Recommendations of the Editorial team
This year’s Eurovision contestants all seem to be looking for the same thing: liberation. That goes for Denmark’s Søren Torpegaard Lund, who lets his heart out on the dance floor on the pulsating entry “Før Vi Går Hjem,” and Cyprus’s Antigoni, a former “Love Island UK” reality star who just wants to lose himself in the rhythm of the music on “Jalla.” Even Italy longs to sink into love – with Sal Da Vinci’s tirelessly romantic “Per Semper Sì”.
On Saturday evening, these acts will compete in the Eurovision final alongside other contenders – including Lithuania’s Lion Ceccah and Belgium’s Essyla. It’s been a while since one of these countries won, or at least came close.
Denmark last won in 2013, Cyprus and Lithuania have never been crowned winners of the song contest. This year, 25 countries will fight for victory in the final, which will be held at the Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna. Here are five of the most promising candidates.
Denmark: Søren Torpegaard Lund, “Før Vi Går Hjem”
After Denmark’s Eurovision entries had been sung in English for five years, Søren Torpegaard Lund brought Danish back to the stage with the love-longing and hedonistic single “Før Vi Går Hjem”. The song evokes the atmosphere of a sweaty club night with an intense, heartbeat-like bassline. In the chorus, his message is unmistakable: “We let the night go up in flames and forget ourselves / Hold on to each other until we burn / Forget that we’ll wake up and regret it again.” All or nothing. Denmark has won Eurovision three times: 1963, 2000 and 2013. With “Før Vi Går Hjem” another triumph seems within reach again.
Lithuania: Lion Ceccah, “Sólo Quiero Más”
Lion Ceccah’s performance on “Sólo Quiero Más” stands out among this year’s Eurovision entries. The artist takes an ambitious approach and performs a hymn to unity in several languages. “Sólo Quiero Más” begins with a verse in Lithuanian, followed by a chorus in English and Spanish. “Even if we’re living in a mad world / Even if we’re standing as the sky falls,” Ceccah sings. “Sólo quiero / Sólo quiero más” – “I just want more.” In the final chorus he opens up to an even wider audience with lines in German, Italian and French. Lithuania has never won Eurovision. The best placement was in 2006 with sixth place. Two decades later, the country has a chance to finally bring home the trophy with a song about community and self-confidence.
Italy: Sal Da Vinci, “Per Semper Sì”
Italy is relying on classic romance this year. Sal Da Vinci performs the enthusiastic “Per Semper Sì” in Italian and Neapolitan – for the first time since Peppino di Capri’s “Comme è Ddoce ‘o Mare” from 1991, the Romance language can be heard again in an Italian contribution. Sal Da Vinci is in love and optimistic: He sings about wanting to spend the rest of his life with someone, no matter what obstacles the path presents. A line from the first verse translates as: “For a love is not a love for life / if it has not mastered the steepest climb.” That could lead Italy to their first win since Måneskin’s triumph in 2021.
Belgium: Essyla, “Dancing on the Ice”
Belgium has been waiting for a Eurovision win since Sandra Kim’s “J’aime La Vie” in 1986 – 40 years have passed since then. Now the country has another real chance with Essyla’s stirring song “Dancing on the Ice”. The track builds to a spectacular dance performance that seems tailor-made for the lavish stage productions that Eurovision is known for. In the first semi-final, Essyla took the stage with artificial snow falling around her. Flanked by four dancers, she delivered an impressive vocal performance. “Dancing on the Ice” is also the first time since 2023 that Belgium has qualified for the Eurovision final.
Cyprus: Antigoni, “Jalla”
Antigoni’s dancefloor hit “Jalla” could help Cyprus to its first ever Eurovision victory. The rousing track is performed in English and Greek and draws on the island’s belly dance rhythms. “Hear the beat of the drum, got you feeling alive / Melody of the song got you hypnotized,” sings Antigoni over booming percussion beats. “Getting lost in the rhythm, but it’s never enough / Might just have you falling in love.” Cyprus came very close to victory almost a decade ago: Eleni Foureira’s “Fuego” took second place in 2018. No other country has taken part so many times without ever winning. Antigoni, who spent a week in the villa on season eight of Love Island UK, had tried to represent Greece in previous years – but a win would mean so much more for Cyprus.
