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Εurovision 2025: The two potential host-cities will be anounced this Friday

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The Swiss newspaper “Blick” reports that the SSR-SRG will select tomorrow evening the possible cities that will host Eurovision 2025, reducing the number of candidate cities from four to two. The official announcement on the selected cities will be made on Friday 19 July.

A total of four cities are bidding to host the upcoming 2025 Eurovision Song Contest in Switzerland: Geneva, Zurich, Bern (together with Bienne) and Basel. Geneva and Zurich are the frontrunners and favourites to advance to the next stage of the race to host Eurovision 2025. Both Geneva and Zurich are bidding to host the event with strong bids and significant financial contributions.

A steering committee overseen by the business firm Pricewaterhouse Coopers will determine the city that will host Eurovision 2025. This committee, headed by Gilles Marchand (CEO of SRG), will meet tomorrow Thursday 18 July and will come up with two candidate cities.

The Eurovision 2025 committee is composed of the following members:

  • Gilles Marchand (SRG Director General)
  • Nathalie Wappler (SRF Director)
  • Mario Timbal ( RSI Director)
  • Beat Grossenbacher  ( SRG Chief Financial Officer)
  • Bakel Walden (SRG Director of Development & Services /Eurovision Reference Group Chairman)

The city that will host Eurovision 2025 is expected to be revealed at the end of August.

Switzerland will host the Eurovision Song Contest following Nemo‘s victory with his song “The code” at Eurovision 2024. This will be the third time in the history of the contest that Switzerland has hosted the contest as it has been the host country in 1956 and 1989.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the latest updates on the Eurovision Song Contest 2025!

Source: ESC Kombakt

Switzerland: Calls for referendums against hosting Eurovision 2025!

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The Federal Democratic Union (UDF) is challenging the funding allocated for the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 organization. The party has announced the launch of referendums, with the Alemannic Federation of Taxpayers, closely aligned with the Swiss People’s Party (UDC), primarily targeting Zurich’s candidacy.

The ultra-conservative evangelical party UDF criticizes the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) for evolving into an event with “increasingly anti-Semitic incidents” and “more satanic and occultist contributions.” They cite protests in Malmö, Sweden, against Israel’s participation in the last ESC due to the Gaza war as an example.

According to the UDF, such manifestations predict a high-security risk for the ESC in Switzerland next May. The party aims to coordinate the collection of signatures against the funds allocated for the potential hosting cities: Zurich, Geneva, Basel, and Bern/Bienne.

Referendums Planned in Zurich and Bern

On Tuesday, UDF sections in the city and canton of Zurich decided to launch a referendum against the city’s 20 million francs funding framework, approved last Wednesday by the legislature. This money is intended to co-finance the event if Zurich is chosen as the host city for the ESC. The cantonal parliament also approved a 5 million francs credit on Monday.

Last Wednesday, the UDF sections in Bern decided to initiate a referendum against the credits for the joint candidacy of Bern and Bienne. In Bern, UDC and Alternative Green politicians have already submitted a referendum text. At the cantonal level, the UDC and UDF will call for a referendum if the nearly 30 million francs credit is approved by the Grand Council.

“The canton of Bern still has significant debt and some of the highest taxes in Switzerland. In this context, we want strict financial policies,” stated UDC National Councillor Manfred Bühler on Tuesday evening in Forum. He affirmed that the UDC Bern‘s opposition is motivated purely by financial concerns, not socio-cultural conservatism.

However, Cyprien Louis, co-president of the Bern Greens, countered that “the economic, visual, and audiovisual benefits that such an event can bring to the region” should also be considered.

UDF Geneva Supports the Contest

The UDF is also targeting the funding for the Geneva and Basel candidacies. In these cities, the funds have yet to be voted on by their respective parliaments.

However, in Geneva, even the UDF is enthusiastic about the potential of hosting the Eurovision. “The UDF Geneva is excited about the local economic benefits of such an event, whether cultural or sports-related. We regret the disappearance of events like the Geneva Motor Show, which hinders the local economy,” explained Lionel Dugerdil, president of UDF Geneva, in the 12h30 program.

Meanwhile, the Alemannic Federation of Taxpayers is focusing on opposing Zurich’s candidacy. The federation questioned why Zurich taxpayers should co-finance the ESC, calling it “a private event,” and is set to decide on launching a referendum against the city’s funding on Wednesday.

By the end of August, the SSR will choose the host city for the Eurovision Song Contest in consultation with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). Potential referendums will be possible only afterward.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the latest updates on the Eurovision Song Contest 2025!

Source: RTS

Eurovision 2025: The financing offered by the four candidate cities!

