Sweden, long known for slick pop and polished choreography at Eurovision, has thrown its rulebook into the sauna this year. Enter KAJ: a Finnish-Swedish comedy trio whose song “Bara bada bastu” (“Just Sauna”) has steamrolled expectations and charmed audiences across Europe.
Forget sequins and dance routines-KAJ brings brown vintage suits, accordion riffs, and a full-on sauna party to the stage. Their act features jovial singing about the joys of sauna life, with dancers roasting sausages and donning towels and wool hats, capturing the quirky spirit of Finnish culture. The catchy chorus, sung in Swedish with a splash of Finnish dialect, is so infectious that even non-Swedish speakers find themselves humming along.
KAJ-Kevin Holmström, Axel Åhman, and Jakob Norrgård-hail from the Swedish-speaking region of Vörå, Finland. The group, better known for local gigs and musicals than arena spectacles, was handpicked by Melodifestivalen’s producer to shake up Sweden’s Eurovision image. Their victory was historic: they won Melodifestivalen 2025 with a record 4.3 million votes, outshining even past Eurovision champion Måns Zelmerlöw.
“Bara bada bastu” is the first Swedish-language entry for Sweden since 1998, and the first time a Finnish group represents the country at Eurovision. The song’s genre, “epadunk,” blends humor, pop, and a dash of satire, marking a bold departure from Sweden’s usual Eurovision fare.
On stage in Basel, expect more lights, more smoke, and a slightly smaller sauna (Eurovision rules, after all). But the heart of KAJ’s act remains: a celebration of togetherness, laughter, and the universal joy of a good steam.
In short: Sweden’s Eurovision 2025 entry isn’t just a song-it’s a sauna party, and everyone’s invited.
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