Sweden, Ukraine and the Netherlands qualify for Eurovision final

Ziferblat from Ukraine performs the song Bird Of Pray during the first semi-final of the 69th Eurovision Song Contest, in Basel, Switzerland (Martin Meissner/AP)

Sweden, Ukraine and the Netherlands have qualified for the final of the Eurovision Song Contest.

Dutch act Claude Kiambe, 21, went through with his track C’est La Vie, a blend of English and French that promotes a message of dealing with life as it is, as did current favourites KAJ with the Swedish song Bara Bada Bastu, about Nordic sauna culture.

The first semi-final of the 2025 contest, taking place in Basel, Switzerland where the competition began in Lugano in 1956, also saw Estonia’s Tommy Cash with the silly Espresso Macchiato, which referenced typical Italian phrases, as well as Poland’s Justyna Steczkowska with her dramatic Gaja, progress.

Claude from the Netherlands performing the song C’est La Vie at the first semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 (Martin Meissner/ap)

Icelandic electronic musician brothers Matthias Davio Matthiasson and Halfdan Helgi Matthiasson, known as Vaeb, qualified with Roa as well as San Marino’s Gabry Ponte with the catchy Tutta L’Italia and Albania’s Shkodra Elektronike with folksy Zjerm.

Portugal’s Napa with the dancey Deslocado and Norway’s Kyle Alessandro with the fiery Lighter were also revealed as going on to the next stage, before Ukraine’s wait was finally over as they found out their group Ziferblat had made it with the song Bird Of Pray.

Cyprus’ Theo Evan with Shh and Slovenia’s Klemen with How Much Time Do We Have Left were among those who did not progress.

On Tuesday, musicians including Swiss entrant Zoe Me with Voyage, Italy with glam rocker Lucio Corsi’s Volevo Essere Un Duro (I Wanted To Be A Tough Guy) and Spain with Melody Gutierrez’s Esa Diva (That Diva) performed before competing on Saturday during the final.

Before the qualifying acts were announced, co-hosts Hazel Brugger and Sandra Studer sang a song about what has been made in Switzerland such as the Theory of Relativity, folk hero William Tell and Eurovision.

Studer said that this is the “most sustainable Eurovision ever”, with around 80% of the outfits recycled.

While votes were being counted, Canadian singer and former Swiss winner Celine Dion delivered a pre-recorded video saying Switzerland has “always held a special place in my heart” as she spoke in French and English.

Vaeb from Iceland perform the song Roa during the first semi-final of the 69th Eurovision Song Contest in Basel, Switzerland (Martin Meissner/AP)

She also said she would want “nothing more but to be with you” in Basel as discussions continue with the organisers for her to make a stage comeback on Saturday during the final amid her health issues.

British fans will have to wait for the second semi-final on Thursday, when the UK’s Remember Monday will perform What The Hell Just Happened?, to cast their votes for their favourite Eurovision act.

Last year in Malmo, Dutch singer Joost Klein was kicked out of the competition by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) over alleged verbal threats to a female production worker, which he denied.