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We have entered the final stretch for the selection of the city that will now host Eurovision 2025. Zurich, Geneva, Bern and Basel officially submitted their proposals on Friday July 28 and are now awaiting the decision of the Swiss public television and the EBU. But the local authorities of the four cities financially support the candidacies of their cities, wanting to make their candidacy files stronger. But how much money is contained in the envelopes of the four nominations? Let’s see them in detail.

Who offers the most?

Switzerland’s public television, strange as it may seem to you, does not have a prosperous economy. In future, it will receive only 300 instead of 335 francs a year from each household – on Thursday the SRF announced it would cut around 70 full-time jobs by early 2025, while the country’s political forces argue that 200 francs per household is enough. Therefore, the financial assistance that each city receives from its local authorities is important for achieving the final goal, which is the same for all. Taking over the organization of Eurovision 2025!

Geneva offers the most money: the city and the canton offer 30 million francs. Zurich offers 25 million, Basel ten. Bern comes last: 8 million francs. The home canton of Eurovision 2024 winner Nemo offers by far the lowest financial support. “However, money is not everything”, says the mayor of the city.

The selection process

In the coming days, the first online meetings between the Swiss public television and the teams of the four cities will take place. At the end of July, the SRF will announce the two best candidates, which a team from the EBU and the Swiss public television will visit to discuss and see the proposed venues for Eurovision 2025. At the end of August, the city will be announced which will host the 69th Eurovision Song Contest next May.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the developments!

Source: Blick

Switzerland: Four cities in the running for Eurovision 2025!

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The deadline for interested cities to submit bids to host Eurovision 2025 draws near, as announced by Swiss public television. According to the website of the Swiss public television, Zürich, Geneva, Basel, and Bern are the four cities competing for the hosting of the 69th Eurovision Song Contest.

The Swiss public television provides us with information regarding the four potential host cities, while presenting their pros and cons.

Bern

The local cantonal government has finally supported the idea of hosting Eurovision 2025 in Bern, the nation’s capital and fourth most populous city, despite Bern’s initial hesitation to submit a bid. For this reason, the local government is negotiating a 7 million euro grant. The proposed venue, Bernexpo, has 9,000 seats, but it won’t be ready until April 2025. A small airport and a limited availability of accommodation is indeed a challenge, though.

Basel

Basel appears to have high expectations for winning the race for the hosting of the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest. With a capacity of 12,000 spectators, St. Jakobshalle is its candidacy. Basel has experience with these kinds of events, holding a vibrant festival called Art Week each year.

Geneva

For many, the city that serves as the EBU’s headquarters is ideal. Cheap accommodation is guaranteed by its proximity to the French border, and tourists can quickly and easily travel there every day by bus and train. All of the main European destinations are connected to the city’s international airport. Palexpo, which has a 15,000 seat capacity, is the suggested location. The only drawback to Geneva’s candidacy is its lack of vibrant nightlife.

Zürich

The largest city in Switzerland is also the clear favorite to host Eurovision 2025. The city is regarded as the heart of the country’s LGBTQ+ community, and it has unlimited options for accommodation and a major airport. There are two potential venues: the Hallenstadion (15,000 seats) and the Swiss Life Arena (12,000 seats).

The decision is expected to be made in late August.

Stay tuned to EurovisionFun for all the news!

Source: SRF

Eurovision 2025: Bern and Biel/Bienne Considering Joint Bid to Host!

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Bern and Biel/Bienne Municipal Councils are considering a joint bid to host the Eurovision Song Contest 2025. The de facto capital of Switzerland Bern as well as the birthplace of this year’s Eurovision winner Nemo, Biel/Bienne are examining the possibility of hosting the Eurovision song contest at the Bernexpo Groupe Exhibition Center.

In a statement by the Biel Council, they said:

“Hosting the major event in Nemo’s home region is therefore a logical step and would be a great opportunity from the point of view of the cities of Bern and Biel. The ESC offers the venue enormous exposure and would fit in well with the diverse, open and bilingual capital region of Bern and Biel.”

The potential venue for the contest is Bern Festhalle, while Tissot Arena in Biel/Bienne will host other competition -related events.

The same statement also mentioned the following:

“The three partners will now jointly examine the detailed requirements dossier from the SRG in detail. In particular, it must be clarified whether the very high requirements for the venue can be met as part of an application. This involves issues such as security, logistics and the high costs that the venue will incur. The new festival hall meets the requirements of a modern event infrastructure and will be ready in time for the ESC to take place. 

A final decision as to whether an application will be submitted has not yet been made. This will be made within the application period until the end of June. The municipal councils of Bern and Biel as well as those responsible for the Bernexpo Groupe are convinced that the ESC would be a great celebration and a unique opportunity. They therefore hope that a joint application will be possible. At the same time, it is important to all those involved to only submit an application dossier if there is a real chance of being awarded the contract.”

Stay tuned on Eurovisionfun for all the news regarding the Eurovision Song Contest 2025!

Source: Biel

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