Eurovision 2025: Where to watch live semi-finals - UK channel, time, lineups and running orders

The contest official kicks off this evening with the first semi-final live from Basel. The Swiss city was chosen as the host after Nemo’s win for Switzerland in the 2024 contest.

Love it or hate it, the Eurovision excitement has only just begun, with level set to rise before the grand final on Saturday, May 17. For those who want an early slice of the action, here’s how you can tune into semi-final 1 and semi-final 2 from the UK.

What channel is the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 semi-final on?

The first semi-final will take place on Tuesday, May 13, while semi-final 2 will take place on Thursday evening (May 15). Both live semi-finals will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK. Coverage will come live from St Jakobshalle in Basel, Switzerland, hosted by Scott Mills and Rylan Clark.

There will also be radio coverage for those who wish to tune in. BBC Radio 2 will be covering the two live semi-finals, with Sara Cox and Richie Anderson hosting coverage.

What time is Eurovision 2025 semi-final?

Both semi-finals will begin at 8pm on Tuesday (May 13) and Thursday (May 15).

Coverage on the BBC will begin at the same time. The show normally lasts just over two hours, with the semi-final scheduled to end at 10.20pm on BBC one.

Who is performing in the semi-final of Eurovision 2025?

Ten countries will be competing in semi-final one and another 11 countries will compete in semi-final two. The lineup of countries and running order for semi-final 1 is:

1. Iceland
2. Poland
3. Slovenia
4. Estonia
5. Ukraine
6. Sweden
7. Portugal
8. Norway
9. Belgium
10. Azerbaijan
11. San Marino
12. Albania
13. The Netherlands
14. Croatia
15. Cyprus

The lineup and running order for semi-final two, which takes place on Thursday evening, is:

1. Australia
2. Montenegro
3. Ireland
4. Latvia
5. Armenia
6. Austria
7. Greece
8. Lithuania
9. Malta
10. Georgia
11. Denmark
12. Czechia
13. Luxembourg
14. Israel
15. Serbia
16. Finland

Ten countries from each semi-final will join those already in the final, bringin the total number of finalists to 26. Switzerland has been granted an automatic place in the final as the host of this year’s competition.

France, Italy, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom make up a group referred to as the ‘Big Five’. This is the group of broadcaster who make the largest financial contribution to the EBU (European Broadcasting Union). As a result, these countries are granted automatic qualification to the final and avoid taking part in the public vote in either semi-final.