The host city for the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest has been announced as Basel, Switzerland. The organizers have revealed.
In a statement released 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 at the St Jakobshalle stadium.
He added that the competition “is being held in the German-speaking part of Switzerland for the first time, after having previously been held in Lugano in 1956 and Lausanne in 1989.”
The international singing competition will be held in Switzerland after Swiss singer Nemo took home the trophy earlier this year in Malmo, Sweden.
The 24-year-old Swiss star became the first non-binary winner of the contest, after scoring 365 points from the jury and 226 from the public for a total of 591 for their song The Code.
The host city for the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest has been revealed as the competition moves to Basel in Switzerland next May
In a statement released 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 at the St Jakobshalle stadium (pictured, Olly Alexander performing at Eurovision in May).
As is tradition, the contest will now move to the winner’s country for next year’s competition.
Four cities were competing to host the event, including Basel, Bern, Geneva and Zurich, with Geneva and Basel being the two finalists.
The selection also means that 2025 will mark the sixth consecutive year that the competition will not be held in a country’s capital.
The venue, which will be held in the St. Jakobshalle Arena in Münchenstein, is regularly used for sporting events and indoor concerts and has a capacity of 12,400 people.
Martin Österdahl, Executive Supervisor of the Eurovision Song Contest, said: ‘The EBU is delighted that Basel has been selected as the host city for the Eurovision Song Contest 2025.
‘The competition was born in Switzerland, in Lugano, in 1956, and it is fantastic to bring 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.
Martin Österdahl, Executive Supervisor of the Eurovision Song Contest, said: “The EBU is delighted that Basel has been selected as the host city for the Eurovision Song Contest 2025” (pictured: the Rhine River in Basel)
The venue, which will be held at the St. Jakobshalle stadium (pictured), is located in Münchenstein and is typically used for sporting events and indoor concerts and has a capacity of 12,400 people.
Swiss singer Nemo took home the trophy earlier this year in Malmo, Sweden, becoming the competition’s first non-binary winner, after scoring 365 points with the judges and 226 from the public for a total of 591 for his song The Code.
UK fans will be hoping for a better result this year after Olly Alexander received a harsh zero points during last year’s Eurovision Song Contest.
‘The city’s exceptional St. Jakobshalle venue and extraordinary hospitality will ensure a memorable experience for delegations, artists and fans alike.’
UK fans will be hoping for a better result this year after Olly Alexander received a harsh zero points during Eurovision last year.
The 34-year-old Years And Years singer represented the UK with his swashbuckling track Dizzy, and while things seemed to be going positively after the jury vote, he sadly didn’t receive any votes from the public.
The UK finished with a low score of 46 as fans took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share their heartbreak and insisted the star “deserved better”.
They wrote: ‘There is no reason why Olly Alexander didn’t get any points, you all deserved better’; ‘Zero public points for the UK. I was speechless #Eurovision2024’
“I feel so sorry for Olly Alexander, not getting any public votes for Eurovision is really tough! Everyone hates the UK! I think it’s not about music anymore, it’s about politics. Congratulations to Switzerland.”
However, Olly and his team seemed to take the news in their stride as they were pictured laughing and clapping after the news was announced.
The star didn’t look disappointed as she celebrated with her dancers after the packed performance.
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