Eurovision 2025 held its first semi-final this Tuesday, where we found out the first 10 finalists who join the group of pre-qualified countries made up of the Big Five and the host country. We now know 16 countries that will be in the Grand Final this Saturday, May 17.
The show kicked off at 21:00 CEST with a bang, featuring a remix by Swiss classical musicians of “The Code”—the song with which Nemo won Eurovision 2024. The show lasted 2 hours and 25 minutes and was generally slow-paced, but offered a wide variety of musical styles. Additionally, the night featured performances by, among others, Jørgen Olsen of the Olsen Brothers (Eurovision 2000 winner), who performed a version of their winning song under the slogan “United by Music”, and the return of some of the Eurovision 2024 participants who paid tribute to Céline Dion—these were among the evening’s interval acts. Some of the big favorites of Eurovision 2025 performed in this first semi-final, including KAJ (Sweden), Tommy Cash (Estonia), and Claude (Netherlands).
How were the viewing figures of Eurovision 2025 first semi-final across Europe?
These are some of the viewing figures for the Eurovision 2025 first semi-final on various European television networks:
These data will be updated as more audience numbers become available
The First Semi-Final hits numbers in the Nordic countries and the Big Five gets better data with records in Italy and Spain
Among the viewership figures, Finland stands out in particular, where the first semi-final of Eurovision 2025 once again triumphed with a 72% share and an average of 808,000 viewers. Norway also posted strong numbers, with the semi-final reaching a 63.3% share and 479,000 viewers. In Sweden, the first semi-final was followed by 1,081,000 viewers, showing an increase compared to 2024.
The first semi-final of Eurovision 2025 also performed very well in Poland, where—thanks to the country’s qualification—the Polish broadcaster achieved a 22.1% audience share across the two channels that aired the show. In Greece, although the country did not take part in this semi-final, the broadcast still attracted 19.6% of the national audience. In Austria, which also did not participate in this first semi-final, the show was followed by an average of 292,000 viewers with a 16% share. In Portugal, which was competing for a spot in the Eurovision 2025 final, the first semi-final regained ground with a 15.5% share and an average of 752,300 viewers.
Among the Eurovision Big Five countries, the United Kingdom stood out. As co-host of last year’s contest, it aired the first semi-final on its main channel, BBC One, where it was watched by 1,553,000 viewers, reaching a 15.10% share. In Italy, the first semi-final drew 2,248,000 viewers (12.2% share) on RAI 2, setting a new record. In Spain, the semi-final was moved to La 1 due to Melody’s participation, achieving the highest rating ever for a first semi-final in the country and the second-highest for any semi-final. Germany matched its 2024 figure, with the first semi-final broadcast on ONE reaching a total of 670,000 viewers.
Last Update: May 14th 2025 - 16:25 CEST