Yuval Raphael representing Israel with the song "New Day Will Rise" with Palestinian flags behind her during the opening ceremony of the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 in Basel on May 11, 2025. (Credit: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP)
Israel’s participation in Eurovision 2025 has sparked criticism and protests, but Yuval Raphael is set to take the stage Thursday evening in the second semifinal. The 24-year-old, a survivor of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, is among the favorites to qualify for the final.
Raphael will perform New Day Will Rise at the high-tech Sankt Jakobshalle in Basel, Switzerland. He survived the Hamas-led massacre by playing dead under a pile of bodies and now hopes to deliver a universal message of “hope and solidarity.”
Whether that message resonates with the 6,500 spectators in the arena — and millions watching on television — remains to be seen.
Fifteen acts will compete on Thursday for the 10 remaining spots in the grand final of the world’s largest televised music event, which draws between 160 million and 200 million viewers. Viewers will decide the outcome.
Bookmakers list Austria, Israel and Finland as top favorites for the second semifinal. Malta, Australia and Lithuania also have strong odds. Despite Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza, which has killed tens of thousands and prompted calls for the country’s exclusion from the contest, including by reigning champion Nemo, protests in Basel have been relatively subdued compared with the mass mobilization seen in Malmö in 2024.
There were, however, Palestinian flags, a banner accusing Israel of “genocide” during Sunday’s artists’ parade, and a silent protest on Wednesday ahead of the annual commemoration of the Nakba — the 1948 Palestinian exodus when Israel occupied the territory.
Love, dolls, milkshakes and orgasm
Austria’s JJ is the main rival of Sweden’s KAJ to win Saturday’s final. JJ’s song, Wasted Love, transitions from a falsetto ballad to a techno climax, evoking The Code, the 2024 winning entry by Swiss artist Nemo.
Performed in stark black and white reminiscent of Studio Harcourt photography, JJ’s melancholic piece tells of a time he “wasted too much love” without reciprocity.
In contrast, Finland’s Erika Vikman brings a more physical interpretation of love. She closes Thursday’s semifinal with Ich Komme, a provocative celebration of orgasm, expected to turn up the heat in the arena.
Go-Jo, a social media star from Australia — where Eurovision has a massive following — opens the show with Milkshake Man, a cheeky, innuendo-filled number. “I feel very warmly received in Europe. I am ready and fully confident,” he told AFP.
Ireland’s entry is literally out of this world. Norwegian singer Emmy will perform a tribute to Laika, the Soviet space dog, against a backdrop of ’80s-style synths.
Representing Luxembourg, Laura Thorn delivers La Poupée monte le son — a feminist twist on France Gall’s 1965 Eurovision classic Poupée de cire, poupée de son. “New user manual, I can do everything without you,” she declares. “It’s another pattern, another era. I’m speaking up.”
Ten acts from each semifinal will move on to Saturday’s grand final, joining the 26 total contestants. Switzerland, as host, and the “Big Five” — Germany, Spain, France, Italy and the United Kingdom — automatically qualify due to their financial contributions.
Fans hope for Céline Dion appearance
Eurovision fans are holding out hope for a surprise appearance by Céline Dion, who won the contest for Switzerland in 1988 and is battling a serious illness. A video message released Tuesday suggested she may be unable to attend.
“She might decide to come, but we don’t know yet,” said Sandra Studer, one of the hosts of Basel 2025. “We love her dearly, and it would have been precious for us, but we haven’t lost hope.”
Sweden remains the overall favorite to win Eurovision 2025, followed by Austria, the Netherlands, France and Israel.
