Overview

• The 69th Eurovision Song Contest officially starts tonight with the first semifinal live from St. Jakobshalle in Basel, Switzerland.
• Fifteen countries are competing for ten places in the grand final, while pre-qualified acts from the Big Five and host nation Switzerland will also perform.
• Italy's Lucio Corsi, already qualified for the final, performs 'Volevo essere un duro,' a song that earned critical acclaim at Sanremo 2025.
• San Marino's Gabry Ponte debuts 'Tutta l'Italia,' a track blending humor and national pride, while Estonia's Tommy Cash presents the satirical 'Espresso Macchiato.'
• The event will be broadcast live on Rai 2 and Rai Radio 2, with voting determined by a mix of public televoting and national juries.