Basel approves splashing out nearly $40 million to host Eurovision

NEWS WIRES

24 November 2024 at 7:01 am·1-min read

Nemo's victory was only the third time Switzerland had won Eurovision, after victories in 1956 and 1988.

Voters in the Swiss city of Basel on Sunday approved putting nearly $40 million into hosting the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest. With funding approved, the glitzy annual TV event will proceed, despite opposition from conservatives.

Basel voters on Sunday overwhelmingly approved the city putting up nearly $40 million towards hosting next year's Eurovision Song Contest, meaning the giant TV extravaganza will go ahead with its customary full-on razzmatazz.

Final results showed 66.6 percent of voters in the Swiss city backed putting taxpayers' cash into staging Eurovision 2025. The turnout was 57 percent.

"I am delighted for Basel and for the project team, which has already invested a lot of passion in organising the Eurovision Song Contest 2025," Basel-City regional president Conradin Cramer told AFP.

"For Basel, the 'Yes' means that we will be able to welcome visitors from Switzerland and Europe with open arms and offer them a wonderful programme."

Swiss singer Nemo won Eurovision 2024 with "The Code", giving Switzerland the right to host next year's 69th edition.

Basel, on the northern border with France and Germany, was selected to stage the kitsch event, which comes with a guaranteed vast international TV audience.

The projects were estimated to cost 4.9 billion Swiss francs ($5.5 billion).

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