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Basel Announced as Host City for Eurovision 2025!

Basel has been officially selected as the host city for the 69th Eurovision Song Contest, as announced just moments ago by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and Swiss public broadcaster SRG-SSR.

Selection Process

Forty days ago, Basel and Geneva emerged as the two finalist cities in SRG-SSR’s selection process to determine the host for the 69th Eurovision Song Contest, set to take place in Switzerland next May. After weeks of anticipation, the mystery has been solved, and Basel will welcome the biggest televised event in Europe next spring.

Dates

The 69th Eurovision Song Contest is scheduled for the second/third week of May. The first semi-final will be held on Tuesday, 13th May, the second semi-final on Thursday, 15th May, and the grand final will take place on Saturday, 17th May.

Venue

The contest will be hosted at St. Jakobshalle, an arena located in Münchenstein, near Basel. Primarily used for indoor sports and concert events, St. Jakobshalle originally opened in September 1976 with a capacity of 9,000 people. Following renovations, the venue can now accommodate up to 12,400 spectators and has hosted numerous concerts and sports events, including the Swiss Indoors men’s tennis tournament.

Statements

Martin Österdahl, Executive Supervisor of the Eurovision Song Contest said:

”The EBU is thrilled that Basel has been selected as the Host City for the Eurovision Song Contest 2025. The Contest was born in Switzerland in Lugano back in 1956 and it’s great to be bringing it back to its birthplace almost 70 years later.’

Basel’s strategic location at the crossroads of Europe makes it the ideal setting for an event that celebrates the power of music to connect people across borders.

With its unique blend of tradition and innovation, Basel reflects the spirit of the Eurovision Song Contest. The city’s exceptional St.Jakobshalle venue and outstanding hospitality will ensure a memorable experience for delegations, artists and fans alike.

Following Contests in the Italian and French speaking parts of the country in 1956 and 1989 we’re also excited to bring the Eurovision Song Contest to German Switzerland for the very first time.

Together with Host Broadcaster SRG SSR and the city of Basel we will create a spectacular celebration of music on the banks of the River Rhine that resonates far beyond the stage.’

Conradin Cramer, President of the Government of Basel said:

‘It is a great honour for Basel to be able to host the world’s biggest live music event! We are looking forward to this fantastic opportunity to present Basel to the world as a cosmopolitan city of culture in the heart of Europe. As an open city in the border triangle of Germany, France and Switzerland, we overcome borders of all kinds every day. This fits in perfectly with the Eurovision Song Contest. We are already looking forward to welcoming our guests from all over Europe: welcome to Basel!’

Reto Peritz and Moritz Stadler, SRG SSR’s Joint Executive Producers of the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest, added:

‘We were impressed by the quality of the cities’ applications! All 4 cities, and especially Geneva and Basel in the final round, fought for the title of “Host City” with creative approaches and a very constructive approach. Such commitment is by no means a matter of course. Our thanks therefore go to all the cities that applied. We look forward to working with you to make the ESC an unforgettable experience for the whole population.’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6ff8tNCY2M

What Do You Think?

How do you feel about Basel being chosen as the host city for the 69th Eurovision Song Contest? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Source: Eurovision.tv

“Basel has a better chance of hosting Eurovision 2025” says the RTS contest’s commentator

Jean-Marc Richard, who has been commentating on the Song Contest for French-speaking Swiss television station RTS for over 30 years, believes that Basel has a better chance of hosting the event than the other candidate city, Geneva. He told the news agency Keystone-SDA that interest in the Eurovision Song Contest is greater in German-speaking Switzerland.

It is true that the response in French-speaking Switzerland has increased since Fribourg’s Gjon’s Tears came third in 2021. However, German-speaking Switzerland is closer to English and the entertainment formats of Eurovision.

If Basel wins the bid, the St. Jakobshalle will become the main venue for the Eurovision 2025, according to President of the Government Conradin Cramer. The government estimates the costs at CHF 30 to 35 million.

