New ESC, new luck – and finally first place for Germany again? Which countries are competing with which songs, and which dates are important? Information about the Eurovision Song Contest in Basel at a glance:
Read more after the ad
Read more after the ad
When and where will the ESC 2025 take place?
- Period: 13.–17. May 2025
- Ort: Basel, Switzerland
The 69th Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) will take place in Basel. The ESC final will take place on May 17th, the two semi-finals will take place on May 13th and 15th. Basel is the third largest city in Switzerland and borders directly on Germany and France. The ESC venue is the St. Jakobshalle, a multifunctional hall in the southeast of the city where Queen, Tina Turner and Elton John have already performed.
Read more after the ad
Read more after the ad
How much do tickets for the ESC 2025 cost?
As usual with previous events, there are tickets for several shows. What the TV audience doesn’t notice: As a viewer on site, you can choose from nine live shows – in addition to the semi-finals and the final, also at the corresponding dress rehearsals, of which there are two per live event.
Tickets for the ESC are sold through the Song Contest’s official partners – but no information, such as prices and conditions, is currently available. Tickets are expected to go on sale at the end of 2024. Most recently, the price range was between 13 and 334 euros.
Which countries will take part in the ESC 2025?
Countries that are active full members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) are eligible to participate. There is an exception for Australia, which is allowed to participate as a so-called associated member. According to the current status, the following countries are taking part in the ESC 2025:
Read more after the ad
Read more after the ad
The songs and acts of the respective countries are usually determined in internal selection processes and are sometimes only decided a few weeks before the semi-finals.
When will the German ESC preliminary decision take place?
The German preliminary round for the ESC 2025 will be organized jointly by ARD, RTL and Stefan Raab. The application phase runs until November 28, 2024; Who will represent Germany in Basel will be decided on March 1, 2025.
Who won the ESC last?
These are the winners of the last ten contests:
Read more after the ad
Read more after the ad
- 2024: Nemo for the Switzerland („The Code“)
- 2023: of flowers for Sweden („Tattoo“)
- 2022: Kalush Orchestra for the Ukraine (“Stefania”)
- 2021: Moonlight for Italy (“Quiet and Good”)
- 2019: Duncan Laurence for the Netherlands („Arcade“)
- 2018: Net for Israel („TOY“)
- 2017: Salvador Sobral for Portugal („Amar Pelos Dois“)
- 2016: Jamala for the Ukraine („1944“)
- 2015: Måns Zelmerlöw for Sweden („Heroes“)
- 2014: Conchita Wurst for Austria („Rise Like a Phoenix“)
In 2020, the Eurovision Song Contest was canceled due to the corona pandemic.
Why is Australia taking part in the Eurovision Song Contest?
The decisive factor for participation in Eurovision is not whether a country is geographically or politically part of Europe. Instead, a country must “active member of the European Broadcasting Union” (EBU) be. Anyone who operates a national broadcasting service within the European Broadcasting Zone or within a country represented in the Council of Europe is a member. For this reason, Armenia, Israel and Azerbaijan, for example, also regularly take part in the ESC.
As a so-called associated EBU member became one for Australia Special regulation created. Since Australia took part in the Song Contest by invitation for the first time in 2015, the ESC-loving country has been taking part regularly. If Australia wins the ESC, the subsequent contest will not be held Down Under, but in an EBU partner country.
Read more after the ad
Read more after the ad
“Big Five”: Why are Germany, Italy and other countries automatically qualified?
The fact that some countries do not have to face a preliminary round and are automatically seeded for the ESC final has only been the case since 1997 (in the case of Italy, since 2011). In 1996, increased registration numbers ensured that an internal preselection of the countries took place.
Since Germany was eliminated from this preselection, the country did not take part in the ESC 1996 in Oslo. As the largest contributor, Germany then threatened to refuse to co-finance further ESCs if the country did not get a starting place in the song contest. Concern about a loss of image among sponsors may also have contributed to the EBU guaranteeing participation in the ESC to the four countries with the largest share of the budget from 1999 onwards. In 2011, the “Big Four” round was expanded to include the “Big Five” with the addition of Italy.
The controversial regulation is described by some member countries as purchased participation and is one reason why Turkey has not taken part in the ESC since 2012.
