Eurovision, a European festival with a lot of Hispanic rhythm

Hispanic culture is represented at the event by Spain, which has won the Crystal Microphone twice. The grand final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 will be held on Saturday, May 17, at 15:00 EDT at the St. Jakobshalle in Basel, Switzerland.

Published by

Williams Perdomo

16 de mayo, 2025

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The Eurovision Song Contest is a showcase of Hispanic talent. First broadcast in 1956, it is the oldest television program still airing today. In 2015, it earned the Guinness World Record as the world's longest-running televised music competition.

The festival is organized by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), with candidates selected by EBU member broadcasters to represent their countries from across Europe.

Hispanic culture has been represented at the event by Spain, which has won the Crystal Microphone twice. Artists such as Raphael, Julio Iglesias, Mocedades, Baccara, Paloma San Basilio, and Sergio Dalma are among the Hispanic figures who have solidified their international careers after participating in the European festival.

Hispanic rhythm has also been recognized with songs like "Eres Tú" by Mocedades, which stands out as one of the 14 best songs in the history of the festival, according to the Congratulations: 50 Years of the Eurovision Song Contest. ranking.

How are the participants chosen?

Each broadcaster, as Eurovision explained, has until mid-March to choose a song and artist to perform it. The selection can be made through a televised national selection program (or programs), an internal process, or any other method they choose.

Non-European participants

Non-European countries can participate in the Eurovision Song Contest as long as their broadcasters are active members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) or are invited as special guests. This is the case with Israel, which has participated since 1973, is an active EBU member, and has won four times. Australia, on the other hand, has been participating since 2015. Invited for the 60th anniversary, its continued success has allowed it to remain a special guest ever since.

The participants then compete in the Eurovision Song Contest, which is traditionally held in May.

What is the format?

The contest format consists of three live shows: the First Semi-Final (Tuesday night), the Second Semi-Final (Thursday night), and the Grand Final (Saturday night).

The Eurovision voting system combines votes from the public and professional juries in each participating country. The current format aims to balance popular opinion with that of musical experts. To ensure fairness, countries are not allowed to vote for themselves.

In the final gala, the jury and televote points are announced separately. First, the jury points for each country are revealed live by spokespersons. Then, the televote results are presented cumulatively, from lowest to highest, building anticipation toward the end.

A hurricane represents Spain this year

Spain's Melody, who has also built a successful career in Latin America, is aiming to win the trophy. Her song "Esa Diva" captivated the stage of the St. Jakobshalle in Basel after being presented to the European audience.

"The Spanish representative has made the best pass of the week with a much more compact, orderly and adjusted performance in technical aspects such as realization and lighting. The Sevillian has been able to control and hold the camera shot by shot, and has dominated the stage like few artists in this edition," explained Eurovision Spain.

When is the final night?

The grand final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 will take place on Saturday, May 17, at 15:00 EDT at the St. Jakobshalle in Basel, Switzerland. The event will be broadcast live in the United States on YouTube or Peacock (NBC/Universal).