After his triumphant return from Eurovision, newly crowned winner and Austrian singer J.J. was officially welcomed at the Federal Chancellery in Vienna. He was greeted by Chancellor Christian Stocker, Vice-Chancellor Andreas Babler, and Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger. The artist seized the moment to snap a bright selfie with the nation’s top officials.

Chancellor Stocker expressed heartfelt gratitude, calling J.J.’s performance not just a success, but a symbol of Austria’s cultural richness:

«It was a truly beautiful day for all of us — in fact, a very beautiful night,» he said.

According to the Chancellor, J.J.’s win showcases the harmony between classical and contemporary music — a key aspect of Austria’s cultural identity. He also expressed optimism about hosting Eurovision in Austria in 2026, emphasizing both the cultural and economic significance of the event.

Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger also thanked J.J.:

«This made the whole country proud — and for that, I sincerely thank you,» she said.

She admitted watching the contest from a hotel room before attending the Pope’s inaugural mass in Rome, which left her with «slightly tired eyes» — but the thrill of victory made it all worth it.

Vice-Chancellor Andreas Babler added that Eurovision brought Austrians together:

«It’s wonderful that we’re all happy together here in Austria. It feels like a shared victory.»

He expressed confidence that the next Eurovision — hosted on Austrian soil — would be «absolutely spectacular.»

Photo: APA/HELMUT FOHRINGER

On the night of May 17 to 18, the grand final of the international music competition «Eurovision Song Contest 2025» was held in the Swiss city of Basel. The musical show began with a «flag parade», during which all finalists walked the stage accompanied by music and visual effects.

The contest was opened by last year’s winners, Nemo, with the song «The Code».

A total of 26 countries took part in the final: ten winners of the first semi-final, ten winners of the second semi-final, five representatives from the «Big Five» (the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Spain, and France), and Switzerland’s representative as the winner of last year’s contest.

In the end, based on the public and jury votes, the winner of Eurovision 2025 was Austria, represented by singer JJ with the song «Wasted Love».

Therefore, the next Eurovision Song Contest in 2025 will be held in Austria. This marks the country’s third victory; the last time Austria won was in 2014.

Second place went to Israel’s representative Yuval Raphael with the song «New Day Will Rise».

The evening’s headliners included former Swiss Eurovision participants Peter, Sue & Marc, Paola, Gjon’s Tears, and Luca Hänni. Also featured were Croatia’s 2024 representative Baby Lasagna and Finnish rapper Käärijä.

Additionally, last year’s winners Nemo returned to the Eurovision stage.

Photo: Instagram @eurovision

The Eurovision final will take place tomorrow in the Swiss city of Basel. Artists from 26 countries will take the stage for the 69th edition of the international song contest.

This year, Austria will be represented by Johannes Pietsch, better known by his stage name JJ, with the song Wasted Love. Initially, bookmakers predicted a 6th-place finish for the performer.

However, as the contest approaches, betting companies are updating their odds more frequently. As of May 16, 2025, JJ has climbed to 2nd place in the rankings, according to Eurovisionworld.com.

Ahead of the final, the editors of INSIDER.AT have prepared a list of 8 venues in Vienna where you can watch Eurovision on the big screen:

• Das Vindobona – Wallensteinplatz 6, 1200 Wien
• WUK – Währinger Straße 59, 1090 Wien
• Votiv Kino – Währinger Straße 12, 1090 Wien
• Das Gugg (HOSI Wien) – Heumühlgasse 14/1, 1040 Wien
• JO&JOE Vienna – Europaplatz 1/6, 1150 Wien
• ega: frauen im zentrum – Windmühlgasse 26, 1060 Wien
• Felixx Bar – Gumpendorfer Straße 5, 1060 Wien
• Gleis//Garten – Eichenstraße 2, 1120 Wien

Let us recall that Austria has won the Eurovision Song Contest twice. The first victory was in 1966 with Udo Jürgens’ song Merci, chérie. Then, in 2014, the country won again with Conchita Wurst’s Rise Like a Phoenix.

Photo: Instagram @johannesjjpietsch

Last night, on May 15, the second semifinal of Eurovision 2025 took place in Basel, Switzerland. As a result, 10 more countries were selected to move forward to the grand final — among them is Austrian singer JJ. His song «Wasted Love» was highly praised by both viewers and bookmakers.

Who qualified for the Eurovision final after the second semifinal:

• Lithuania — Katarsis — «Tavo akys»
• Israel — Yuval Raphael — «New Day Will Rise»
• Armenia — Parg – «SURVIVOR»
• Denmark – Sissal — «Hallucination»
• Austria — JJ — «Wasted Love»
• Luxembourg — Laura Thorn — «La Poupée Monte Le Son»
• Finland — Erika Vikman — «ICH KOMME»
• Latvia — Tautumeitas — «Bur Man Laimi»
• Malta — Miriana Conte — «SERVIN»
• Greece — Princ — «Mila»

For reference, the first semifinal took place on May 13. That evening, the audience was won over by performances from Norway, Albania, Sweden, Iceland, the Netherlands, Poland, San Marino, Estonia, Portugal, and Ukraine.

In the final, they will be joined by the representatives of France, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Germany, and last year’s winner, Switzerland.

A reminder: the grand final of Eurovision 2025 will take place on May 17. This Saturday, we will find out who wins Eurovision this year. We sincerely support JJ and wish him a triumphant night!

Photo/video: Instagram @johannesjjpietsch