The lineup for the grand final of the Eurovision Song Contest has been decided, with six countries eliminated after a semifinal on Thursday.

Eurovision band Ziferblat of Ukraine sings their national anthem with Ukrainian people during a family meeting in a park in Basel as part of the 69th Eurovision Song Contest week, in Basel, Switzerland, Thursday, May 15, 2025. Credit: AP/Martin Meissner BASEL, Switzerland — Ukraine’s musicians can’t escape war, even at the Eurovision Song Contest.

With fans from more than 80 countries arriving in Basel, Switzerland, for the 69th Eurovision Song Contest (ESC), the city is prepared not only to host the world’s largest live music event, but also to unlock a wave of economic, cultural, and social benefits.

BASEL, Switzerland (AP) — Competition in the 69th Eurovision Song Contest kicked off Tuesday, with sauna-loving Swedish entry KAJ gaining a place in the final and five countries going home after the first of two semifinals of the pan-continental music extravaganza.

There’s one word you hear more than any other in Basel during the Eurovision Song Contest: Sauna. The northern Swiss city isn't known as an epicenter of steamy wood-cabin relaxation, but the small municipality of Vora in Finland is,

BASEL, Switzerland — Competition in the 69th Eurovision Song Contest kicks off Tuesday, with performers from 15 countries battling it out in Basel, Switzerland during the first of two semifinals of the pan-continental music extravaganza.