When is Eurovision 2025? Date, time, location of 69th Eurovision Song Contest - which countries are competing?

Love it or hate it, the biggest music contest on the planet is just around the corner. Toe-tapping, catchy tunes and wacky, bizarre acts will descend on the Eurovision stage in a matter of week, fighting for the chance to be crowned the Eurovision 2025 champion and take the glory back to their home country.

With the blockbuster contest only a couple of weeks away, there is still time to plan ahead and get yourself acquainted with this year’s event.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Eurovision Song Contest 2025.

When is Eurovision 2025?

The 69th Eurovision Song Contest will take place between Tuesday, May 13 and Saturday, May 17.

The first semi-final will take place on Tuesday, May 13, while the second semi-final will take place on Thursday, May 15. The grand final will be held on Saturday, May 17.

What time will Eurovision 2025 be on TV?

The two semi finals will kick off at 8pm UK time on their respective evenings. The semi-finals normally run for around two hours.

The grand final on Saturday, May 17 will begin at 8pm UK time. The bumper show is around double the length of the semi-finals, meaning that the show will likely draw to a close around midnight.

Where is Eurovision 2025 taking place?

The Eurovision Song Contest 2025 is taking place in Basel, Switzerland following the country’s win in the contest last year. Swiss singer Nemo won the 2024 contest with their song The Code.

Both semi-finals and the grand final will be held inside the St Jakobshalle Arena in Basel.

Which countries are competing in Eurovision 2025?

There are a total of 37 countries taking part in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest. These include 15 countries in semi-final 1, 16 countries in semi-final 2, and the ‘Big Five’ countries, who are given a pass straight through to the final due to their financial contributions to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) being the largest. Switzerland are also given a free pass to the final as hosts of the contest.

The countries taking part in semi-final 1 are:

• Iceland
• Poland
• Slovenia
• Estonia
• Ukraine
• Sweden
• Portugal
• Norway
• Belgium
• Azerbaijan
• San Marino
• Albania
• Netherlands
• Croatia
• Cyprus

The countries taking part in semi-final 2 are:

• Australia
• Montenegro
• Ireland
• Latvia
• Armenia
• Austria
• Greece
• Lithuania
• Malta
• Georgia
• Denmark
• Czechia
• Luxembourg
• Israel
• Serbia
• Finland

Ten countries from each semi final will join Switzerland and the ‘Big Five’ countries in the grand final on Saturday, May 17, meaning that a total of 26 songs will be performed in the live final. The ‘Big Five’ countries are:

• Italy
• France
• Germany
• Spain
• United Kingdom

Who is representing the UK at Eurovision 2025?

Country pop trio Remember Monday was revealed as the UK’s Eurovision entrant back in March. The band will take to the stage in Basel to perform their song ‘What The Hell Just Happened?’ in a hope of snatching Eurovision glory.

Remember Monday, made up of members Charlotte Steele, Holly-Anne Hull, and Lauren Byrne, grew to fame after taking part in The Voice in 2019. Speaking about being chosen as the UK’s Eurovision entry, the band said: “We’re going to be the first girl band to represent the UK since 1999, which feels like such a crazy honour. We’re going to bring loads of fun, energy and hopefully do something that you won’t have seen before on the Eurovision stage.”

How to watch and listen to Eurovision 2025

Eurovision Song Contest 2025 will be covered both on television and radio by the BBC.

Semi-final one and semi-final two will be broadcast live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from 8pm on Tuesday, May 13 and Thursday, May 15 respectively. Scott Mills and Rylan Clark will host live coverage of both of the qualifying rounds live on the BBC.

Both semi finals will also be hosted on BBC Radio 2 by Sara Cox and Richie Anderson. Coverage of each semi-final will last from 8pm until 11pm.

The grand final on Saturday, May 17 will kick off at 8pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Eurovision legend Graham Norton returns to host the UK’s coverage, no doubt armed with his quick wit and cynical takes.

Scott Mills and Rylan Clark will return to take on BBC Radio 2’s live audio coverage of the Eurovision final. Coverage will begin at 8pm.