However, if Geneva becomes the venue for the world’s biggest singing competition, the Palexpo exhibition center right next to the airport would become the venue. According to city president Christina Kitsos, the costs here are estimated at around CHF 30 million.

The future venue can count on a huge advertising effect. After all, 163 million people watched the three live TV shows from Malmö in Sweden last May – according to Swiss television, almost 800,000 in Switzerland alone.

On Friday it will be announced which of the two cities will host the Eurovision Song Contest 2025. At ten o’clock cet, the award will be communicated via the official channels of the Swiss national broadcaster and contest’s official social media.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the updates!

Source: m&k

Eurovision 2025: Outside the capital, the contest for the sixth year in a row!

An important tradition is built as to the city chosen by the EBU and the respective public broadcaster to host the Eurovision Song Contest. For the last six years the city called to host the annual music competition has not been the capital or the largest city of the country, effectively indicating the EBU’s intentions in this matter, for smaller, easier and more manageable cities.

How is the Eurovision host city chosen?

With the country that has won the contest – barring a shocking contingency (see Ukraine in 2022), taking on the honorable and at the same time demanding task of organizing and hosting the next Eurovision, the processes for choosing the most suitable city begin almost immediately.

The public broadcaster of the winning country sends to the cities concerned, a list of the required specifications that must be present, for the smooth implementation of the contest. It then sets a deadline for the cities that wish to claim the event to send their candidacy file. Afterwards, a shortlist is usually announced, with the best nominations.

These cities are visited by a team from the EBU, as well as from the winning public broadcaster, so that they can see the proposed facilities and discuss with the officials of each city, their plans and vision for the next Eurovision, in their city.

The final announcement date of the host city for the next competition varies. It may be in July, but it has also happened in October. Usually this is done in the last month of summer, August.

Decentralization in the last 6 years

What we notice with interest is that the last time the contest was hosted in the country’s capital was in 2018, when, as expected, Portugal chose Lisbon to host the Eurovision, after its first and only victory in the institution. Since then only countries that have already won have won and the capital or even the largest city of the country has never been chosen again.

More specifically, immediately after Netta’s victory for Israel, even though she herself, at the time of her crowning as the winner, was inviting the whole world to come to Jerusalem the following year for Eurovision, the EBU made it clear from the beginning that it was not going to be to accept the competition to be held in the Israeli capital. The reasons were many and mostly political. Jerusalem, which is also claimed by the Palestinians as their capital, but also as an extremely conservative city, was not the right choice for an event like Eurovision. In the end, Tel Aviv was chosen, having never hosted the competition before, despite Israel’s previous three victories.

In 2020, nine cities expressed their interest to host the competition, after the victory of Duncan Laurence, among them the capital Amsterdam. A little later, however, Amsterdam withdrew, since it had no space available to host the competition. Finally, the announced shortlist included Rotterdam and Maastricht, with the former winning the event. The 2020 contest was canceled due to the pandemic and Rotterdam eventually hosted Eurovision 2021.

Maneskin’s win in 2021 brought Eurovision to Italy. For the third time RAI was invited to organize the competition. More than 15 cities expressed their interest. In the end, only five were announced on the shortlist with the capital Rome, even though it had applied not to be included in them (Turin, Milan, Bologna, Rimini, Pesaro). The local press reported that the intense traffic problem of Rome and the difficulty in moving around, made the EBU and RAI not even choose it among the top five. Finally, Turin, which was the favorite from the beginning, hosted Eurovision 2022.

The victory of Ukraine and the ongoing war there, after the invasion of Russia, made it impossible to hold the next Eurovision there. Many countries were interested in organizing Eurovision 2023 on behalf of Ukraine (United Kingdom, Spain, Poland, Germany, Italy). Finally the EBU announced very early on that the UK and the BBC would co-organize with Ukrainian public television, the next competition. 20 cities from all over the country applied, including the capital London. Seven cities were then announced as the first shortlist and given a new deadline to present their nominations in more detail. Among these cities was not London, since according to the BBC and the government, their intention was to give this possibility and opportunity, to a regional city and not to the capital. In the end, the two most dominant cities were Liverpool and Glasgow, with the former being the surprise, since Glasgow was the favorite to host Eurovision 2023.

