Thirty-seven countries will participate in the contest, with Montenegro returning after a two-year absence. Moldova had originally planned to participate, but it later withdrew due to economic reasons and the perceived quality of its national selection.[6][7]
The 2025 contest is scheduled to take place in Basel, Switzerland, following the country's victory at the 2024 contest with the song "The Code", performed by Nemo. It will be the third time that Switzerland has hosted the contest, having previously done so for the inaugural contest in 1956 and the 1989 contest, held in Lugano and Lausanne respectively. The selected venue for the contest is the 12,400-seat St. Jakobshalle, which serves as a venue for indoor sports and concert events. The arena is located in the municipality of Münchenstein in Basel-Landschaft, right by the border with Basel-Stadt.[4]
The Messe and Congress Center Basel complex will host several events related to the contest. It will be the location of the Eurovision Village, which hosts performances by contest participants and local artists as well as screenings of the live shows for the general public; the EuroClub, which hosts the official after-parties and private performances by contest participants; and the "Turquoise Carpet" event on 11 May 2025, where the contestants and their delegations are presented before accredited press and fans, followed by the opening ceremony.[8]St. Jakob-Park will hold a screening of the final along with performances by past Eurovision artists, with entry charged for the public; the stadium will also be featured on the live broadcast.[9][10][11] The Eurovision Street is set to be located at Stäinevorstadt.[12][13]
The location of the host city Basel (in blue), shortlisted cities (in green), other bidding cities (in red) and cities and towns that expressed interest but ultimately did not bid (in grey)
After Switzerland's win in the 2024 contest, the local authorities of Geneva expressed interest in hosting the 2025 edition at Palexpo and submitted a formal application.[14][15] On the same day, the president of the Basel-Stadt government, Conradin Cramer, also expressed interest in Basel hosting the 2025 event.[16] On 12 May, Olma Hall in St. Gallen was proposed as a potential venue.[17][18]
On 13 May, Lugano, which hosted the inaugural contest in 1956, ruled out a bid to host in 2025.[19] The president of Bern's cantonal government Philippe Müller expressed his reluctance to host the contest in the de facto Swiss capital,[20] but the cantonal government itself later announced its support in organising the event in Bern.[21] Meanwhile, Zurich's city council held a "high priority" meeting to discuss a bid.[22][23] On 14 May, Lausanne, which hosted the 1989 contest, ruled out a bid to host in 2025, citing a lack of infrastructure.[24] On 15 May, Biel/Bienne declared its interest to be associated with and co-host the event.[25] On 17 May, the local government of Fribourg stated that it was examining a potential bid.[26] On 5 June, the Basel-Stadt government confirmed that it would bid, proposing St. Jakobshalle and St. Jakob-Park as possible venues.[27] On 6 June, Biel/Bienne and Bern's municipalities announced a joint bid.[28][29] On 12 June, St. Gallen announced that it would not submit a bid due to not meeting the requirements to host the event.[30]
The host broadcaster SRG SSR launched the bidding process on 27 May 2024, by issuing a list of requirements for interested cities.[31] Basel, Bern, Geneva, and Zurich officially declared their interest and finalised their bids on 28 June.[32][33] Representatives from the host broadcaster visited the four bidding cities in early July,[34][35] and shortlisted Basel and Geneva on 19 July.[36] On 30 August, the EBU and SRG SSR announced Basel as the host city, with St. Jakobshalle as the chosen venue.[37][4] A referendum was held in November 2024 within the Basel-Stadt canton to approve the expenditure for organising the contest, which passed with the support of 66.6% of voters.[38]
Eligibility for participation in the Eurovision Song Contest requires a national broadcaster with an EBU membership that is capable of receiving the contest via the Eurovision network and broadcasting it live nationwide. The EBU issues invitations to participate in the contest to all members.
