Céline Dion appears at Eurovision, as Sweden qualify for the final

Céline Dion made a uncommon quality during the archetypal semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest with a brief, pre-recorded message.

The prima won the contention for Switzerland successful 1988, and it had been rumoured she would instrumentality the signifier arsenic the ceremonial returns to the state this year.

"I'd emotion thing much than to beryllium with you," she said successful a video, seemingly ruling retired that possibility. "Switzerland volition everlastingly clasp a peculiar spot successful my heart. It's the state that believed successful maine and gave maine the accidental to beryllium portion of thing truthful extraordinary."

The semi-final saw 10 acts suffice for Saturday's expansive finale, including Swedish entrants KAJ, whose opus Bara Bada Bastu is the runaway favourite.

Their song, an accordion-led drama fig whose rubric translates to "let's instrumentality a sauna", has a 40% accidental of winning, according to bookmakers.

If the prediction comes true, it would beryllium Sweden's eighth Eurovision rubric - making them the astir victorious state successful the contest's past (they are presently tied with Ireland, connected 7 wins each).

Fifteen acts performed astatine Tuesday's semi-final successful Basel's St Jakobshalle. These are the ones who made the cut.

• Norway: Kyle Alessandro – Lighter
• Albania: Shkodra Elektronike – Zjerm
• Sweden: KAJ – Bara Bada Bastu
• Iceland: VÆB – RÓA
• Netherlands: Claude – C'est La Vie
• Poland: Justyna Steczkowska – GAJA
• San Marino: Gabry Ponte – Tutta L'Italia
• Estonia: Tommy Cash – Espresso Macchiato
• Portugal: NAPA – Deslocado
• Ukraine: Ziferblat – Bird of Pray

That means that the Eurovision dreams of Azerbaijan, Belgium, Cyprus, Croatia and Slovenia person each ended for 2025.

Of those, the biggest astonishment was Belgium's Red Sebastian, whose rave anthem Strobe Lights had been predicted to decorativeness among the apical five.

Ten much acts volition advancement to the main contention aft Thursday's 2nd semi-final.

The "Big Five" countries, who lend the astir financially to the contention (France, Germany, Spain, the UK and Italy) suffice automatically, arsenic bash past year's winners, Switzerland.

Dion's video connection came during the ceremony's interval, arsenic votes were being cast.

Although she was incapable to beryllium determination successful person, it was a coup for organisers. The vocalist has stepped distant from the limelight successful caller years owed to wellness issues related to stiff-person syndrome (SPS), a neurological information that causes musculus spasms and makes it hard for her to walk.

After a four-year break, she made an affectional comeback astatine past summer's Paris Olympics, singing Edith Piaf's classical Hymne à l'Amour from the Eiffel Tower.

Speculation implicit a imaginable Eurovision quality has been mounting since Swiss vocalist Nemo won the 2024 contest.

In her video, Dion said it was "beautiful and emotional" to spot the young vocalist assistance the trophy, and recalled that her triumph successful 1988 "was a life-changing infinitesimal for me".

"To the radical of Switzerland, convey you for your love," she continued. "This nighttime is yours and I anticipation you consciousness arsenic arrogant arsenic I do."

After repeating her connection successful French, respective erstwhile Eurovision contestants appeared connected signifier to screen Dion's winning opus from 1988, Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi (Don't Leave Without Me).

However, organisers said they had not fixed up anticipation of the prima appearing astatine the last this weekend.

"We are inactive successful adjacent interaction with her," they said successful a statement.

Tuesday's semi-final opened with Icelandic radical VÆB, 2 brothers with the unregulated vigor of erstwhile Irish entrants Jedward.

They were followed by Polish prima Justyna Steczkowska, who hung precariously supra the signifier connected 2 ropes, arsenic she sang her witchy hymn to parent earth, Gaja.

The acrobatics continued with Slovenian instrumentalist Klemen, who was suspended upside down during his ballad How Much Time Do We Have Left?

The opus was a tribute to his wife, who has precocious recovered from cancer, but the affectional show wasn't capable to clinch him a presumption successful the final.

Taking a lighter enactment was Estonia's Tommy Cash, whose quirky anthem Espresso Macchiato was interrupted by a "stage invader" - really a dancer who replicated his noodle-limbed creation moves.

The arena was awash with Ukranian flags for Ziferblat, whose prog-pop anthem Bird Of Pray is simply a connection of anticipation and resilience to families separated by the country's ongoing warfare with Russia.

Italy's Lucio Corsi brought 70s glam stone vibes with his way Volevo Esse Un Duro, which adjacent featured a ocular call-back to David Bowie and Mick Ronson's iconic 1972 show of Starman connected Top Of The Pops.

Bosnian vocalist Marko Bošnjak was each achromatic eyeliner and sinister vigor for his kill-your-enemies anthem Poison Cake, portion Dutch vocalist Claude took the other approach, brimming with positivity passim his upbeat show of C'est La Vie.

And Swiss vocalist Zoë Më was bathed successful a oversea of mobile telephone lights arsenic she performed Voyage , an understated and alternatively beauteous plea for kindness and understanding.

However, KAJ were the artists to bushed - with the full assemblage stomping on to their goofy sauna anthem ("Damn it, crook up the heat!")

The song, performed successful the Vörå dialect, is simply a extremist departure from Sweden's tried and tested look of slick popular anthems.

It was the astonishment victor astatine the Melodifestivalen, the hotly-contested amusement that selects the country's Eurovision entry, and has gone connected to apical the Swedish popular charts for 11 weeks.

Speaking to the BBC, the set - who are really from the Swedish-speaking portion of Finland - said it was unusual to participate the contention arsenic the presumed favourite.

"We are feeling the unit a bit," they admitted, "but we're gonna spell retired there, person fun, bring the steam, bring the sauna culture, and we'll spot however acold it goes."