ESC 2025 – euro-vision.blog

Good to Go

Martin Österdahl will step down as executive supervisor of the Eurovision Song Contest this summer. The 51-year-old Swede was the face of the singing competition for years, but disappeared into the background last year after criticism of the Song Contest in Malmö.

Song Contest organizers European Broadcasting Union (EBU) have announced Österdahl’s departure.

After the edition in Malmö last year, Österdahl disappeared into the background after he came under fire. Several delegations complained about an unsafe atmosphere behind the scenes. He was also booed during rehearsals and live broadcasts, because many people held him responsible for the disqualification of Joost Klein as executive supervisor of the festival.

The EBU then created the new position of Song Contest director. The Briton Martin Green, who was supposed to supervise Österdahl’s work, holds that position.

“With my involvement with Eurovision spanning almost 20 years, I consider it the honour of my professional life to have led the world’s largest music event,” Österdahl said in a statement.

“It has grown into a global superbrand that brings joy to more people than ever before. I am deeply grateful to the entire Eurovision community for their passion and support.”

Green thanks Österdahl for his commitment. “His steady leadership during some of the most challenging and innovative years in Eurovision’s history has raised the bar of excellence. We thank him for his great work and lasting impact, and wish him every success.” Source: nu.nl

Belgium Questions Participating

The VRT has doubts about a future participation in the Eurovision Song Contest. The Belgian broadcaster wants the organizer European Broadcasting Union to provide full transparency about the scoring. The VRT also wants to debate Israel’s participation with all countries.

“We have no indications that the scoring was not done correctly, but we do ask the EBU for full transparency,” says a spokesperson for the VRT. “The question is mainly whether the current voting system guarantees a fair reflection of the opinions of the viewers and listeners.” Twenty votes can be cast per person, which according to the broadcaster could lead to manipulation.

The statement from the Belgian broadcaster comes after the Spanish public broadcaster RTVE asked the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to investigate the votes of viewers. RTVE finds it strange that Israel, despite protests against the country’s participation in the Song Contest, received twelve points from the Spanish public. Both the Belgian and Spanish professional juries gave Israel zero points.

The EBU states that the voting procedure was correct. “It is important to emphasize that the Eurovision Song Contest voting procedure is among the most advanced in the world. In each participating country, the result is carefully checked and verified by a large team to rule out suspicious or irregular voting patterns,” EBU boss Martin Green told the Belgian news agency Belga.

Green says that he takes the concerns of the broadcasters seriously in the evaluation of the last edition.

RTVE also wants a broad debate about Israel’s participation. This initiative is supported by the VRT. “We at VRT have noticed that the Song Contest as it is currently organized is less and less a unifying and apolitical event,” says the VRT. “It is increasingly at odds with the original standards and values of the event and those of the public broadcaster.”

The VRT says that it works well with the EBU on “many levels”. But without a clear answer to his concerns, the Belgian broadcaster questions future participation.

The VRT cannot decide on participation in the next edition. Then it is the turn of the French-language Belgian broadcaster RTBF, with which the VRT alternates, to decide on participation in the event.

Israel came second in the singing competition on Saturday behind Austria. Israel’s participation has been controversial since the 2024 edition due to the war in Gaza. The EBU defends Israel’s participation because, according to the organization, the Eurovision Song Contest is a “non-political music event”. Source: nu.nl

Claude: Greece and Iceland

Claude’s performance in the final of the Eurovision Song Contest was most appreciated by viewers in Greece and Iceland. In both countries, the Dutch singer received six points, good for fifth place.

In total, Claude received 42 points from the viewers for his performance with C’est La Vie. He had hoped for more, the singer said after the Song Contest in Basel, Switzerland.

Fourteen of the 37 countries gave Claude audience points. Claude eventually came twelfth. He owed that largely to the points of the professional juries. He received a total of 133 points from 23 countries.

The juries of Ireland, Poland, Spain and Iceland gave Claude ten points, the second highest score. Source: nu.nl

Music is My Love

As soon as ‘C’est la vie’ was released, Claude shot up with the bookmakers of the Eurovision Song Contest. Final-worthy. Top three. Or maybe even a win?

