The Eurovision Song Contest kicked off tonight with the first semi-final, but things didn’t go as planned for host Switzerland’s act, Zoë Më, during her performance.
The Eurovision Song Contest celebrates its 69th year in Switzerland, where it first took place in 1956. BBC will air all three nights, including the two semi-finals on May 13, and May 15, followed by the grand final on May 17. Viewers outside the UK can also watch the show by using a VPN to access.
A performance during tonight’s Eurovision Song Contest semi-final faced technical issues live on air, sparking reactions from both viewers and commentators once it ended.
This year’s first semi-final is taking place in Basel, Switzerland, following the country’s victory last year. As the host nation, Switzerland automatically qualifies for Saturday’s grand final but is still given the chance to showcase its entry beforehand.
Zoë Më, 24, representing Switzerland, took the stage this evening to perform her entry Voyage. She was among the final performers in tonight’s semi-final, where other acts are competing for a spot in the grand final.
Before Zoë’s performance, it was mentioned that the routine would be filmed in one continuous shot. The ballad began with Zoë standing on stage, with the camera focused on her for most of the performance. However, during some fast-moving moments, the footage appeared to freeze briefly.
After the performance, BBC commentators Rylan Clark, 36, and Scott Mills, 52, commented on the issue. They reassured viewers that it “doesn’t matter,” as Switzerland has already secured a spot in the grand final this year and wasn’t competing for qualification.
I think there was a couple of little tech problems with that one single-shot camera.
After his initial comments, Rylan noted the glitch, telling viewers,
Scott then added, “Doesn’t matter though because you can’t vote for her because she’s [in the grand final].” Rylan chimed in again: “It doesn’t matter. But we know, we know for Saturday to charge that battery don’t we?”
Social media users also voiced their confusion. One person posted on X: “Was that meant to happen during the Swiss performance? The camera froze, and we got a wide shot of the arena!”
Another viewer said: “Was it me, my tv or the staging is supposed to be frozen? Oh Switzerland.” A third commented: “I’d say that wasn’t what they were planning to do.” One person wrote: “Cameras mess up for anyone else for Switzerland?”
Someone else added: “Not the Switzerland camera breaking down.” Another reacted to the moment: “Omfg I thought my stream was just lagging for Switzerland.”
Despite the technical issues, the overall performance still received praise. One person said: “Oh no the camera glitch but an absolutely beautiful performance from Zoe. Let’s just stay in Switzerland next year?” Another added: “Switzerland could win again, that was beautiful.”