Loreen’s win brought the competition to Sweden for the seventh time. While all the fans were fervently supporting Stockholm, once again a smaller city was chosen rather than the capital. Four cities submitted official nominations, with two of them subsequently withdrawing. Malmö and Stockholm were the two final choices, with Malmö being chosen as essentially a one-way street, since Stockholm did not have an arena available and proposed in its bid to build a rough arena to hold the competition, which both the EBU and Swedish public television considered unsafe.

We come to this year. After Nemo’s victory, Switzerland is invited to host the competition for the third time in its history, with Lugano and Lausanne being the Swiss cities that have already hosted it in the past. Four cities have officially applied, including the capital Bern, but also the country’s largest city, Zurich. But neither was included in the final shortlist, which included Geneva and Basel. Within August we are now expecting the city to which we will travel next May in 2024. In the event that Basel is finally chosen, a city of only 170,000 inhabitants, it will be the second smallest city after Millstreet in 1993, to have hosted the competition for many decades.

 

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Η δημοσίευση κοινοποιήθηκε από το χρήστη SRG SSR (@srg.ssr)

Conclusions

It is reasonable to conclude that the EBU and the respective public broadcaster are now choosing smaller cities and not the capitals, since everything is easier and more economical. Hotels, transportation, security, etc. Of course, it always has to do with whether it is the country’s first victory in the competition, since then the choice of the capital, and for symbolic reasons, is more obvious.

However, a six-year tradition continues, which essentially shows the intentions and policy of the organizers in this matter, at a time when the competition is becoming more and more expensive, and security issues are also more pressing.

The selection of smaller and smaller cities and arenas is perhaps the future of Eurovision and indicative of the cities that will probably be chosen in the following years.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the updates!

The mayor of Geneva talks exclusively to Eurovisionfun about Eurovision 2025!

The Greek-born mayor of Geneva, Christina Kitsos, speaks exclusively to Eurovisionfun immediately after the announcement of the Swiss public television and the EBU with the shortlist of the two candidate cities (Geneva and Basel), which continue to claim the Eurovision 2025!

Geneva is a city of hospitality, says the city’s mayor

I have had the pleasure of knowing Christina for more than 15 years, when we both made our debut in local government as young councillors. So I couldn’t help but congratulate her on her city’s success, being literally one step away from hosting the 69th Eurovision Song Contest next May.

Christina congratulations on your success! It is now very possible that Geneva will host Eurovision 2025!

We are all very happy in Geneva and we hope to succeed and bring Eurovision to our city.

Where does Geneva excel compared to Basel? What is the strong point of its candidacy?

The great strength in Geneva is the knowledge we have in the organization of large events. As an example, we hosted the summit of the USA and Russia in 2021 with Biden-Putin. Both in the canton and in the city, the local parliaments support the holding of Eurovision 2025 in Geneva.

Any message you want to send as the mayor of one of the two candidate cities?

Geneva is ready to host Eurovision 2025. It has values ​​of hospitality, openness to the world with 190 nationalities present in the city. Human rights at its heart.

Christina, thank you very much!

I thank you and we hope to welcome you all next May in Geneva.

Who is Christina Kitsos?

Christina Kitsos is a child of Greeks and a second generation immigrant. She has been involved in politics since she was very young, in the Socialist Party of Switzerland, passing through all the offices of the local government. Christina’s rise to mayor comes in recognition of her dedication to public service and her commitment to addressing key issues facing the city.

The office of mayor of Geneva (maire de Genève) rotates annually among the five members of the council, the city’s executive government. The term of Christina Kitsos started on June 1, 2024 and ends on May 31, 2025. That is, she will be the one who will conduct the entire process for claiming the organization of Eurovision 2025 in Geneva, but she will also be the mayor of the city, when the 69th Eurovision Song Contest takes place next year.

Below, see the interview of Christina Kitsos on ERT three months ago:

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the updates!

