There was Eurovision heartbreak for Ireland tonight as EMMY was dumped out of the competition at the semi-final stage in Switzerland.
The Norwegian singer, 24, failed to follow in last year’s act Bambi Thug’s footsteps, who brought Ireland to the final for the first time since 2018.
The 10 countries that got through tonight were Lithuania, Israel, Armenia, Denmark, Austria, Luxembourg, Finland, Latvia, Malta and Greece. It wasn’t looking positive for Ireland just hours before last night’s show, as the bookies bet the country had just a 1% chance of taking the title.
Sweden’s entry Bara Bada Bastu by KAJ is the favourite, with bookies believing they have 42% shot of winning. However, EMMY’s performance of Laika Party was praised by many for being energetic and strong.
She stormed the stage in a silver short space suit as colourful dog-themed images were sprawled across screens. The singer was backed by her brother Erlend on keyboard and several dancers as they told an upbeat story of the Soviet space dog Laika.
Supporters waved the tricolour flag at the St Jakobshalle stadium in Basel for the performance, as the crowd went wild. Spotted in the audience was former Eurovision stars Jedward, who were photographed taking selfies in the audience.
Israel was one of the last acts of the night, with singer Yuval Raphael performing New Day Will Rise. Earlier on Thursday, the country’s rehearsal was disrupted by pro-Palestine protestors.
Six people stormed the performance as they waved Palestinian flags and blew whistles. A spokesperson for Swiss broadcaster SRG SSR said security personnel quickly escorted them out of the hall.
Despite protests, Israel made it through to the final, and were announced as the second act through at last night’s semi-final. The country might also have a chance of taking the crown, with bookmakers placing Israel as their fifth favourite to win out of all the acts.
EMMY received some criticism when she was chosen as Ireland’s entry, as she doesn’t have any connection to the country. However, Laika Party was co-written by Co Westmeath musician Larissa Tormey.
Speaking before her performance on Thursday, EMMY said: “I would say this is like, it's a European Song Contest. I don't think it's about me. It's about the song. And the song is partly Irish because of the songwriter.
“And also, I think it's more about what song and what message the people of a country want to send, rather than who I am as a singer, you know."
Arthur Gourounlian - who was a panellist for Ireland’s Eurosong Contest - backed EMMY, and said he didn’t believe the criticism was fair. He said: “When people come for people, please take your facts as the girl who has co-written the song is Irish.
“It's not about the person, it's about the song. It's called the Eurovision Song Contest.” EMMY also did a “deep dive” to represent Ireland, according to Norway’s entry Kyle Alessandro.
The 19-year-old is the youngest performer in this year’s competition, and qualified on Tuesday with his fiery song Lighter. Speaking about EMMY and her keyboardist brother, he said: "I've known them since I was a little kid, and their dancers are also Norwegian this time around. So they're bringing Norwegian-ness to the stage.
"But I know that EMMY has also taken a deep dive into the Irish culture." EMMY did not go through in the Norwegian contest after previously competing in 2021, and instead won Ireland's Eurosong 2025 to earn the right to enter for Ireland.
Alessandro said he was having a similar experience "because I'm half Spanish, so I represent Norway, but a little bit Spain also because it's my father's homeland". While she didn’t make the final, EMMY hopes to continue to perform Laika Party and further her career.
She said: “So first we need to understand that this is actually happening, and then rehearse and plan. And you know, we will definitely try to keep the same vibe but maybe make it bigger, you know. So, yeah, we're really, really excited for these next few months."
The Eurovision final will take place on Saturday at the St Jakobshalle stadium in Basel, where 25 countries will battle it out. This will include the 10 victorious countries from tonight, and Tuesday semi-final winners Norway, Albania, Sweden, Iceland, the Netherlands, Poland, San Marino, Estonia, Portugal and Ukraine.
The “big five” were fast-tracked into the final - France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom - but still performed at the semi-finals. Reigning champion Switzerland, as host, was also guaranteed a slot in the final after their act, Nemo, was victorious last year.
The Eurovision Song Contest will be broadcast live on RTÉ One on Saturday at 8pm.
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