FAQ Eurovision Song Contest
Why is the ESC 2025 taking place in Switzerland?
In line with ESC tradition and regulations, the event is held in the country that won the previous year's contest. As Swiss act Nemo won the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 in Malmö, Switzerland will host the 2025 edition.
Who is responsible for organising the ESC 2025 in Switzerland?
The Eurovision Song Contest is a competition between public broadcasters from right across Europe and the Middle East that are members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). As a member of the EBU, SRG is responsible for organising the ESC in Switzerland. It will also be supported by the EBU.
Does an entertainment event like the ESC fall under SRG's remit?
According to the licence, entertainment is as much part of SRG's remit as news, culture, education and sport. The Eurovision Song Contest also contributes to cohesion and promotes Swiss music, both of which are also core values of public service broadcasting. Every year, Switzerland's act gets the chance to perform in front of an international television audience of over 150 million – a unique opportunity for the Swiss music industry and one that is only possible thanks to SRG.
How will the ESC 2025 in Switzerland be organised?
In an initial step, an internal SRG task force was responsible for kick starting the projectThe work was then gradually handed over from the task force to the core project team. Reto Peritz from SRF and Moritz Stadler from RTS lead the core project team as Executive Producers.The additional 14 team members are employees of SRG SSR and the business units, experts from EBU as well as external professionals. More Information here: “ESC 2025: the core project team is in place”.
How much will it cost to host the ESC in 2025?
Organising and hosting the Eurovision Song Contest can be a very expensive business, particularly for the host country, due to the costs of venues, security, advertising and other expenses. The costs will be split between the EBU, SRG and the Host City Basel. The exact budget will be communicated transparently.
Thirty-six years after the last time Switzerland hosted the contest, the ESC is returning to the country where it was founded and held for the first time in 1956. Every May for the last 36 years, Switzerland has enjoyed a fabulous entertainment spectacle – now it's our turn to show some solidarity and put on a great show.
Can SRG even afford to host the ESC in 2025?
SRG doesn't have to bear the costs of the Eurovision Song Contest alone. Various partners and the participating countries pay a share. The host city covers a significant portion of the costs. The EBU also makes a financial contribution, and revenues are generated from ticket sales and sponsorship. However SRG will still have to pay a substantial figure running into the millions.
How will hosting the ESC benefit Switzerland?
The ESC is an event that brings people together from all over Europe and promotes a feeling of community and togetherness. Organising and staging the contest requires close collaboration between the participating countries. This promotes international dialogue and cultural and organisational cooperation. Artists from various countries can present their music and therefore showcase their culture and identity. This gives them a unique opportunity to perform in front of an international audience and advance their careers. The various genres, styles and languages represented promote and pay tribute to Europe's cultural diversity. The musical representation of each individual country also bolsters national unity and sense of community. In addition, hosting ESC boosts tourism in the host country and stimulates the local economy.
What influence will the initiative «CHF200 is enough!» (SRG Initiative) have on the planning and hosting of the Eurovision Song Contest 2025?
The «CHF200 is enough!» initiative bears no relation to the Eurovision Song Contest: it is an ongoing political process that is being respected by SRG.
Who will present the ESC 2025?
The presenters of ESC 2025 in Switzerland have yet to be decided. The enterprise units of SRG – RSI, RTR, RTS and SRF – have enough professional presenters who will be considered for all the presenting and commentating roles related to the event.
Where will the ESC 2025 be held?
The ESC 2025 will take place in Basel. The main venue will be the St. Jakobshalle.
Based on which criteria was the “Host City” chosen?
Close to 100 criteria were evaluated during the decision process for the « Host City». For example, the suitability of the hall for the show-specific requirements, the creative ideas for the side events, the funds made available, the cultural programme as well as sustainability and safety concepts.. The potential risks during the preparation and realisation were weighed up and expectations regarding added value in Switzerland were defined for the two border cities of Basel and Geneva.
Where can I register if I want to get involved in ESC 2025?
All vacancies for the ESC 2025 will be published on the SRG job portal. You can apply for an advertised position directly via the hiring platform. Unfortunately, we cannot consider blind applications.
Information on the application process for volunteers will be communicated on a later date.
More information here.