yuval begins mid-stage with the stage floor in starry black and white surroundings.
In the first chorus she walks back towards the round stair tower with sparkly drapes.
She walks around the tower before walking onto it in the second chorus.
A rough sea is shown in the background as the third chorus begins and pyro curtain begins behind her.
Last silent part goes to almost black before revealing a full white stage and LED and she ends softly.
# Germany: Abor & Tynna – “Baller”
Before the home stretch we head to Basel’s neighbour Germany, where Abor and Tynna are on stage.
The opening begins with Abor playing an illuminated cello before Tynna hypes up the crowd and steps up on a high platform consisting of two big bass speakers.
She walks down from it in the second verse while stinding in the opening under it with some dancers close by, illuding being in a club.
She then joins Abor and goes to sit a small podium before moving forward towards the front stage in the final chorus and Abor now being the one on the podium.
We see the word Baller a lot on the back LED.
Abor smashes the cello into the ground giving way to some pyro bombs before colouring changing from black and blue strobes to pink and then Tynna ends up mid-stage in the final.
15. Serbia: Princ – “Mila”
Wearing a fully red suit we se Princ surrounded closely by his dancers while smoke fills the floor and blue tones on the back LED.
Second verse reveals a big eye opening on the back LED overlooking a calm sea.
Before the third chorus Princ kneels before the powerful finale, where he lies down and is being literally dragged on the floor towards the front stage by his dancers and pyro fills the back end of the stage.
We end in a final pose with Princ being carried by his dancers and him looking from the side into the camera.
16. Finland: Erika Vikman – “Ich komme”
It’s time for the final song of Eurovision 2025 when Finland komme.
Erika begins at the back end of the stage with her loose microphone pole in the first verse.
In the first chorus she steps onto a round podium to knock over another microphone pole.
Second verse sees Erika moving forward dragging her microphone pole behind her getting ready for the grand finale.
She bows down in the final bridge while the big golden microphone is being set up on the back stage.
Tempo rises, and so does Erika standing on the huge golden mic with the words ICH KOMME in huge letters while the microphone spews fire from the end.
We then end abruptly as the word ERIKA in big red letters are shown on the back LED.
The end
That’s it for the semi-finals. Now it’s up to Europe to decide tomorrow evening which 10 songs to add to the already 16 songs in the grand final on Saturday.
We will be back on YouTube after tonight’s dress rehearsal 2 with our thoughts on who’s qualifying and what surprises we might have in store.