Text: Jeroen Keijzer. Image: ANP

Are you looking forward to the Song Contest?

“Yes, a lot. We have a group app with all the participants and there is a friendly atmosphere in it. There is no competition between the artists at all. It is actually very pleasant, everyone texts each other. I am nervous in a way, but I am more looking forward to it than I am nervous. About 160 million people will be watching, it remains the largest stage in Europe. I can handle that pressure well, also because 160 million is such a bizarrely large number that I cannot imagine it. The only thing I can do is prepare myself very well. I do all kinds of exercises with a vocal coach. And I sing ‘C’est la vie’ very often, so that I know exactly how to deliver it.”

Who and what are you taking with you to Switzerland?

“My mother and sisters are coming to the semi-finals, plus some friends. And if I make it to the finals, I’ll bring my backing band. My family will watch the finals at home, because I think that day will be completely chaotic. Will a loved one be coming? No, I don’t have a girlfriend yet; music is my great love. As for stuff: I was at an airport recently and saw all kinds of cuddly toys in a shop. I realised how nice it is to attach a lot of value to something like that, that it becomes a lucky charm. I briefly thought about buying one, but in the end I didn’t. I will bring two photos. One of my family and one of my friends. I’m also going to ask Stien den Hollander – S10, who came eleventh in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2022 with ‘De diep’ – if she decorated her hotel room as a living room. Because you live there for about two weeks.” Stien is a good friend of yours. Did she give you any tips? “It’s so nice that Stien has also experienced all this, so that I can talk to her about how she experienced it. We were already friends before the Eurovision Song Contest came my way. One of her first texts to me was even: “Do you know what you should do? Participate in the Eurovision Song Contest! We often have lunch together and then we talk about everything. And now of course a lot about the Eurovision Song Contest. Her most important tip was: let it all wash over you. No one can really tell you what to expect, because it’s such a madhouse. Just go into it relaxed.”

You are participating in ‘C’est la vie’. What is the message you want to convey with the song?

“That sometimes things happen that you can’t control. And that you can get upset by that, but that you have to realize that there are so many other things that are going well. So, get on with it and think: c’est la vie, that’s life. My mother gave me that message. When ‘C’est la vie’ was leaked a day too early, I was really upset about it, because I wanted to determine the time it would be released myself. At a certain point I forced myself to see it in perspective, yes, it’s a shame that it happened, but there are so many other things I can be grateful for. The fact that I’m healthy. That I can breathe, walk, eat and drink. And I also drew strength from the fact that the reactions to the song were positive.” Source: Televizier Magazine.

Off to Basel

Claude leaves Schiphol for Basel on Saturday to officially start his Eurovision Song Contest adventure. The first day is tough right away: a rehearsal is scheduled for Sunday. The press is not allowed to see it, and the singer is happy about that.

For the first time in years, the press is not allowed to make their own images during the rehearsals for the semi-finals and final. It is part of new rules to protect artists. The rehearsals in the first week have been held behind closed doors for years, although a short fragment does appear on social media.

“I like it,” says Claude during the farewell moment at Schiphol. According to the 21-year-old singer, it gives artists peace of mind. In this way, before the start of the semi-final, all kinds of images of moments that an artist might have wanted differently are not already online.

In previous years, people sometimes fell during rehearsals, set pieces fell over or a dancer was not in the right place. The fact that this was on camera had a great impact on participants and how they felt about the competition.

A fragment of the second rehearsal next week will be online. “Maybe the first rehearsal isn’t exactly what you want,” says Claude. “So it’s nice that you still have time to adjust it, and that the rest only sees it later. I do like that the media might get something, but it’s best if that’s later.”

The singer has been busy preparing for his departure until late at night. He will rehearse this first week, but he also hopes to have time for himself.

“I’m also up for just exploring the city later. I’m very curious about the city and the people and everything. So I’m going to find a good balance to be focused, but also do fun things on the side.” Source: nu.nl.

Pride

AVROTROS objects to the decision of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to ban pride flags at the Eurovision Song Contest. According to the broadcaster, the flag is not a political statement.

