The Eurovision Song Contest 2025, set to take place in Basel, will be an event-packed spectacle requiring round-the-clock efforts from numerous teams during the week of the competition. How is the city of Basel planning to tackle this task?
Organizing Eurovision, an enormous event in every aspect, can be complex for a modestly sized city like Basel. Having never hosted events of this magnitude before, Basel has appointed a core team of 20 officials responsible for organizing the event from a municipal perspective. Leading this project is Beat Läuchli, founder and manager of Belco Consulting GmbH, a company with a track record of producing and organizing numerous events in Basel, including festivals, concerts, and sporting events. Läuchli brings 18 years of experience to the table.
Tackling Major Challenges: Transportation and Security
Among the many challenges Läuchli describes are coordinating and reinforcing public transportation, and of course, the heavy security required for an event of this scale. As we’ve already seen with Eurovision 2024 in Malmö, this is no simple task. Läuchli’s team will be responsible for these aspects, as well as planning city-wide events, coordinating various performances across different stages, and ensuring everything runs smoothly in all event venues.
Läuchli pointed out that the main challenge he faces will be the “Arena Plus” in St. Jakob Park, where viewers without tickets to the live performances in the main hall can watch the live broadcast on giant screens. The Arena Plus is expected to include family-friendly activities and performances by former Eurovision representatives.
Community Engagement: Overwhelming Volunteer Response
At the end of September, the city of Basel opened registration for volunteers for various Eurovision events in May, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive. To date, more than 3,000 volunteers have registered, with the final registration date set for the end of 2024. Volunteers will serve in a variety of roles, both behind the scenes and throughout Basel, ensuring a great Eurovision experience for all visitors.
When asked about the referendum that the conservative UDF party, which opposes hosting the competition in Basel, is trying to impose, Läuchli responded confidently that he’s not worried about it. He says it’s a part of the democratic process and continues organizing the competition with full steam.
Source: ESC Kompakt
Eurovision 2025: The 69th Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Basel, Switzerland, on May 13, 15, and 17, 2025. The St. Jakobshalle arena, which will host the competition, is expected to accommodate about 12,000 spectators for each show. The contest will take place in Switzerland following the country’s third historical win with the song “The Code”, performed by singer Nemo. This will be the third time the competition has been hosted in Switzerland, after the contest was held there in 1956 and 1989.
