It’s the night we’ve all marked in our calendars – the Eurovision Song Contest is finally here! As we prepare to switch on our tellies for a night of epic live performances, with perhaps a special one from a music icon, Mirror Online will be bringing you all the latest updates right here.
Tonight’s show, which will see UK’s entry Remember Monday take to the stage against 25 other international acts, will be available to watch on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. The action kicks off on TV at 8pm – but plenty more is going on before the live finale show.
For the first time ever, Eurovision will be going inter-galactic, with a special episode of Doctor Who. The sci-fi programme will air The Interstellar Song Contest just before the grand final. During the special episode, the Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) and Belinda Chandra (Varada Sethu) will travel to the 803rd contest, which is co-hosted by Rylan Clark.
Doctor Who star Ncuti, 32, was also set to be a spokesperson for Eurovision, but he has since withdrawn from the competition due to “unforeseen circumstances” – however some fans have speculated this is due to Isreal’s inclusion in the competition.
Key times
Hardcore Eurovision fans will be locked in and ready to watch every single second of tonight’s shenanigans, prepping for watch parties as you read this, but this blog entry is exclusively for the part-timers.
If you have a social life and plans to go out this evening, or just don’t think you can endure hours of Europop, here are the key times you need to know if you’re dipping in and out of tonight’s show.
Eurovision 2025 final running order, schedule and full song list for all 26 countries
- If you want to see the UK perform then switch off, you’re best tuning in from around 8.20pm onwards. Remember Monday will be the eighth act to take to the stage in Switzerland tonight, meaning their final rendition of What The Hell Just Happened? Will take place pretty early on.
- Just want to tune in for the results and to check if the UK avoids getting the dreaded nul points? You’re in for a long night as the winner is usually revealed between 11.15pm and midnight, following the conclusion of voting and the interval acts.
Celine’s Coming Back to Eurovision Now?
Amid all the off-stage drama and conflict, could the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest final in Switzerland be pulling out the big guns?
Thanks to her private jet being spotted in the area, Eurovison – and general – legend Celine Dion is rumoured to be involved in tonight’s show in some way.
Celine, who won for the Swiss in 1988 with Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi, could take to the St Jakobshalle stage, amid her stepping back from touring due to health issues. The It’s All Coming Back To Me hitmaker is no stranger to making surprise appearances at big cultural events – famously popping up on top of the Eiffel Tower at the Paris Olympics last year.
She did appear during the first semi-final on Tuesday, where she sent a video message saying she wants “nothing more” than to be in Basel, and recalling her triumph as a “life-changing moment”. Switzerland had not seen a winner until Nemo last year.
At a press briefing on Saturday, Eurovision director Martin Green, from the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), commented on Celine, saying: “My answer was going to be, Father Christmas exists, you’ll have to wait and see.”
Remember to vote!
The Remember Monday girls are giving fans a reminder that they need to get voting this evening!
Ahead of tonight’s performance, the group – who are set to perform their tune What The Hell Just Happened – shared their excitement for the show as they wrote a post on Instagram, which read: “Hey everyone, if you’re reading this, firstly, thank you for supporting us on this crazy journey.
“We’ve come from singing silly little songs in carparks during lockdown to the craziness that is the Eurovision Song Contest and we wouldn’t be here without all your support and encouragement. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
Not so ‘United By Music’
The Eurovision Song Contest famously claims to be apolitical, citing its slogan ‘United By Music’ but the annual event has been unable to distance itself from global events over recent years.
In May 2022, the EBU made the decision to kick Russia out of the competition due its invasion of neighbouring country Ukraine. On this basis, many have called Israel to also be banned due to its ongoing actions in Palestine.
Last year saw multiple protests from activists take place, amid calls for music fans to boycott and refrain from watching the contest, and it looks like this year’s final will be hit with similar demonstrations.
A small group were ejected from the arena after Israeli singer Yuval Raphael’s rehearsal on Thursday was disrupted by what appeared to be pro-Palestinian demonstrators with “oversized flags and whistles”, and the EBU confirmed it has received a complaint from Israeli broadcaster Kan over another incident.
This year, there is no ban on types of flags brought in by fans, unlike acts, but there are restrictions on their sizes, as Palestinian symbols have been seen inside the arena this week.
There were pro-Palestinian protests in Basel on Sunday and Wednesday, which were attended by no more than 150 people, police said, a significant drop from Malmo 2024, which saw thousands of marchers demonstrating against Israel’s inclusion.
Source: Mirror
Leave a Reply