Eurovision in Concert 2025 in Amsterdam: debrief of the performances
We were lucky enough to be able to attend one of the most important pre-parties of the pre-season, the 15th edition of Eurovision in Concert 2025 in Amsterdam. Around thirty participants were on stage for what is one of the almost obligatory passages for any Eurovision candidate, in order to hone their performances and test their connection with the fans. More information on the pre-parties in our dedicated article.
And let's face it, it was a great evening, with some artists giving it their all, others proving to be pleasant surprises, and others doing the bare minimum. Here's a rundown of some of the stand-out performances.
Eurovision in Concert 2025's disappointing performances
We start with the category of disappointments. Not that their performance was bad, but these are the ones who gave the bare minimum, or whose performance was not received by the fans with unbridled enthusiasm.
We loved the clip from Go-Jo released in February, but alone on stage, without dancers, with an animated projection in the background, the energy was different, resulting in a rather bland performance. The same goes for Mamagama whose three members were on stage. Despite their set of drums and guitars, the crowd didn't seem to be up for it. The same fate befell the Ukrainians from Ziferblat and the Portuguese from Napa which did the job, but they were missing that little 'something'. For Marko Bosnjak and their "Poison Cake", a song with a disjointed rhythm that went from a gentle pop ballad to a metal chorus, the absence of a thorough staging prevented the story from telling what it had to convey. For these artists, we know that the experience on stage in Basel, with its props, lighting effects and LED screens, should be very different from that of a televised performance.
For the Georgian Mariam Shengelia who was alone and static in the middle of the stage, it's a bit different. This track is all about the vocals. But it has to be said that the acoustics in the room and the mix weren't that great. The same goes for Katarsis, or even Emmy, who put in a performance with some pretty cool choreography. Sadly, their performances suffered as a result. We're hoping for a big surprise in Basel.
Confirmations
We continue with the "solid" » performances, whether vocally (like Adonxs), artistically (such as the performance by Shkodra Electronike) or headliners such as Tommy Cash. This category also includes performers who give their all, such as Kyle Alessandro or VAEB or Adonxs. Flawless vocals, well-executed dance breaks, sharing with the audience, a little thoughtful staging, it was all there. The crowd responded well to the choruses of " Tutta l'Italia" of Ich Komme » or Baller" . On the one hand, these performances feature a sound that lends itself to a festive atmosphere; on the other, they are designed as moments of sharing with the audience. They should do just fine in Basel. For Gabry Pontewe might have appreciated a touch more Italian decoration in the background. And less of the DJ behind the turntables, which doesn't work so well at Eurovision. We hope that the delegation will work on the artistic aspect and bring some Italy to the show in May.
The English trio Remember Monday also put in a pretty good performance yesterday, roaming the stage from side to side, theatricalising their characters to the extreme.
Finally, this category includes all these "safe" entries such as Tommy Cash with his dancing security guard and his yellow post-it note "Eurovision Winner ». As soon as he's on stage, he's off again - and that's why we love him so much! Erika Vikman also gave her all. Even though she was alone on stage, she didn't need anything more.
This category also includes Louane. Alone on stage, in front of her microphone, the lyrics of "maman »" in English were written behind her as she sang. Confirmation of a good song, yes, which really pleased the audience, but rather safe and without any real surprises. We're hoping that Louane's staging in Basel will go beyond what we saw yesterday. We recently learned that Frederik Rydman has been appointed Creative Director of her Basel performance. As well as being Creative Director ofUMK Finnish director, his credits include such works as Heroes by Mans Zelmerlow (2015 winner), The Code by Nemo (winner in 2024) or Cha-Cha-Cha de Käärijä (2nd in 2023).
We haven't forgotten either Claude. He had the honour of closing the evening in a festive atmosphere to the sound of his lyrics in French. We expected a little more.
The good surprises of Eurovision in Concert 2025
Our pleasant surprises are all those songs that didn't make a memorable impression on us during the national selections, but which came up with something more accomplished last night. With their own re-orchestration, Nina Zizic managed to leave her mark on the audience with a vocally mastered, epic and powerful sound, taking us into a dimension far beyond what she had sent out during the national final.
We also had another pleasant surprise with Justyna Steczkowska who took to the stage with her dancers to put on a real show! Just like the Spanish Melody, surrounded by her team of dancers, who really gave 1000% her all and finished her show with the "wheel" that caused such a stir at the Benidorm Fest!
But for us, last night's real pleasant surprise was Sissal. On that huge stage at the Dansk Melodi Grand Prix during the national selections, alone and without dancers, she seemed almost lost. But in the more intimate setting of Afas Live in Amsterdam last night, she really showed the strength of her song and the range of her voice. In Basel, with the right conditions, we have no doubt that she will really shine.
The top
There are two incredible voices in this category. The first is Red Sebastian who was able to demonstrate the breadth of his vocal range and the power of his " Strobe Lights" . You can also find JJthis little man who, for a moment, managed to silence the entire audience as he sang his chorus in his operatic voice. We'd never been to the opera, and this was the first time we'd heard a voice like JJ's. It was simply breathtaking! It was simply breathtaking!
In another register, Miriana Conte who put on a great show on stage with her "Serving »", served up by the crowd who sang "Kant »" in response. We can expect some surprises from the crowd in Basel. As a reminder, the EBU asked the singer to remove the word "Kant »" from her song, as the word was deemed too close to the insult "C*nt »" in English.
Our playlist " Eurovision in Concert 2025 »
Save the date – Eurovision in Concert 2026 se tiendra à Amsterdam le 11 avril 2026 !
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