Celine Dion's Eurovision Return in Doubt — But Her Presence Still Lingers in Basel
Celine Dion might not step on the Eurovision stage this year, but her voice — and legacy — echo across Basel.
As the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 kicked off in Switzerland this week, all eyes were on whether Dion, who won the contest for the Swiss in 1988 with Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi, would return for a surprise appearance. The timing seemed right: Switzerland hadn’t won again until last year, when Nemo took home the crown with The Code in Malmö.
Yet speculation of a live performance was seemingly quashed when Dion sent in a pre-recorded video message for the first semi-final dress rehearsal. In it, she wished contestants good luck and thanked her Swiss fans — sparking fresh doubt that she’d appear live.
But Swiss broadcaster SRG SSR isn't ruling anything out. A spokesperson said they remain “in close contact” with the global star, and that no final decision has been made about her potential appearance later in the competition.
“All elements of the show were rehearsed,” they confirmed. “There are currently no changes regarding Celine Dion.”
A Mother's Day Message from the Heart
While Eurovision buzz swirled, Dion spent Mother’s Day quietly but meaningfully — sharing a heartfelt Instagram post with her 9 million followers. The 57-year-old singer paid tribute to her three sons — Rene-Charles, 24, and twins Eddy and Nelson, 14 — whom she’s raised as a single parent since the death of her husband and longtime manager René Angélil in 2016.
“Every laugh, every tear, it’s all part of this beautiful journey,” Dion wrote. “To all the moms out there — thank you for your endless love, your patience, your incredible strength.”
Dion, who has been battling the rare neurological disorder Stiff-Person Syndrome (SPS), has kept a low profile in recent years, canceling tours to focus on her health. But her emotional performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she sang Hymne à l’Amour from atop the Eiffel Tower, marked a stirring comeback — and reminded the world why her voice still matters.
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New Stars, Familiar Struggles
As the spotlight shifts to new Eurovision hopefuls, Dion’s absence doesn’t mean she’s forgotten. She remains a point of pride for Swiss fans — especially with the country hosting the competition for the first time in decades.
Zoë Më, Basel-born and performing the French-language track Voyage, will represent Switzerland in the grand final automatically, alongside the “Big Five” nations. Meanwhile, the Netherlands returns with Claude Kiambe, who’s hoping to redeem his country after last year’s controversial disqualification of Joost Klein.
Other semi-final contenders include:
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Sweden’s KAJ with the sauna-inspired Bara Bada Bastu
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Ukraine’s Ziferblat with Bird Of Pray
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Estonia’s Tommy Cash with Espresso Macchiato
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And San Marino’s Gabry Ponte with dance-heavy Tutta L’Italia
Security High, Emotions Higher
Eurovision 2025 is unfolding under tight security, with more than 1,000 police deployed in Basel due to ongoing protests, including pro-Palestinian demonstrations tied to Israeli contestant Yuval Raphael, a survivor of the October 7 Hamas attacks.
Yet through it all, Eurovision marches on — and so, in her own quiet way, does Celine.
Whether or not she sings again from a Eurovision stage, one thing’s clear: Celine Dion is still part of the story.
