Mark Savage
Music correspondent
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Yuval Raphael told the BBC that he practiced singing to the sound of booing to prepare for Eurovision
Israel competed in the Eurovision Grand Final on Saturday hours after protesters tried to disrupt the country’s clothing rehearsals.
Yuval Rafael, 24, was playing a new day in a preview show on Thursday afternoon. Arena rules allow all flags, but there is a limit to the size.
Swiss broadcaster SRG SSR, which hosts the event, said the audience was quickly kicked out of St. Jacobshar Arena.
Israel’s participation in Eurovision has become a source of controversy as its military strengthens artillery fire in Gaza and implements blockades of all food and other humanitarian supplies.
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Protesters spread a large Palestinian flag during dress rehearsals on Thursday
In recent weeks, broadcasters in Spain, Ireland and Slovenian have been calling for discussion about Israel’s involvement, and there have been a small protest in the city of Basel, Switzerland, where this year’s contest is being held.
The incident during Thursday’s clothing rehearsal did not disrupt Rafael’s performance, and her appearance in the semi-finals on television passed without further demonstrations.
Speaking to the BBC earlier this week, Rafael said her team had played the audience noise about the rehearsal.
The singer clenched her hands together and blew a kiss into the sky when it was announced she would progress to the finals.
Despite the continued tension, her song is now one of her favorites to win.
Who qualified from the second semifinal?
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Here are the 10 successful acts in Thursday’s public vote:
Armenia: PARG – Savibolastoria: JJ – Waste Lover: sissal – Hallucination Finland: Erika Vikman – Ichekomegrease: Kravdia – Astamathaisrael: Yuvalrafael – New Day is Liseratvia: Tutumeitas – Tachumetas – Billman Limited Milituania: Kakutarus Laura Thorn – La Poupee Monte Le Son (Photo) Malta: Milianaconte – Serving
In other words, the six excluded countries were Australia, the Czech Republic, Georgia, Ireland, Montenegro and Serbia.
The removal of Australia was the biggest shock. Their implicit pop-anthem milkshake guy had a warm reception before the contest, but at night viewers proved to be lactose intolerance.
Ireland also crashed. A year after Bambie Thug scored a 6th finish.
The country has now failed to qualify on eight of the last 10 attempts. The continuation of that lost streak will cause many souls to be searched for in the country that is tied to Sweden for the most Eurovision victory in history: seven in total.
In the second semifinal, we also remember Monday as our first chance to see the British acts.
The girl band provided a whimsical staging of their songs. – Dance around a fallen chandelier in Bridgerton-esque costumes as they sang a nasty night on tiles.
In an effortless three-part harmony, they took a break from the dangerous vocal performances that bothered Olly Alexander and Mae Muller in 2024 and 2023.
And for now, they have escaped the public vote. The UK is automatically qualified for the Finals as one of the “Big Five” countries that make a major financial contribution to Eurovision.
Corinne Cumming / EBU
Remember that Monday’s routine was traded in West End Musical experience
Swedish Entry Caszi is currently a favorite to win the 2025 contest.
Austrian counter tenor JJ was the second favorite for opera pop song wasted love and was one of the 10 acts voted after the show on Thursday.
In an eye-catching performance, the 24-year-old was thrown around the stage on a rattling sailing boat, reflecting the emotional waters of the turbulent flow of his lyrics.
Elsewhere, the contest included all the trappings of traditional Eurovision, including spandex, sequins and strong wind wind machines, with over 10 on-stage costume changes.
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French singer Rouen showered the stage with sand with an anti-maint performance about the passage of time and how sadness mutates
Among the more novelties were the “Sand Tornado” during a French performance, where Maltese contestant Miliana Conte bouncing and serving with a bright red medicine ball for her self-help national anthem.
Latvian folk band Tautumeitas took a more ethereal approach with Bur Man Laimi, a close spell spell that is literally translated as “Chancellor for Happiness.”
Wore gold bodysuits with branches and vine details, they carried the audience into the enchanting forest, captivating songs that emphasized the connection between humanity and nature.
The band was considered an outlier in the finals, but they jumped over songs with higher profiles from Ireland and Czech — precisely because they stood out.
Finnish singer Erika Vikmann also made a mark.
Her track, Ichi Kome, is a sex-positive club anthem that straddles a huge, ignited golden microphone rising above the audience.
Like her, it soared to Saturday’s Grand Finals – there it was predicted that the song would land in the top 10.
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Erika Vikman’s death-defy performance was the highlight of the show
Saturday’s show will be held at St. Jacobe Charles in Basel from 20:00 BST/21:00 Swiss Time.
The ceremony will be broadcast live on BBC One and BBC Radio 2, fully explained live on the BBC News website.
