Justyna Steczkowska set to dazzle Eurovision

With the first semifinal of Eurovision 2025 just hours away, Poland’s Justyna Steczkowska is making headlines with her ambitious and visually stunning upcoming performance. The excitement around the Polish diva’s return to the Eurovision stage is palpable.

30 years in the making

In what I’m going to choose to call as a poetic coincidence, Steczkowska will perform tonight, exactly 30 years to the day since her first Eurovision appearance in 1995 with the song “Sama“. This anniversary adds an emotional layer to her comeback, transforming her participation into something more than just another Eurovision entry.

“I am very happy because I will be representing our country in Basel in 2025,” Steczkowska told Eurovision’s official podcast. Drawing on three decades of artistic experience, her return is tipped by some as a potential breakthrough moment for Poland at the contest.

Behind the spectacular stage show

This year, Poland is showing up with one of the most visually arresting performances. After initial resistance from organisers, Justyna secured permission for a dramatic entrance that sees her descend from the ceiling on suspension lines.

“Kochani LECĘ!!! We’ve managed to reach an agreement,” the singer announced on her social media, confirming that the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) had approved her aerial stunt.

According to reports from those who have witnessed rehearsals, the choreography is complex and impressive.

“Each year there are a few songs that have such a deep bass line that you can feel it in your chest. GAJA definitely belongs to them – the reverb hits the arena floor and for at least a minute we forget to breathe,” noted one enthusiastic review of her rehearsal.

Fireworks

The visual elements of the Polish performance have been compared to “Game of Thrones,”  with on-screen visuals featuring swirling planets, water, lightning, and lava, meant to evoke “the birth of the universe”.

Pyrotechnics (of course) play a significant role, with smoke effects and fire bursts. Steczkowska revealed that her costume has “dragon wings” for promotional photos, though these won’t appear in the actual performance. She referred to a dragon as “the ancient guardian of Gaia,” which will appear in the on-stage visuals.

Expectations are high

Fans have high expectations for Poland this year. She has been described as “the only artist since Michał Wiśniewski who perfectly understands the rules at Eurovision”. Polish music journalist Hirek Wrona praised her professionalism and deep understanding of the competition’s unique demands.

“Justyna has done all possible homework before Eurovision. She knows exactly what she should look like, what type of song she should sing on stage, what the choreography should contain, and what the stage costumes should look like.”

The Road to Basel

Steczkowska secured her place as Poland’s representative after winning the national selection with an impressive 39.32% of viewer votes. After her victory, she embarked on a promotional tour, showing up at pre-Eurovision parties in Oslo, Amsterdam, Manchester, London, and Madrid.

Tonight she performs second in the show, up against big faves from Sweden and The Netherlands. Should she score high enough, she’ll perform in the grand final on Saturday, May 17.