Welcome to Basel. Basel, Switzerland, is a place of exciting contrasts.  A city with historical buildings next to modern architecture.  Where a young and dynamic art scene exists alongside world-renowned museums. Cosmopolitan ambience here, lively traditions there. You just have to experience Basel for yourself.

ESC 2025 is coming to Basel! It’s official – the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 will take place in Basel. We are proud to be able to represent Switzerland on this major international stage and will do our utmost to deliver an unforgettable experience for our guests. You can look forward to an event full of superlatives!

The Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 will take place in St. Jakobshalle, Basel, on Saturday 17 May with Semi-Finals on Tuesday 13 and Thursday 15 May, after it was selected by Host Broadcaster SRG SSR and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to host the 69th edition of the Contest.

After a competitive selection process that saw a number of potential Host Cities narrow down to Basel and Geneva, Switzerland’s third-most-populous city won out, and will host the 69th Eurovision Song Contest.

The bid process examined facilities at the venue, local infrastructure and the ability to accommodate thousands of visiting delegations, crew, fans and journalists from around the world, amongst other criteria.

• Dates: Grand Final on Saturday 17 May with Semi-Finals on Tuesday 13 and Thursday 15 May
• Basel chosen as Host City and it’s the first time the Eurovision Song Contest hasn’t been hosted by a capital city for 6 consecutive Contests
• Tickets to go on sale later in the year

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.’

Switzerland: Birthplace of the Eurovision Song Contest. Switzerland hosted and won the first edition of the Eurovision Song Contest in Lugano, back in 1956. It remains the only Contest where competitors were invited to perform two songs instead of one.

Lys Assia triumphed with the French language song “Refrain” but it is unknown how her second song, the German language “Das alte Karussell”, performed with jurors as the points were never revealed.

A second Swiss win happened in Dublin 1988 when a relatively unknown Canadian took the crown in a nail-biting voting sequence; Céline Dion pipped the United Kingdom’s Scott Fitzgerald to victory by a single point with her ballad “Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi“.

It would take another 36 years for the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRG SSR) to find their third champion; Nemo won Malmö 2024 with their song “The Code“, which tells the story of coming to terms with their non-binary identity.

Tickets for Eurovision 2025 in Basel, Switzerland. Tickets to go on sale later in the year.

How can I buy tickets for the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 in Basel, Switzerland?

The 69th Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Basel, Switzerland, thanks to Nemo who won the Contest for the Swiss with their song The Code – this means that the 2025 edition will be hosted by Swiss broadcaster SRG SSR.

• First Semi-Final: Tuesday 13 May, 21:00 CET
• Second Semi-Final: Thursday 15 May, 21:00 CET
• Grand Final: Saturday 17 May, 21:00 CET 

Venue: St. Jakobshalle, Basel

Ticket information will be released in the coming months. 

Advice on planning for tickets. If you haven’t bought tickets for a Eurovision Song Contest before: listen up! 

The Eurovision Song Contest isn’t just one Saturday night spectacular… it isn’t even just the three broadcast Semi-Finals and Grand Final… it’s actually 9 arena shows across the Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday of Eurovision week!

This means fans have 9 opportunities to watch an arena show (or two… or nine!) and can also enjoy their time in the Host City without everything being focused around the Grand Final live show. 

The Arena Shows in 2025 are expected to be:

First Semi-Final: Tuesday 13 May, 21:00 CET 

• Evening Preview: Monday (12 May)
• Afternoon Preview: Tuesday afternoon (13 May)
• Live TV Show: Tuesday evening (13 May)

Second Semi-Final: Thursday 15 May, 21:00 CET 

• Evening Preview: Wednesday evening (14 May)
• Afternoon Preview: Thursday afternoon (15 May)
• Live TV Show: Thursday evening (15 May)

Grand Final: Saturday 17 May, 21:00 CET 

• Evening Preview: Friday evening (16 May)
• Afternoon Preview: Saturday afternoon (17 May)
• Live TV Show: Saturday evening (17 May)

The Evening Preview (previously known as the ‘Jury Show’) is a full run through of the show that takes place the night before the televised version. It’s when the international juries cast their votes for the participants. Audiences can stay for a randomised version of the qualifier/points reveals, as the presenters rehearse for different scenarios.

The Afternoon Preview (previously known as the ‘Family Show’) is a full run through of the show that takes place earlier in the day of the Live TV Show; it serves as one final rehearsal for the artists and crew, and as the name suggests, it’s much more convenient for those who wish to bring younger Eurovision fans. Again, the Family Show features a randomly generated presentation of the qualifiers and points.

The Live TV Show is exactly that: a live television show. Audiences across Europe (and Australia) will get to cast their votes to add to the Jury scores. No randomisations this time – it’s all for real!

