Ireland’s Eurovision 2025 entry has failed to make it into Saturday’s grand final in Basle, Switzerland.
It was a nail biting finish for Emmy, the 24-year-old Norway-born singer, who performed the song Laika Party for Ireland in the second semi-final of the competition on Thursday night.
The three-minute song, a manifestation of wishful thinking, was written by Emmy Kristine Guttulsrud Kristiansen (aka Emmy), her brother Erlend Guttulsrud Kristiansen, Henrik Østlund, Larissa Tormey and Truls Marius Aarra.
It is about a Soviet dog who was sent into space and became the first living being to orbit the Earth back in 1957. Although Laika’s voyage ended tragically, when she succumbed to overheating and stress after 10 days, Emmy and her writing team decided to spin a tail with a happier twist.
“I hope Laika never died and that she spins around us still / And that she has a party in the air and always will / I hope that she is dancing every night among the stars / I hope Laika is alive.”
She performed dressed in space armour and a silver skater skirt in front of a fetching pink and turquoise colour scheme topped off with cosmic graphics.
Emmy had hoped to replicate Bambie Thug, who last year in Sweden became the first Irish entrant to make the final since Ryan O’Shaughnessy in Lisbon seven years ago.
However, matters took a downward turn when the results of the public vote were announced, with Ireland one of six entries that failed to make it to the next stage, with Australia, Montenegro, Georgia, Czechia and Bosnia also missing out.
Since the semi-final format was introduced Ireland has failed to qualify for the final 12 times and got through on seven occasions.
Twenty songs, 10 from Tuesday night’s first semi-final and 10 from Thursday’s second, have been chosen to join the ‘big five’ countries – France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK – as well as reigning champion Switzerland, in Saturday’s final.
The countries that qualified from Thursday‘s show, replete with bright lights and eye-popping costumes, were Lithuania, Israel, Armenia, Denmark, Austria, Luxembourg, Finland, Latvia, Malta and Greece.
