Eurovision 2025: They Went Bonkers in Basel

Have you ever had the sort of long, trying day that leaves you a little punchy and prone to cackle until you cry at some dumb, silly joke because you’re a bit hysterical? 2025 has been that kind of year so far. You need emotional armor five miles thick to read the news, and every day brings some new nightmare to contend with. This year’s fraught, mirth-starved energy produced an outlandishly silly Eurovision full of goofy clowns and bawdy jokes. It was a strong year for Eurovision with multiple potential victors headed into Saturday’s grand final. It ended with a very narrow victory, but overall it was an evening of bombast and levity. As the lyrics of the UK group Remember Monday’s “What The Hell Just Happened” had it, “in my defense, it’s been a hard year.” Thank you, Eurovision. We needed the laughs.

This year, the festivities were held in picturesque Basel, Switzerland, and opened with a performance from Nemo, last year’s Swiss winner. Nemo’s wig was fantastic, and they rocked a very slinky gown. There were a trio of hosts that went through the usual skits, but featured more musical interludes than I expected. Granted, this is coming from an uncouth, ignorant American, so what do I know? Co-host Hazel Bruger was the most oddball of the three when she made a joke about how Swiss people “don’t have feelings, we have money.” Co-host Michelle Hunziker side-eyed her with an “…okayyyyy.” Later, they performed “Made In Switzerland,” with co-host Sandra Studer, which listed all the beautiful things we can thank the Swiss for like fondue and LSD.

It still felt uncomfortable to have Israel competing, but it at least didn’t overtake the whole event like it did last year. There was a protest during Israel’s performance during which an activist tried to rush the stage but that was largely kept out of the UK broadcast I watched. Graham Norton’s commentary just barely alluded to the tension of having Israel there. It would be better if they weren’t competing, but Eurovision’s major financial backer is still the Israeli company Moroccanoil, so we were never going to escape the association. At least this time, Palestinian flags weren’t banned from the audience. Though Israel placed a close second place at the end of the night, their ballad was pretty mediocre in my uncouth American opinion, and maybe next year, their inclusion can be examined.

That said, I’d like to note that this was the 69th Eurovision and, like many a dirty mind before them, the show was full of single entendre sex jokes. It fit the “we need a laugh” vibe perfectly. Justice for Australian competitor Go-Jo, whose song “Milkshake Man” didn’t make it to the grand final, but would’ve fit right in too. Finnish singer Erika Vikman’s “Ich Komme” (German for “I’m coming”) featured a sexy dance with a mic stand and ended with the singer riding on a giant golden microphone that shot out plumes of sparks. Subtley was later found dead. It was an amazing, over-the-top performance and Vikman left it all on the stage. Graham Norton referred to it as a “rock song,” but it sounded like pop to me? Take a listen:

Malta’s entry, “Serving” (formerly “Kant”) by Miriana Conte was still a bop even with a bit of censorship. “Kant” is Maltese for “singing,” you cowards! Would’ve been iconic, but, understandably, the EBU wanted to clean it up a little. The stage show was a maximalist circus that was very heavily winking at the unspoken word and Conte had maybe her best night of vocals so far:

A special shout-out must go to Estonia for “Espresso Macchiato” by Tommy Cash, in which one man’s very Italian love for coffee is belted in the silliest operatic tones. The mustache, the mullet, the sense of drama: delish.

Many flowers to Iceland’s VÆB for the techno sea shanty “RÓA.” Foil union suits and giant goggles never looked so fun. The Minecraft-inspired video made me wonder whether VÆB will be tapped for the inevitable sequel’s soundtrack. They seem like sweet goofs, and “RÓA” has been stuck in my head for weeks.

Finnish band KAJ sang a very catchy ode to saunas called “Bara Bada Batsu” for Sewden. They love a good steam! It was a cozy, Alpine fantasia with marching lumberjanes and lil campfire. Should we all be going to the sauna? Sweating is usually a tough sell for me, but they make it seem so sweet:

French entry “maman” by Louane was about the power of motherhood and how transformative it can be, but there’s a moment where the special effects conspire to make it look as if the singer is farting. As Graham Norton quipped, maybe she could’ve used “a nice settling cup of mint tea.”

Honorable mention to Spanish entry Melody’s “Ese Diva,” a really great bop with a fantastic stage show. Men hiding under a dress’ train, matador hats, and power poses, they really had it all. In a night of goofs and gags, “Ese Diva” was the leader of the club-banger contingent. Other strong members of that pack included “Baller” by Germany’s Abor & Tynna and “Hallucination” by Danish singer Sissal.

In the end, Austria’s JJ won the night in a nail-biting 2-point lead. “Wasted Love” is a gorgeously sung ballad and a really striking stage show full of lighthouses and dramatic waves, but I wish something that matched the bonkers vibe had carried it off. Again, cheap American tastes here, but I like Eurovision best when it rewards the more energetic pop acts, but oh well! “Wasted Love” is a great dramatic song to brood to and at least it wasn’t “Poison Cake.”

Let’s do it all again next year in Austria!