Interest in Eurovision tickets is always high, but as fans who have travelled to a Contest before will tell you: traditionally it can be easier to secure tickets for the Preview shows. These shows have all of the content and performances of the broadcast shows, but leave you free to watch the Live TV Show as it was intended… on the television!

Where can I find more information? We will reveal more information later this year.

The Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) 2025 will take place in Basel. The Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) 2025 – the biggest music competition in the world – will be held in Basel. The ESC is more than just a music competition: it connects and inspires people across all borders. For Basel, the ESC offers a unique opportunity to present itself to a global audience.

ESC: In Switzerland for the third time. The ESC is coming home to Switzerland in 2025. The very first “Grand Prix Eurovision de la Chanson” took place in Lugano in 1956. Back then, Lys Assia won and secured the first victory in ESC history for Switzerland. Switzerland’s second victory followed in 1988 with Céline Dion, after which the music competition was held in Lausanne in 1989. Thanks to Nemo’s victory in Malmö in 2024, the ESC is now coming to Switzerland for the third time – to Basel.

Great opportunity for Basel. Hosting the ESC offers great opportunities for Basel as a venue. Basel will do everything in its power to be a good host city. The guests coming to Basel will benefit the hotel, catering and retail sectors as well as Basel’s cultural scene. In addition, Basel can reach a global audience through live broadcasts and international coverage and inspire them with the qualities of the city.

ESC week: 11 – 17 May 2025. The Eurovision Song Contest 2025 will last around a week and include a total of nine shows with an audience, including two semi-finals and the grand final that will be broadcast live. The show week will kick off with the Opening Ceremony, which will take place on Sunday, 11 May 2025, at Messe Basel. Main venue for the shows is St. Jakobshalle.

9 shows with an audience.

Programme of the host city. A comprehensive programme is planned in the city from 10 to 17 May for fans from all over Europe as well as for people from Basel. The programme includes the Arena Plus, which will complement the main show with a huge public viewing on the day of the final.

Arena Plus. The Arena Plus is more than just a public viewing. It will be set up in St. Jakob-Park on 17 May: The stadium will have a festival atmosphere, including concerts by former ESC stars.

Eurovision Village. The Eurovision Village at Messe Basel (Hall 1) offers a daily programme of live concerts, public viewings, food and drinks and activities related to the Eurovision Song Contest. Admission is free.

EuroClub & Café. The EuroClub in Messe Basel (Eventhalle) is where the ESC fan clubs party until late into the night. They will also put together the EuroClub programme. Daily from 11 pm. The number of tickets is limited.

Eurovision Square. The open-air stage on Barfüsserplatz is a stage of diversity: mostly local and regional acts play here every day – including regional acts from neighbouring Germany and France. Admission is free.

Eurovision Boulevard. The Eurovision Boulevard from Basel SBB railway station to Badischer Bahnhof – including areas of the “Riviera” along the banks of the river Rhine in Kleinbasel – is the connecting element between ESC venues. Decorative elements, eye-catchers and activations create an ESC ambience and make Basel’s savoir-vivre visible and tangible for guests from Europe.

Eurovision Street. The Steinenvorstadt will become Eurovision Street during the ESC: the street music and eye-catching decorations will make the nightlife area fit in with the ESC. Local businesses will be involved in the planning.

Events before the ESC. In the run-up to the ESC Main rehearsals and official events of the European Broadcasting Union take place in Basel. SRG is responsible for organising the ESC on behalf of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).

.Handover ceremony and semi-final draw, January 2025. At the official handover ceremony, last year’s host city Malmö will symbolically hand over the ESC keychain to Basel. Representatives of the city, the SRG and the EBU will take part in this event. The subsequent draw for the semi-finals is usually broadcast live.

.Head of Delegation Meeting in Basel, March 2025. The host city welcomes the heads of the more than 20 delegations from all participating countries and shows them around the main venue St. Jakobshalle.

.Opening Ceremony, 11 May 2025. On Sunday evening before the show week, the Opening Ceremony takes place on the Messeplatz. This consists of the Turquoise Carpet Event (open to the public), where all the artists walk across the turquoise-coloured carpet, and a Welcome Reception, at which the host city and SRG officially welcome the delegations and invited guests.

Political backing. The ESC has political backing in Basel: on 5 June 2024, the Grand Council of the Canton of Basel-Stadt decided by 74:8 votes with 6 abstentions that Basel should bid to host the ESC. On 11 September 2024, the Grand Council approved the supplementary credit and the expenditure of CHF 37.464 million for the ESC with 87:4 votes in favour and 4 abstentions. All parliamentary groups in the Grand Council supported the staging of the ESC in Basel by a majority or even unanimously. 

FAQ.

Where can I buy tickets?