The broadcaster made the decision after consultation with the interest group COC. Both parties believe that the ban on the rainbow flag sends the wrong message. “Especially in these times, when the human rights of the LGBTQIA+ community are under pressure, it is not a good signal to ban these flags at the Song Contest,” says the COC, which describes the conversation with AVROTROS as “pleasant and constructive”.

The EBU previously determined that participants may only display flags of the country they represent in official places, such as the stage and the Green Room. AVROTROS wants pride flags to fall outside this policy. “We would like to see if we can get something moving. We hope that the EBU is open to that.”

AVROTROS had previously supported the general flag ban, but emphasized that the change of course was not a result of the conversation with the COC. “We previously indicated that we regretted that flags were banned from the rainbow community.” Source: nu.nl.

No Pride

Artists participating in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Basel are not allowed to wave a rainbow or other pride flag on stage or in the Green Room. Only national flags are allowed.

The Eurovision Song Contest organiser European Broadcasting Union (EBU) confirmed the news after reports from Danish broadcaster DR.

If participating artists break the rules, there may be consequences. It is not clear what kind of sanctions will apply.

A more liberal flag policy applies outside the stage. All flags that are permitted under Swiss law may be used. This will soon also apply to the audience; fans will therefore be allowed to bring a pride flag.

Last year, there were many complaints about the flag policy in Malmö. Some fans had to hand in unusual flags, such as the rainbow flag or the European flag, at the door. Swiss winner Nemo was not allowed to bring the non-binary flag on stage. The artist later said that he had “smuggled the flag in”.

In previous years, many artists also carried a pride flag alongside their national flag. This also applies to S10, at the start of the Eurovision Song Contest final in Turin in 2022. Source: nu.nl.

Lucky Number 13

Claude will perform thirteenth in the first semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest. This was announced by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) on Thursday. After the Dutch entry, only Croatia and Cyprus will follow.

The first semi-final will take place on 13 May and will be opened by Iceland. In this semi-final, Claude will compete against favourites Sweden and Estonia, among others. In the second semi-final, on 15 May, Australia will perform first. Finland will close that evening.

Switzerland is organising the Eurovision Song Contest in Basel this year. As the winner of the previous edition, the country is automatically assured of a place in the final. The five largest financing countries, the so-called Big Five – Italy, France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom – have also qualified directly.

Although these six countries do not have to participate in the semi-finals, they will perform during one of the shows. In the first semi-final, in which Claude will also perform, Spain, Italy and host country Switzerland will perform. Because these countries do not receive a starting number, Claude is officially thirteenth on the list, but in the full line-up of the evening he will enter the stage as the fifteenth participant.

The Netherlands is participating in the Eurovision Song Contest for the 65th time this year. Claude represents the Netherlands with the song C’est La Vie. According to the bookmakers, he has a chance of a top 10 position. Sweden and Austria are currently seen as favourites for the win. The Netherlands is currently in fifth place in the predictions. Source: nu.nl.

Stage

Unbranded will build the decor for the Eurovision Song Contest for the fourth time. The design, which forms the basis for the production, comes from Wieder Design.

Unbranded, which is located at the Media Park in Hilversum, already made an important contribution to the Eurovision editions in Vienna (2015), Kiev (2017) and Rotterdam (2021) and is now working on the decor for the music spectacle in Basel, Switzerland. According to the company, the focus is on the main stage, the green room, the catwalk and the interval acts. Unbranded also provides ‘props’ for the delegations.

The decors are produced at the Media Park and will leave for Basel in April for construction in the arena. The decor for the Eurovision Song Contest is realized by a team of professionals, with a total of thirty-five people who are closely involved in the construction.

“We are really mega proud that Unbranded is allowed to build the decor for the Eurovision Song Contest for the fourth time,” says managing director Mikael Olsthoorn. “With two hundred million viewers worldwide, this event is one of the largest and most watched TV broadcasts in the world. Our team is working very hard on all the decor to make it a special spectacle. We can’t wait for everyone to see the result!”

Unbranded has a lot of experience in Europe in building decors for large-scale events. This year, the company is building the set for the semi-finals of the Eurovision Song Contest, which will take place on 13 and 15 May, with the grand finale on 17 May in Basel. Source: Noordhollands Dagblad.

