This evening, Saturday 16 May, the grand finale of the 70th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest takes shape from the Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna.
The final is the culmination of a Eurovisual week marked by high-intensity semi-finals and an increasingly polarized selection between favorites and outsiders. The event will be broadcast in prime time on Rai 1, preceded at 8.35pm by the “Eurovision Preview”, which will take the public backstage, contributions from Vienna and a summary of the twenty-five finalists.
Gabriele Corsi returns to Italian hosting, in his sixth participation, and Elettra Lamborghini makes her debut as a commentator, while on the Austrian stage, hosting is entrusted to Victoria Swarovski and Michael Ostrowski.
The opening running order entrusted to Denmark by Søren Torpegaard Lund with “Før vi går hjem”, closing by Austria by COSMÓ with “Tanzschein”.
Italy is placed in position 22 with Sal Da Vinci and “Per semper Sì”, between Cyprus and Norway, in a phase of the lineup that is often decisive for the public's perception. Not only the title is up for grabs, but also the right to host the 2027 edition.
On the eve, the odds indicate Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen's Finland with “Liekinheitin” among the main candidates for victory, followed by Australia, Greece, Israel, Denmark, Romania and Bulgaria. Italy is included in the group of special observers, thanks to a proposal that intertwines Italian and Neapolitan dialect and a positioning considered favorable in the central phase of the evening.
The final opens with the return of reigning winner JJ to the stage, amidst operatic references and a spectacular setting that combines orchestra, dance troupe and visual storytelling. There are three main intervals: the medley “Celebration!” dedicated to the 70 years of the competition, the performance of Parov Stelar with “Black Lilies” and the tribute to Vienna through the song “Vienna” by Billy Joel, reinterpreted by César Sampson with orchestral arrangement.
THE VOTE
The voting system confirms the formula of 50% juries and 50% televoting, with the window open before the first performance and closing approximately forty minutes after the last performance. Representing Italy in the announcement of the 12 points will be Maria Sole Pollio, included in a network of 35 international spokespersons who will mark the final verdict.
COMMENTS AND REPORT CARDS
Austria | COSMÓ – “Tanzschein” | Rating 6.00
Eurovisual textbook super pop: immediate, built for the reflection of the chorus and for instant adherence to the television dancefloor. COSMÓ plays everything on lightness and on a writing that aims for total usability, without friction or hidden ambitions. It works in the moment, it's fun to listen to, but it evaporates.
Romania | Alexandra Căpitănescu – “Choke Me” | Rating 5.00
Mega sound mash that attempts the synthesis between orchestral pop, lyrical momentum and electronic grafts without ever finding a balance. Alexandra Căpitănescu moves within a hypertrophic system, where accumulation replaces direction and stratification becomes confusion.
Norway | JONAS LOVV – “YA YA YA” | Rating 6.5
The only true rock jolt of the selection, built on guitars in the foreground and a stage attitude that is more declared than truly incendiary. Jonas Lovv plays the rebellious pose card, between controlled dirtying and a deliberately elementary refrain.
Italy | Sal Da Vinci – “Forever Yes” | Rating 7.00
Sal seems like a giant compared to the rest. Voice a little shaky but forever yes!!! Go ahead…
Cyprus | Antigoni – “JALLA” | Rating 5.50
Electro-pop with Arabic tones that attempts to immediately connect with the European dancefloor without however finding a real center of gravity. Antigoni constructs a stage image that oscillates between choreographed sensuality à la Shakira and a more plasticized pop aesthetic à la Holly Valance.
Sweden | FELICIA – “My System” | Rating 5.00
A Nordic version of Myss Keta who tries to graft EDM and Scandinavian pop into a very lucid, almost algorithmic club aesthetic. The basic idea is controlled truzza, but the result remains trapped in a predictable repetition, more pose than risk.
Lithuania | Lion Ceccah – “Sólo Quiero Más” | Rating 5.00
The “Lithuanian robot” tries to graft electronics and pop orchestrations into a hybrid which however never really takes off. The ambition of synthesis translates into a cloying superposition, more interested in the effect than in the internal coherence of the piece.
Poland | ALICJA – “Pray” | Rating 6.50
Soul and gospel system that veers towards a more contemporary and controlled urban pop. ALICJA has a vocal presence that holds the stage. In search of the perfect high note.
