Basel in Switzerland to host 2025 Eurovision Song Contest

The 69th Eurovision Song Contest will be hosted in Basel in Switzerland next year, organisers have announced.

In a statement on Friday, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) said the semi-finals on May 13 and 15 and the grand final on May 17 for the 2025 event will be held in the St Jakobshalle arena.

The international singing competition is being hosted in Switzerland after Swiss singer Nemo took the trophy earlier this year in Malmo, Sweden, with the song The Code.

Basel, the third largest city in Switzerland by population, was selected by the Swiss public broadcasting association SRG SSR and the EBU.

It will be the first time the competition is held in the German-speaking part of Switzerland, after being hosted in Lausanne in 1989 and in Lugano in 1956, for the inaugural Eurovision.

The city was chosen after a “competitive city bid process that examined facilities at the venue, local infrastructure and the ability to accommodate thousands of visiting delegations, crew, fans and journalists from around the world”, the EBU said.

Martin Osterdahl, 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.”

He added: “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 is is a “great honour” for the city to host the event and to be presented 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,” he added.

“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.”

SRG SSR’s joint executive producers for Eurovision 2025, Reto Peritz and Moritz Stadler, thanked all the cities that applied to host the competition and congratulated Basel on winning the contest.

They added: “We look forward to working with you to make the ESC an unforgettable experience for the whole population.”

This year’s event in Malmo was mired in controversy surrounding the participation of Israel’s Eden Golan amid the war with Hamas in Gaza, and the contest is being reviewed by an independent expert.

It also saw the Netherlands’ entrant Joost Klein kicked out of the competition hours before the final after he was accused of threatening behaviour towards a female member of the production crew on the night of the semi-final. Swedish prosecutors dropped the criminal case against him earlier this month.

The BBC has confirmed the UK will participate in the competition next year but its entrant has yet to be decided.

The full list of participating broadcasters will be released later this year.

Tickets for nine shows, including the final, semi-finals and dress rehearsals, are expected to go on sale in the coming months.