*Stage design by Wieder Design. ©Foto Unbranded*

Claude Sings First Time

Claude performed his song C’est La Vie on television for the first time on Saturday at Eva, and for a small audience. The singer will be taking the French-English song to the Eurovision Song Contest in Basel.

Claude performed while walking through the corridors of Eva. At the end, he stood in the rain with a group of dancers. He sang the song in tune, although he was a bit nervous.

At the beginning of the broadcast, Claude said that he was a bit nervous about performing the song to an audience. “I actually didn’t have any tension until I saw all these people sitting there and thought: oh, there will be a lot more of them soon.”

The singer gave a little hint of his Eurovision performance: he will be dancing. He did not want to give any more details about the choreography for C’est La Vie.

The Eva broadcast focused on the first time that Claude watched the Eurovision Song Contest. That was in 2014, when Conchita Wurst won. A very small part of that winning song can be heard in the clip of C’est La Vie.

Wurst had come to the studio especially for Claude. The Austrian artist sang Rise Like a Phoenix and gave Claude a tip: “Don’t party. There will be time for that later.”

Claude’s mother was seen in the broadcast in a previously recorded interview. She said that she is proud of her son. In an interview with NU.nl, she said earlier that she thinks that C’est La Vie tells very well what she taught her children: that life sometimes takes strange turns, but you have to keep going. “I always told my children: one day it will be okay.”

Eva’s broadcast was a special one: normally the AVROTROS program is on from Monday to Thursday. Due to the World Cup distances, there was no broadcast on Thursday and the Claude special was recorded.

The first semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest in Basel – Claude will appear on stage – is on May 13. The second semi-final is two days later and the final is on Saturday 17 May. Nu.nl reports from Basel and follows Claude closely. Source: nu.nl

Can’t

The lyrics of the song that Malta wants to send to the Eurovision Song Contest have not been approved by the organizers EBU. This means that singer Miriana Conte and her team have to change the lyrics within a week.

Conte won the national final in her home country last February with the song Kant, which means to sing. In the chorus she sings about “serving kant”, which is a reference to the English term serving cunt. This means to act feminine and dress daringly, where the word cunt is also a foul language for female genitals.

Swear words and foul language in Eurovision songs are generally not tolerated. The EBU has not yet announced why the lyrics have been banned.

The 23-year-old Conte shared the news via Instagram. “We have just learned that the EBU has decided to ban the Maltese word kant in our entry,” she writes. “Although I am shocked and disappointed, especially since we have less than a week to submit the song, I promise you this: the show will go on.” Conte must submit a new version of her song by next weekend. Malta will perform in the second semi-final, on May 15. Source: nu.nl

Top 3

According to the bookmakers, Claude has a good chance of winning the Eurovision Song Contest. The singer entered the top 3 in the bookmakers’ predictions with his C’est La Vie.

According to the bookmakers, only Sweden and France have a greater chance of winning the Song Contest in May. This is remarkable because Sweden has not yet chosen an entry and France has only selected an artist.

Claude officially announced on Thursday that he will go to Basel with C’est La Vie, although the song was leaked a day earlier via X. Since the official announcement, Claude has quickly risen among the bookmakers.

The bookmakers have regularly estimated the top 5 correctly in recent years, although the order is not entirely correct. For example, last year the bookmakers thought that Croatia would win the Song Contest, but Switzerland ultimately won.

Sweden will decide on Saturday who will go to the Song Contest for them. One of the favourites for the coveted spot is Måns Zelmerlöw, with the song Revolution. The singer also participated ten years ago and won with Heroes. France is sending artist Louane, but the song is not yet known. Source: nu.nl

Chanson & Pop

Claude from Enkhuizen will represent our country in May at the Eurovision Song Contest in Basel, Switzerland. On Wednesday, his French/English song C’est la vie was leaked via the internet, and on Thursday the 21 year-old artist presented his self-written lyrics to the cameras and the song was played on many radio stations.

The big question: does Claude have any chance at the festival?