On 12 December 2024, the EBU initially announced that 38 countries would participate in the 2025 contest. These include Montenegro, which is set to return after a two-year absence from the contest.[6] On 22 January 2025, Moldova announced its withdrawal, thereby reducing the number of participating countries to 37.[7]
As of March2025[update], the contest is set to feature two returning artists for the same country: Justyna Steczkowska previously represented Poland in 1995,[47] and Nina Žižić appeared with Who See for Montenegro in 2013.[48] Steczkowska's return 30 years after her first appearance will break the record for longest gap between two participations by the same artist, currently held by Anna Vissi with a gap of 24 years between her entries for Cyprus in 1982 and Greece in 2006.[49]
The EBU member broadcasters in Andorra,[102]Bosnia and Herzegovina,[103] and Slovakia[104][105] confirmed non-participation prior to the announcement of the participants list by the EBU. Macedonian broadcaster MRT discussed a potential return of the country to the contest, in response to an email from Eurovision fans urging the broadcaster to do so in October 2024;[106]North Macedonia ultimately did not appear on the final list of participants for 2025. Kosovar broadcaster RTK's general director Shkumbin Ahmetxhekaj sent a formal letter to the EBU in June 2024, requesting an invitation for Kosovo to debut in the contest in 2025;[107][108] this was rejected by the EBU's General Assembly in July 2024.[109][110]
Production
The Eurovision Song Contest 2025 will be produced by the Swiss national broadcaster Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRG SSR). The core team will consist of Reto Peritz and Moritz Stadler as executive producers,[111] and Yves Schifferle as head of show. Repeating their function from the previous edition are Christer Björkman as head of contest and Tobias Åberg as head of production, with other production personnel including Nadja Burkhardt-Tracol as head of event, Manfred Winz as head of finance, Aurore Chatard as head of security, and Kevin Stuber as head of legal.[112][113] The theme art and background music's creation are overseen by art director Artur Deyneuve.[114]
The contest's organisation will be restructured for 2025; this was announced by the EBU on 1 July 2024, following a review into the controversies of the 2024 contest.[115] Two new positions were created: the ESC director and the head of brand and commercial, with the ESC director overseeing the work of executive supervisor Martin Österdahl and the head of brand and commercial.[116][117] Martin Green, who previously worked on the 2023 contest as managing director, was appointed as ESC director.[3] In response to the circumstances that led to the disqualification of the 2024 Dutch entrantJoost Klein from that year's final, from 2025 onwards, no behind-the-scenes filming of the artists would be permitted without prior approval from their delegations' head of press.[118] A set of conduct rules and duty of care guidelines is set to be codified and made mandatory for all personnel working in the event.[119]
On 16 December 2024, SRG SSR unveiled the theme art and stage design for the 2025 contest. The theme art, named "Unity Shapes Love", is built on variably-coloured miniatures of the "Eurovision heart" being arranged to emulate the halftonepixelation effect, symbolising millions of people unified by the Eurovision Song Contest, to listen and celebrate together.[120] Devised for the second year in a row by German production designer Florian Wieder, who had previously designed the sets of seven previous contests, the stage is inspired by Switzerland's mountains and linguistic diversity, highlighted by a central extension that extends into the standing audience area and surrounded by an LED arch.[114][121] On 26 February 2025, SRG SSR unveiled a mascot for the 2025 contest, in a first for the event since 1992. Named "Lumo" and designed by Lynn Brunner of the Basel Academy of Art and Design[de], it is an anthropomorphic heart shape with orange curly hair.[122]
Presenters
The Swiss comedian Hazel Brugger and Sandra Studer–who represented Switzerland in 1991–were announced as the presenters of the 2025 contest on 20 January 2025, and they will host all three shows of the event; Swiss-Italian television presenter Michelle Hunziker will join them for the final. The public screening of the final at St. Jakob-Park will be hosted by Sven Epiney and Mélanie Freymond[fr], both of whom will also announce the points of the Swiss jury from the stadium.[2][5]
Format
Semi-final allocation draw
Results of the semi-final allocation draw
Participating countries in the first semi-final
Pre-qualified for the final but also voting in the first semi-final
Participating countries in the second semi-final
Pre-qualified for the final but also voting in the second semi-final
