The Swiss national broadcaster, SRG SSR, has a published a special Eurovision 2025 Q&A, answering some key questions regarding the forthcoming 2025 Eurovision Song Contest.

Switzerland will be hosting the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest next year thanks to Nemo’s epic victory in Malmo last month.

SRG-SSR have shed more light on the upcoming 2025 Eurovision Song Contes its organization via a special Q&A:

Why will the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest take 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 will be responsible to organize the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest 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 entertaiment event like the Eurovision Song Contest 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 2025 Eurovision Song Contest in Switzerland be organized?

In an initial step, an internal SRG task force is responsible for kick starting the project. At present, the task force is mainly working on the host city selection process. In a few weeks’ time, all the work will be gradually handed over from the task force to the much bigger project structure. The project group will not only consist of SRG staff members, but will also be supported by EBU experts and other external professionals.

How much will it cost to host the Eurovision Song Contest 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. More detailed information on the costs of the ESC 2025 is not available at the moment. The deciding factor will be how and where the contest is organised. A detailed budget will be drawn up once that is decided.

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 afford to host the forthcoming 2025 Eurovision Song Contest?

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 Switzerland benefit from hosting the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest?

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.

Who will host the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 in Switzerland?

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 Eurovision Song Contest 2025 take place?

It has not yet been decided where in Switzerland the Eurovision Song Contest will be held in 2025. Interested cities received the catalogue of requirements from SRG at the end of May. They can now put together a bid on the basis of these requirements. The host city is expected to be announced by the end of August.

What requirements does the Eurovision 2025 host city need to meet?

Among other things the host city needs to have a suitable arena. There is also an extensive catalogue of requirements that have to be met, ranging from good public transport links and security arrangements to accommodation and arena capacity.

Where can one register if one wants to get involved at ESC 2025?

A registration form will be published on the SRG website in due course for people interested in volunteering and companies wanting to get involved in the organisation and staging of ESC in 2025.

Switzerland will be hosting the Eurovision Song Contest for the third time in the history of the competition, having hosted the event in 1956 in Lugano and in 1988 in Laussane.

Source: SRG/SSR
Photo credit: SSR /SSR