“Certainly,” responds Edsilia Rombley. She was twenty years old when she represented our country at the 1998 Eurovision Song Contest in England with the song Hemel en aarde. She became fourth. In 2007 she participated again, but did not qualify into the final. I am a fan of Claude,” Edsilia says. “His voice and charisma make him a great artist. I give him a great chance in Basel because his song C’est la vie suits him perfectly. That way the audience will see a real performance, an act that you believe in.” It is a good song. Very catchy. With that combination of English and French he immediately appeals to a large audience. There is a dash of drama in the music and at the same time it is easy to sing along. Whether he will win, I find it hard to say, because I don’t know the other entries, but I really think that Claude can finish high.”

Does she have any tips for Claude as an expert by experience? “Go with the idea that your life doesn’t depend on it. That puts things into perspective. Realize that it is an honor that you can do it and enjoy it.”

In 1994, Willeke Alberti represented our country at the festival in Ireland with the song Waar Is De Zon. We scored four points. She is very enthusiastic about Claude. “He is cheerful, talented, modest and spontaneous. That is why this boy deserves a large audience. The song is also really good. It makes you happy. And joy and positive sounds are exactly what the public needs in this day and age.”

Ronnie Tober participated for our country in the Eurovision Song Contest in London in 1968. His rendition of the song Morgen earned one point. Yet his performance at that time was an impetus for his career, he says.

Such a big event is simply fantastic to experience, you want that for every young artist. With his open mind and his beautiful voice, Claude will qualify. The song is a good mix of a chanson and a melodious pop hit. That combination will certainly appeal to a large audience, so I think he will end up high.”

Getty Kaspers was the singer of the group Teach-In, who won the festival in 1975 with the song Dingedong. She also thinks that Claude has a chance to be a top 5 winner with C’est la vie, she told the ANP. The song offers a lot of joy.” The power is that the audience can sing along, she thinks.

I think that Europe at this moment, in this world, needs a Claude and a C’ést la vie“. Source: Jan Vriend, Noord Hollands Dagblad.

Apology

An eighteen-year-old student from Azerbaijan has apologized for the leak of Claude’s C’est La Vie. The teenager released the song via social media a day before the official release.

Record company Cloud9 has been in contact with the student. “He admitted that he was wrong. We have accepted his apology.” The man obtained the song via a closed group on Telegram. “We are still investigating how the song ended up there,” says the spokesperson for Cloud9.

The company is not pressing charges against the student. Other sources report that the boy has received death threats via social media.

Claude officially presented the song with which he represents the Netherlands at the Eurovision Song Contest to the press and the public on Thursday afternoon. The song had already leaked via X a day earlier. Claude told nu.nl that he was disappointed that the song had been leaked. “It sucks, but there are stupider things, c’est la vie.” Source: nu.nl

C’est La Vie

Claude is going to the Eurovision Song Contest with the song C’est La Vie. In the song, the singer combines French and English lyrics. The song was released a day earlier than planned, because it was already leaked on social media.

The official release of the song is on Thursday. Claude will then also explain what C’est La Vie is about. AVROTROS does not share any further details, but confirms that this is the entry.

The song starts as a ballad, but quickly moves to more uptempo. At the beginning and at the end of C’est La Vie, the piano sounds can be heard that were previously used in a teaser for the song.

Claude has previously said that his song would be bilingual. Due to his repertoire, it was expected that it would be a French-Dutch song, but the singer has chosen French and English after all. In the song, he keeps switching languages.

In the song, he sings about his mother, as he had already announced. During his participation in Beste Zangers, Claude already said that he got his love for music from home. In the song, he seems to sing about a melody that his mother sang to him.

AVROTROS says it is investigating how the song could have leaked. “Also to learn lessons for the future. But it is difficult. We know that it has happened before with other countries,” says a spokesperson. The broadcaster will not take any steps against the person responsible for the leak. “It is what it is, c’est la vie.”

On 19 December, it was announced that 21-year-old Claude will participate in the Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of the Netherlands. He will travel to Basel, Switzerland in May, where he hopes to secure a place in the final in the first semi-final on Tuesday 13 May. Source: nu.nl.

