Swiss referendum: Trend: Citizens in Basel say “yes” to millions for the ESC

According to an initial trend calculation, the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) can take place in full in Basel. According to pollsters, a clear majority of citizens gave the green light to a 40 million euro loan from the canton in a referendum. This is intended to finance expenses, among other things, for the accompanying program, but also for accommodation, welcome campaigns and the expansion of local public transport.

Of the postal votes, which experience shows make up around 90 percent of the votes cast in Basel, 66.4 percent voted for the loan. The official result should not be available until late afternoon.

The small Christian conservative party Federal Democratic Union (EDU) initiated the vote by collecting around 4,000 signatures. She criticizes the ESC as a “propaganda platform” for homosexual and non-binary people that promotes satanism and the occult. In addition, the charged political atmosphere was a security risk, argued the EDU.

Great approval in advance

Politics and business had clearly supported the event in advance. In September, the cantonal parliament voted almost unanimously in favor of the loan. The big festival puts Basel in the international spotlight. Companies also hope for a positive effect from the many ESC fans and the image gain. “Various industries will benefit during the event, but additional guests will also come to Basel in the long term,” said Basel District President Conradin Cramer.

Around 180 million viewers watch the event

The ESC is considered the largest music competition in the world. After the victory of the “music-making person” Nemo with the title “The Code” at the ESC 2024 in Malmö, Switzerland is now the host country. In addition to Bern/Biel, Zurich and Geneva, Basel has also applied as a venue with the motto “Crossing Borders”. At the end of August, the town of 170,000 residents near the German border was awarded the contract by the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRG).

The ESC lasts around a week. The highlight are the three live shows for the semi-finals and the final on May 13th, 15th and 17th, 2025. Experience shows that they reach between 150 and 180 million TV viewers worldwide. The main venue for the shows with an audience is the St. Jakobshalle in Basel.

It is the third time that an ESC is taking place in Switzerland. In 1956 it was held in Lugano under the name Grand Prix Eurovision de la Chanson. Lausanne followed in 1989.