Basel and Geneva: Finalists for Eurovision Song Contest 2025 Host City

Basel and Geneva have been selected as the two finalist cities in SRG’s ongoing process to determine the host city for the Eurovision Song Contest in Switzerland in May 2025. The final decision will be made public in late August.

Selection Process Details

Cities had until the end of June to submit their bids to SRG, based on a comprehensive set of requirements. The evaluation focused on:

  • Arena concept
  • Public transport links
  • Sustainability
  • Available hotel accommodation
  • Security and waste disposal plans
  • Investment
  • Event experience
  • Citywide support and enthusiasm

Thorough Assessment

Proposals from Basel, Geneva, Zurich, and Berne/Biel were carefully examined by an ESC core team working group. The review included both quantitative and qualitative factors, as well as the cities’ commitment and innovative ideas to ensure ESC 2025 is a standout event.

The review process was overseen by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). Following the recommendation of the core team, the ESC 2025 Steering Committee, led by SRG Director General Gilles Marchand, chose Basel and Geneva as the leading candidates.

Significant Investment – Economic Opportunities

Reto Peritz and Moritz Stadler, co-executive producers of ESC 2025, personally informed the finalist cities of their status and outlined the next steps. The project team remains available to assist Zurich and Berne/Biel with any planned Eurovision-related activities, such as public viewings.

Hosting the Eurovision Song Contest is a major investment but promises substantial economic benefits. According to a study by the University of Liverpool, the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 brought an economic boost of EUR 62 million to Liverpool. In May 2023, 175,000 hotel rooms were booked in the city, and 600 jobs were created over the year.

Celebrating Diversity and Unity

The Eurovision Song Contest in May 2025 aims to be a grand celebration for the host city and an event that promotes diversity, music, and culture. It seeks to unite people and foster a sense of community.

Stay updated with Eurovisionfun for all the latest news on the Eurovision Song Contest 2025!

Source: SRG-SSR

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

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!

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!

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!

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

Christina Kitsos: The Greek mayor of the city is ready to host Eurovision in Geneva!

She is the first Greek woman elected mayor in Switzerland and in fact in one of its largest cities, Geneva. Her name is Christina Kitsos who from June 1, 2024 is the mayor of the city and the one who will make every effort to bring the competition in May 2025 to Geneva.

Will a Greek woman welcome us in Switzerland in 2025?

Christina Kitsos is a child of Greeks and a second generation immigrant. She has been involved in politics since she was very young, in the Socialist Party of Switzerland, passing through all the offices of the local government. Christina’s rise to mayor comes in recognition of her dedication to public service and commitment to addressing key issues facing the city.

The office of mayor of Geneva (maire de Genève) rotates annually among the five members of the council, the city’s executive government. The term of Christina Kitsos started on June 1, 2024 and ends on May 31, 2025. In other words, she will be the one who will conduct the entire process for claiming the organization of Eurovision 2025 in Geneva, but she will also be the mayor of the city, when the 69th Eurovision Song Contest takes place next year.

I was lucky enough to know Christina since I was an elected municipal councilor and we participated together in a conference of young elected officials from all over Europe. I know how much she loves and is connected to Greece and her Greek origins (her father is from Thessaloniki) and I think it would be a wonderful opportunity to go to a city that hosts Eurovision and whose mayor is a young woman , who is also Greek.

Eurovision is a great opportunity to promote Geneva to the world, promoting music as a global language that brings countries together, changes mindsets and transforms perspectives.

Christina Kitsos

Geneva or Zurich?

The municipality, the canton of Geneva and the Board of Directors of Palexpo, the venue that will host the contest if the city wins the event, have joined forces in an effort to bring Eurovision 2025 to Geneva.

After St. Gallen‘s withdrawal from the title race, the only opponent is Zurich, who, according to the bookmakers, is the favorite. Zurich has not yet officially announced that it is going to submit a candidacy, since the city’s municipal council is going to decide on this very soon.

Interested cities have until June 30 to apply, while the decision on which city will host Eurovision 2025 is expected to be announced in August.

Watch Christina Kitsos’s last interview two months ago:

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the updates!