Airplay

The song that Claude will take to the Eurovision Song Contest this year will be played on all major radio stations on Thursday at 4:15 PM. The song can also be found on Spotify and YouTube from that time.

The song, whose title is not yet known, can be heard on Thursday afternoon on NPO Radio 1, NPO Radio 2, NPO 3FM, Qmusic, Radio 538, SLAM!, 100% NL, Radio Veronica and Radio 10. This was reported by broadcaster AVROTROS, which is responsible for the Dutch entry.

At the end of last year it was announced that 21-year-old Claude would be participating for the Netherlands in the Song Contest in Basel, Switzerland. It has now been announced that Claude will perform in the first semi-final, which is scheduled for Tuesday, May 13.

Claude made his breakthrough in 2022 with the hit Ladada (Mon Dernier Mot). The singer then scored with songs like Layla, Écoutez-moi, Vas-y (Go Maar) with Suzan & Freek and Je T’aime with Zoë Tauran. He released his debut album Parler Français last November. Source:nu.nl.

Claude Announces Song

Claude will announce on February 27th which song he will represent the Netherlands with at the Eurovision Song Contest. The Instagram account of the Dutch Song Contest team has a small preview.

In the short video, one piano note can be heard. Furthermore, it remains guesswork as to how the song will go or what it will be called.

The 21-year-old singer announced at the end of last year that he is the entry for Basel. In an interview with NU.nl, he said that the song is in any case bilingual. He did not want to say whether it is French-Dutch, like many of Claude’s songs. He ruled out Spanish in any case.

The Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Basel this year, after Nemo won in Malmö last year. The first semi-final, in which Claude hopes to secure a place in the final, is on May 13th. He will then compete against Sweden and Belgium, among others.

The Netherlands is not the first country to announce a number: Finland, Belgium and Spain, among others, have already gone before it. Source: nu.nl,

First Semi

Claude will be in the first semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest on Tuesday 13 May. The Netherlands will then compete against Sweden and Belgium, among others, for a place in the final, as determined by the draw on Tuesday.

Claude will also face San Marino, Albania and Azerbaijan. Ukraine, Slovenia, Cyprus and Iceland will also hope to secure a place in the final.

Estonia, Poland, Croatia, Norway and Portugal will also be in the first semi-final. This semi-final can be considered slightly more advantageous, as fifteen countries will participate. There will be sixteen participants in the second semi-final. Ten countries from each semi-final will advance to the final on Saturday.

The competition in the first semi-final is fierce: Ukraine has never been eliminated in a semi-final, Sweden (together with Ireland) has won the Song Festival the most times and Belgium is currently in first place with the bookmakers.

This draw also determined that the Netherlands will be seen in the second half of the first semi-final. The exact order of the shows on Tuesday and Thursday will be announced later: the organization will determine this itself.

It is not yet known which song Claude will participate with in Basel. He previously told nu.nl that his song will be bilingual. In the past, the singer wrote songs in French and Dutch, as well as in French and English.

Like every year, five countries are automatically through to the final: Italy, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Spain pay so much money to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) that they are automatically through. Last year’s winner, Switzerland, is also automatically on the main stage. This means that 26 countries will ultimately be in the final.

The above six countries are allowed to vote during the semi-finals. Switzerland, Italy and Spain vote during the first semi-final, Germany, France and the UK in the second semi-final. For the Netherlands, it is therefore important that Italian, Spanish and Swiss fans like Claude’s entry.

The Eurovision Song Contest starts in Basel on Tuesday 13 May with the first semi-final. On Thursday 15 May the festival continues with the second semi-final and on Saturday 17 May the final. Source: nu.nl

Moldova Out

Moldova will not participate in the Eurovision Song Contest in May. Broadcaster Moldova 1, which is organizing Moldova’s contribution, announced this on Wednesday.

Director Corneliu Durnescu of Moldova 1 announced at a press conference that no candidate had been found that met the qualitative standards. “This decision was not easy, but it was necessary,” Durnescu told Moldovan media. According to him, the choice this year was “a challenge”.

After consulting with various music experts, the selection committee concluded that it would be better for Moldova to withdraw this year. The decreased interest of the Moldovan public in the Song Contest also plays a role.

