BBC report of Céline Dion’s jet landing in Basel fuels Eurovision excitement

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This article was published 16/05/2025 (504 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

TORONTO – Rumours that Céline Dion might swoop into Switzerland for the Eurovision Song Contest reached new heights on Friday.

BBC News reports that the Quebec superstar’s private jet was spotted on the tarmac in Basel, the Swiss city hosting this year’s televised pop song competition.

It’s unclear whether Dion was aboard, but several recent media reports have suggested the 57-year-old would appear at the Grand Final on Saturday

Some have speculated she may sing, or she could just be celebrated, in the country she helped win Eurovision when she was just 20 years old.

Dion’s performance of “Ne partez pas sans moi,” representing Switzerland, won the 1988 contest and allowed the country to host the event the following year.

She opened the 1989 show with an encore of the winning song and the premiere of the single “Where Does My Heart Beat Now” from her English-language debut album.

It’s an experience Dion has credited with helping to propel her career, while organizers of this year’s event have said they welcome the possibility of her returning to the show.

But the singer’s appearance has been less certain, in part due to her ongoing battle with stiff person syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that causes sudden and severe muscle spasms.

The Eurovision semifinals got underway on Tuesday as representatives from 37 countries brought their most flamboyant and bombastic performances to the stage in hopes of landing one of the 26 spots at the grand finals.

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Sweden’s entry “Bara bada bastu,” an ode to saunas performed by comedy trio KAJ, is the clear frontrunner among the oddsmakers this year.

Dion has played with Eurovision fans’ expectations in recent weeks by posting photos on her Instagram of her past experiences at the song contest, and recording a message that aired during Tuesday’s first semifinal where she apologized for not being present.

“I’d love nothing more than to be with you in Basel right now,” she told the crowd before former Eurovision contestants took the stage to perform a cover of her winning song.

“Switzerland will forever hold a special place in my heart.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 16, 2025.