what is the Eurovision song contest all about?

May 17, 2025 /Mpelembe Media/ — The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual international song competition organized by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) since 1956. It brings together participants representing primarily European countries, although nations from outside of Europe, such as Australia, have also been invited to compete. Each participating country submits an original song, which is then performed live on television and radio, broadcast across the Eurovision and Euroradio networks to a massive international audience.

Key Aspects of the Eurovision Song Contest:

Competition: The core of Eurovision is a competition where each participating country presents one original song and artist or group. The performances take place across three live shows: two semi-finals and a grand final.

Representation: Each entry is selected at the national level by the participating country’s public broadcasting service. This selection process often involves televised national selections, internal selections by broadcasters, or a mix of both.

Original Songs: The songs performed must be original compositions, not exceeding three minutes in length, and should not have been commercially released before a specific date (typically September 1st of the preceding year). All lead vocals must be performed live, and a maximum of six performers are allowed on stage.

Voting: The winner is decided through a voting system that combines the votes of a professional jury and the viewing public from each participating country. Each country awards two sets of points (1 to 8, 10, and 12) to their favorite songs – one set from the jury and one from the public. Notably, countries cannot vote for their own entry. Since 2023, viewers in non-participating countries can also vote online, with their aggregated votes counting as one additional “country.”

Grand Final Qualification: The grand final features the entries that automatically qualify (the “Big Five”: France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom, plus the host country) and the top ten highest-scoring entries from each of the two semi-finals.

Hosting: Traditionally, the country that wins the contest hosts the following year’s event. This provides a unique opportunity for the host country to promote tourism and its culture. The host broadcaster selects a host city that meets specific criteria, including venue capacity and infrastructure.

Cultural Exchange: Beyond the competition, Eurovision serves as a significant platform for cultural exchange, showcasing a diverse range of musical genres and artistic expressions from across Europe and beyond. It has launched the careers of numerous successful artists, most notably ABBA, who won for Sweden in 1974 with “Waterloo.”

Entertainment Spectacle: The Eurovision Song Contest is renowned for its elaborate stage productions, creative performances, and diverse musical styles, ranging from pop and rock to folk and electronic music. It’s a night of entertainment that often features memorable and sometimes quirky acts.

Long-Running Tradition: First held in 1956, the Eurovision Song Contest is the longest-running annual international televised music competition and one of the longest-running television programs in the world, only being canceled once in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tonight, May 17, 2025, the Grand Final of the 69th Eurovision Song Contest is taking place in Basel, Switzerland, following Switzerland’s victory in 2024 with Nemo’s song “The Code.” Thirty-seven countries participated in this year’s contest, with 26 making it to the Grand Final.

During the Live Shows, audiences primarily watch the Eurovision Song Contest on television in each of the participating countries.

All Live Shows are also available to watch on the official Eurovision Song Contest YouTube channel (if the stream is available in your region).

Here’s everything you need to know about the Contest taking place in Basel.