The selection committee will evaluate the procedure and adjust it where necessary. Due to Moldova’s decision, only 37 countries will participate in the competition in Basel in May.

The Eurovision Song Contest will take place from 13 to 17 May in Switzerland. The Netherlands will be represented by Claude this year. His song has not yet been announced.

Moldova was represented by Natalia Barbu last year and did not reach the final. The country first participated in 2005 and has reached the final thirteen times. The best result was in 2017, when the song Hey Mamma by SunStroke Project came in third. Source: nu.nl

Presenting

Hazel Brugger, Michelle Hunziker and Sandra Studer will present the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest in Basel, Switzerland. This was announced on Monday by the organizing Swiss broadcaster SRG SSR.

Under the name Sandra Simó, Studer represented Switzerland at the 1991 Song Contest in Rome. She finished fifth with the song Canzone per te.

Brugger is a Swiss stand-up comedian. Hunziker is a Swiss-Italian presenter and singer with a Dutch mother. She was married to the Italian singer Eros Ramazzotti and is known from programs such as Deutschland sucht den Superstar and Idols.

The Eurovision Song Contest will take place from 13 to 17 May. Switzerland organizes the Song Contest because the Swiss artist Nemo won last year with the song The Code.

Claude will represent the Netherlands at the 2025 Song Contest. Source: nu.nl.

Claude for the Netherlands

Claude is the Dutch entry for the Eurovision Song Contest. The 21-year-old singer will go to Basel, Switzerland, in May next year in the hope of beating the participants from the other 37 countries. The song he will sing will be announced at a later date.

The Dutch singer, who is originally from Congo-Kinshasa, previously expressed his wish to go to the Song Contest. “I feel incredibly honoured that I will be able to represent the Netherlands at the Eurovision Song Contest next year and I still can’t believe it,” he says. “I’m really looking forward to it and can’t wait to let Europe hear the song.”

In recent years, Claude has scored hits with songs such as Ladada (Mon dernier mot) and Vas-y (Ga Maar). The singer usually sings in a mix of Dutch and French. It is not yet known whether his Song Contest entry will also be bilingual. Claude will tell more about his participation in Eva tonight and will also speak to NU.nl later.

The selection committee chose Claude’s entry from 331 entries. The committee wrote in an initial response that his song is “a meaningful, connecting and hit-sensitive song, with international appeal that can effortlessly conquer the hearts of young and old Eurovision viewers”.

In September, Claude was still seen in the AVROTROS program Beste Zangers. Shortly afterwards, he released his debut album Parler Français.

For a long time, it was uncertain whether the Netherlands would even participate in the Eurovision Song Contest. Joost Klein, this year’s entry, was disqualified in May after an incident behind the scenes in which a camerawoman felt intimidated by the artist. AVROTROS filed an objection, but to no avail.

After the edition in Malmö, complaints about the working atmosphere behind the scenes came from various countries. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) announced several changes in response. For example, fewer rehearsals will be filmed and a safe space will be created behind the scenes for artists where cameras are not allowed.

The Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Switzerland in 2025, after Nemo won this year with the song The Code. Source: nu.nl

Thirty-eight Participants

Next year, 38 countries will participate in the Eurovision Song Contest in Basel. This was announced by the organizing European Broadcasting Union (EBU) on Thursday. This is one more than the last edition, thanks to the return of Montenegro.

The music event will take place in the St. Jakobshalle and is organized by the Swiss broadcaster SRG SSR. Switzerland organizes the song contest because Nemo won in Malmö this year with the song The Code.

Of the 38 countries, 32, including the Netherlands, are allowed to participate in the semi-finals on 13 and 15 May. The draw for the semi-finals is on 28 January. The so-called ‘Big Five’ – France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and Spain – and host country Switzerland are already assured of a place in the final, which will take place on 17 May.

All participating broadcasters will announce their artist and song in the coming months. All songs must be submitted by mid-March.

Earlier this month, Montenegrin rock band NeonoeN withdrew from the Eurovision Song Contest. The group had performed the submitted song CLICKBAIT during a performance in 2023, while entries cannot have been released or performed publicly before 1 September 2024. Source: nu.nl