Britain confirms artist and song plans for Eurovision 2025

The BBC and BBC Studios confirm selection plans for the act and song that will represent Great Britain at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025.

Leading UK music industry figure David May is leading the search alongside Andrew Cartmell, executive producer of BBC Studios North.

David previously worked closely with the BBC team in 2022 as Sam Ryder’s manager when Britain came second at the Eurovision Song Contest in Turin.

The search for next year’s act and song has been going on for several months, with British record labels, publishers, songwriters, BBC Music and BBC Introducing all playing their part to find the British act and song for Eurovision 2025.

David May is a music manager and company founder with over 17 years of experience in the UK music industry. He was nominated for Music Week’s Manager of the Year in 2023. David started his career as a singer-songwriter and has since achieved over 200 million streams as a writer/producer. The success of Sam Ryder’s Manager included a No. 1 UK album, two No. 2 singles and BRIT and Emmy Award nominations.

David May said: “I am delighted to be working with BBC Studios and the BBC on this journey. We are looking for talent and a song that embodies the essence of British music. We want to work with an authentic act that has a heartfelt, heartfelt story to tell, and unparalleled vocal tonality and range. Ultimately, we are looking for a powerful three-minute performance that resonates and moves audiences across Europe and beyond.”

Andrew Cartmell, Head of Delegation for the Eurovision Song Contest for the United Kingdom, said: “David was instrumental in Sam Ryder’s success in 2022, and I’m delighted we’re working together again. David has enormous expertise in the sector, a real understanding of how Eurovision works and the determination, together with the BBC and BBC Studios, to achieve a top ranking in May next year.”

Kalpna Patel-Knight, Head of Entertainment at the BBC, said: “David knows exactly what it’s like to be at the business end of the Eurovision Song Contest leaderboard, so this experience, combined with his in-depth knowledge of the British music scene, ensures that he is perfectly placed to work with us in the search for our artist and song for 2025.”

The act and song representing the United Kingdom will be announced publicly before the European Broadcasting Union deadline of March 2025.

The broadcast of the Eurovision Song Contest grand final on BBC One and BBC iPlayer remains one of the most popular entertainment programs on the BBC, with the most recent broadcast this year achieving one of the largest viewers to date with an average audience of 7, 9. m and a peak of 8.5 m, making it the most watched live entertainment program of 2024 to date across all broadcasters and streamers.

The 69th Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Basel, Switzerland, following Nemo’s victory in the grand final in May 2024 with their song The Code.

The grand final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 will take place in St. Jakobshalle, Basel, on Saturday 17 May, while the semi-finals will take place on Tuesday 13 and Thursday 15 May.

The grand final and semi-finals will be broadcast live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer plus via BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds.

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