The first semifinal of the 69th Eurovision Song Contest took place on Tuesday night at the St. Jakobshalle arena in Basel, Switzerland, delivering a dazzling show filled with music, emotion, and surprises.
Fifteen countries battled it out on stage for a coveted spot in the Grand Final, but not all managed to advance. Among those who did not make the cut was Cyprus, represented by Theo Evan and his energetic performance of “Shh”.
These ten countries secured their place in the final:
- Norway
- Albania
- Sweden
- Iceland
- Netherlands
- Poland
- San Marino
- Estonia
- Portugal
- Ukraine
Special moments: Céline Dion tribute
One of the evening’s standout highlights was a surprise pre-recorded message from Céline Dion, who famously won Eurovision in 1988 for Switzerland. In her honor, four of this year’s contestants – Marina Satti (Greece), Jerry Heil (Ukraine), Iolanda (Portugal), and Silvester Belt (Lithuania) – joined forces on stage for a touching rendition of Dion’s classic “Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi.”
Greece to perform in second semifinal on Thursday
All eyes now turn to the second semifinal on Thursday, May 15, where Greece will compete with Klavdia performing the song “Asteromata.” Greece will take the stage 7th in the running order.
The full performance order includes:
- Australia
- Montenegro
- Ireland
- Latvia
- Armenia
- Austria
- Greece
- Lithuania
- Malta
- Georgia
- France
- Denmark
- Czech Republic
- Luxembourg
- Israel
- Germany
- Finland
As part of the rules, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom—members of the “Big Five”—will also vote in this semifinal.
Asteromata is composed by the team Arcade, with Klavdia also contributing to the music. The creative direction is led by Fokas Evangelinos, with a team that includes Christos Magganas (video artist), Deux Hommes (fashion design), Yiannis Mourikis (set designer), and George Tellos (lighting design).
The Grand Final will be held on Saturday, May 17, and will be broadcast live on ERT1.