The draw to determine the participating countries' semi-finals took place on 28 January 2025 at 12:30 CET, at the Kunstmuseum Basel Auditoriuum.[123][124] The thirty-one semi-finalists were divided over five pots, based on historical voting patterns, with the purpose of reducing the chance of bloc voting and increasing suspense in the semi-finals. The draw also determined which semi-final each of the six automatic qualifiers – host country Switzerland and "Big Five" countries (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom) – will vote in, be required to broadcast, and perform its entry in a non-competitive capacity.[123][125] The ceremony was hosted by Jennifer Bosshard and Jan van Ditzhuijzen,[126] and included the symbolic transfer of duties from Carina Nilsson, the president of previous host city Malmö's council, to Conradin Cramer, the president of the Basel-Stadt government.[127] The host city insignia, which had traditionally been used since 2007, was replaced by a dress gifted by Nilsson to Cramer,[128] the first "friendship gift" that would replace the host city insignia from this year.[129]
The first semi-final will take place on 13 May 2025 at 21:00 CEST.[130] Fifteen countries will compete in the first semi-final. Those countries plus Italy, Spain and Switzerland, as well as non-participating countries under an aggregated "Rest of the World" vote, will vote in this semi-final.[131]
Participants of the first semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2025[132]
The second semi-final will take place on 15 May 2025 at 21:00 CEST.[130] Sixteen countries will compete in the second semi-final. Those countries plus France, Germany and the United Kingdom, as well as non-participating countries under an aggregated "Rest of the World" vote, will vote in this semi-final.[131]
Participants of the second semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2025[133]
The final will take place on 17 May 2025 at 21:00 CEST.[130] Twenty-six countries will participate in the final: the host country Switzerland, the "Big Five", and the ten best-ranked entries of each of the two semi-finals. All thirty-seven participating countries with jury and televote, as well as non-participating countries under an aggregated "Rest of the World" online vote, will vote in the final.
Participants of the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2025[134]
All participating broadcasters may choose to have on-site or remote commentators providing insight and voting information to their local audience. Although they are required to show the final and semi-final in which their country votes, most broadcasters cover all three shows. Some non-participating broadcasters also air the contest. The Eurovision Song Contest YouTube channel provides international live streams with no commentary of all shows.
The following are the broadcasters that have confirmed in whole or in part their broadcasting plans and/or commentators:
Broadcasters and commentators in participating countries
↑ "United by Music" has been the permanent slogan of the contest since November 2023;[1] the Swiss host broadcaster SRG SSR adopted "Welcome Home" as its slogan and concept for the 2025 edition.[2]
↑ On behalf of the German public broadcasting consortium ARD[70][71]
↑ "Vortrag des Gemeinderats an den Stadtrat Eurovision Song Contest 2025; Verpflichtungskredit"[Presentation of the municipal council to the city council: Eurovision Song Contest 2025; Commitment credit](PDF). bern.ch (in Swiss High German). 26 June 2024. Retrieved 30 June 2024. Anfangs Juli 2024 finden die Pitch-Präsentationen und allfällige Standortbesichtigungen statt. Ende Juli 2024 wird durch das SRG kommuniziert, welche zwei potenziellen Austragungsstädte noch im Rennen sind (Shortlist).[The pitch presentations and any site visits will take place at the beginning of July 2024. At the end of July 2024, the SRG will announce which two potential host cities are still in the running (shortlist).]
↑ Galli, Paolo (13 May 2024). "Eurosong, Zurigo non si sfila"[Eurosong, Zurich doesn't show up]. Corriere del Ticino (in Italian). Retrieved 13 May 2024.
↑ "Claude voor Nederland naar Songfestival 2025"[Claude for the Netherlands to the Eurovision Song Contest 2025]. Songfestival.be (in Dutch). 19 December 2024. Retrieved 22 December 2024. Het liedje dat hij zal brengen, horen we in maart pas. Aan tafel bij Eva, de talkshow van Eva Jinek, verklapte Claude dat zijn lied 'tweetalig zal zijn'. Hij werkte voor zijn inzending samen met Arno Krabman, Joren van der Voort en Léon Paul.[The song he will perform, we will not hear until March. At the table of Eva, Eva Jinek's talk show, Claude revealed that his song 'will be bilingual'. He collaborated with Arno Krabman, Joren van der Voort and Léon Paul for his entry.]
↑ "Eurovision Song Contest 2025: Semi-Finals Lineup Confirmed". ebu.ch. EBU. 28 January 2025. Retrieved 28 January 2025. The new "friendship gift" has replaced the Insignias passed between each Host City between 2007 and 2024 and will remain in Basel after this year's event.
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Montenegro 
Moldova 
