With just hours to go before the first live Semi-Final of Eurovision 2025, ESCplus International was inside the St. Jakobshalle in Basel for the First Dress Rehearsal of Semi-Final 1. This was not the jury show—that comes later tonight—but a full run-through of the show as it will air to millions of viewers around the world.
While the general public won’t see this version, accredited press had the chance to witness every postcard, performance, and camera angle. Here’s our full recap of what happened this afternoon in Switzerland—song by song, postcard by postcard.
🇮🇸 Iceland: VÆB – “RÓA”
Iceland kicked off the show with an electrifying modern circus performance. From the very first seconds, a mix of digital chaos, acrobatics, and playful visuals set the tone. Key moments included a giant octopus, Minecraft-inspired projectiles, and a digital boat scene. The final “mic drop” sealed a confident and daring opener from Iceland.
🇵🇱 Poland: Justyna Steczkowska – “Gaja”
Poland delivered one of the most visually striking performances of the night. Justyna opened surrounded by mist and aerial visuals, performing a physically demanding choreography with surgical vocal precision. She played a violin mid-song, and concluded with fire, lights, and an aerial lift. One of the most complete packages seen this year.
🇸🇮 Slovenia: Klemen – “How Much Time Do We Have Left”
Klemen brought emotional storytelling and real-life symbolism. The performance featured intimate family footage, aerial stunts, and a real-life embrace with his wife on stage to close. Visually warm, emotionally charged, and a standout for sincerity.
🇪🇪 Estonia: Tommy Cash – “Espresso Macchiato”
Estonia went full Tommy Cash. A surreal coffee-fueled ride through absurdity, humor, and confusion—complete with a fake café, “Tommywood” sign, on-stage kiss, and choreographed chaos. If you expected anything less than madness, you haven’t met Tommy Cash.
☕ Break Time + Spain Makes Her Entrance
After the first four acts, presenters took a short break filled with nostalgia for past Eurovision moments. Then, in flawless Spanish, they introduced the next performer: Spain’s very own Melody.
🇪🇸 Spain (Big 5): Melody – “Esa Diva”
Spain delivered a visually arresting, vocally flawless performance. Melody opened in a 4:3 cinematic format with powerful shadows, before expanding into full widescreen glam. She was joined by dancers in the second half, but the focus never left her commanding presence. Elegant, vocal, and theatrically refined, Melody stood out as a real contender.
🇺🇦 Ukraine: Ziferblat – “Bird Of Pray”
Ukraine offered ethereal staging and symbolic choreography. The visual narrative of light passing from hand to hand reflected the song’s core message. While the lead vocals weren’t as strong as in Vidbir, the overall staging delivered an atmospheric, touching moment with a cinematic sense of movement.
🇸🇪 Sweden: KAJ – “Bara Bada Bastu”
Sweden turned their Melfest sauna party into an even more scenic Nordic escape. Pinos, snowy backdrops, and animated reindeer gave this humorous trio a natural twist. Fire and lasers completed the package. Same charm, better surroundings.
🇵🇹 Portugal: NAPA – “Deslocado”
Portugal kept things soft and nostalgic. A pastel stage, slow camera work, and references to Madeira’s natural beauty gave the performance emotional warmth. A simple but heartfelt song with a sincere delivery, despite a slight visibility issue due to venue structures.
🇳🇴 Norway: Kyle Alessandro – “Lighter”
Kyle delivered vocally and visually. Traditional Norwegian dance, fire effects (digital and real), and a powerful final camera pull-out left a solid impression. His vocal control and stage command stood out in a night filled with visual overloads.
🇧🇪 Belgium: Red Sebastian – “Strobe Lights”
Belgium gave us a personal rave. Red’s performance combined bold red visuals, clone-like dancers, eye-in-triangle symbolism, and immersive energy. A standout scream before the final chorus set the tone for one of the night’s most strikingly modern acts.
🇮🇹 Italy (Big 5): Lucio Corsi – “Volevo Essere Un Duro”
Italy’s Lucio Corsi delivered an unfiltered, nostalgic moment. Starting at a grand piano with vintage visuals of an old radio, he transitioned to guitar and harmonica—marking the first live wind instrument on a Eurovision stage since 1999. Subtitled lyrics enhanced accessibility, while emotional restraint and sonic warmth made this a unique and memorable entry. A stripped-down but deeply felt performance.
🇦🇿 Azerbaijan: Mamagama – “Run With U”
Azerbaijan went for a darker mood and dance-centric visuals. Three members stood in a semi-circle, with red lights and mirrored choreography creating a unified atmosphere. While visually engaging, the vocal performance was shaky, particularly from the lead singer. The standout: a symbolic 8-point star at the end, displayed below a large central ring—simple but powerful.
🇸🇲 San Marino: Gabry Ponte – “Tutta L’Italia”
San Marino’s performance was a maximalist explosion of Italian symbolism—Michelangelo’s David chewing gum, the Trevi Fountain, the Colosseum with pink flowers, and more. Visually overloaded, the staging felt disjointed due to a lack of performer interaction. Despite ambitious projections and fire effects, the chaotic execution made this one of the night’s least cohesive moments.
🇦🇱 Albania: Shkodra Elektronike – “Zjerm”
Albania combined tradition, symbolism, and stage drama. Red-black visuals evoked national pride, while geometric projections and large digital eyes added mystique. A color shift from red to white during the final chorus amplified the message. Beatriçe delivered near studio-level vocals, and although the opening pre-recorded backing vocals were hard to hear in the arena, the duo’s synergy carried the story with force.
🇳🇱 Netherlands: Claude – “C’est La Vie”
Claude gave one of the most cinematic performances of the night. Beginning in near-total darkness, dancers slowly joined a steadycam flow that never broke immersion. Subtle references to Lady Gaga’s A Star Is Born were clear in the moody lighting and visual language. Toward the end, a digital chalkboard showed a photo of Claude as a child—adding authenticity to a performance that ended with visible emotion.
🇭🇷 Croatia: Marko Bošnjak – “Poison Cake”
Croatia leaned into theatrical darkness with fog, snake visuals, and a live costume reveal mid-performance. Marko stood beside what looked like a magical potion, nodding to the song title. Visually distorted borders and an emerald green palette created a haunting atmosphere. Vocals were pristine and emotionally charged, making this one of the strongest solo performances of the night.
🇨🇭 Switzerland (Host): Zoë Më – “Voyage”
Switzerland’s Zoë Më turned the stage into a living painting. Beginning like a Tiny Desk Concert, the soft lighting and film grain filters made it feel analog and intimate. As the bridge hit, cool-toned lighting transformed the set into an emotional storm. At one point, screens invited the audience to light up their phones, adding a communal glow. Introspective, elegant, and visually poetic.
🇨🇾 Cyprus: Theo Evan – “Shh”
Closing the night, Cyprus offered precision and seduction in equal measure. Theo opened as a living Vitruvian Man in a 4:3 aspect ratio, before the stage exploded into movement with rotating metal structures, dancers, and a visual rhythm perfectly aligned with the camera work. The final close-up of Theo’s face and lips provided a cinematic end. Vocally stable and visually bold, it was one of the most sculptural stagings of the evening.
Final Notes from Basel
After Theo Evan’s performance, the press was asked to leave the arena. Stay tuned for more exclusive insights, results, and reactions from Eurovision 2025.