One year after hosting the competition, the city of Basel is still reaping the benefits. Tourism figures are soaring, concert halls are filling up, and local businesses are registering profits in the millions. Is Vienna on its way to the same success?
In exactly three weeks, the final of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest will take place at the Wiener Stadthalle. The capital of Austria, which will host the competition, anticipates positive economic impacts from the major event. A look at the success data of Basel, the 2025 host city, where JJ won with “Wasted Love” and brought the Eurovision to Austria, significantly raises the level of expectation and hope among Austrians. The data reveals that the Swiss city continues to profit a year after hosting the event across various sectors in tourism and the commercial market.
During May 2025, around the period of the 69th Eurovision, more than half a million people visited Basel, while 166 million viewers worldwide watched the broadcast of the world’s biggest music competition. Basel Tourism recorded significant interest from international media due to the hosting, alongside an increase in inquiries from various media outlets since the Eurovision, as reported by Director Letizia Elia to the Keystone-SDA news agency.
Furthermore, it seems that along with large events, a major impact is reflected: the high media presence, influencer photos, and reports from the delegations sparked curiosity among a broad audience, influencing tourists’ travel decisions to visit the city and the country.
Hosting the Competition – A Thriving Success
Hosting a competition as large as the Eurovision brings increased attention to the city, which even shatters people’s stigmas based on past thoughts. As an example, following the competition in Basel, a Marco Polo travel guide included Basel in its briefing for the best tourist destinations for 2026, writing: “A sleepy Swiss town? Think again! The vibrant Eurovision 2025 impressively refuted this.”
In the accommodation sector of Basel in 2025, the data cannot be attributed solely to the Eurovision, but the drastic increase in overnight stays during the second half of the year, during which the competition was held, indicates a direct connection to the increased exposure from hosting.
Letizia observed a significant rise in overnight stays in the city for tourism and leisure purposes since the summer of 2025, especially on weekends. The success helps compensate for the decline in business tourism during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has not yet fully recovered. Regarding culture, museums and city tours are also enjoying a higher number of leisure tourists, demonstrating a direct link between hosting the competition and the city’s prosperity.
Positive Effects on the City
Despite the impressive figures in the fields of tourism and culture, the impact of the Eurovision Song Contest on the host venue, the St. Jakobshalle, remains unclear. Major international bands are absent from the venue’s performance schedule, but at the same time, there are positive signs that bring hope. “We are currently receiving more inquiries for the St. Jakobshalle,” wrote Thomas Dürr, CEO of the production company Act Entertainment, which is responsible for events at the venue. He believes that the Eurovision definitely elevated Basel’s image as an amazing destination for events and provided it with an excellent calling card.
Small regional businesses are also pleased with the success of the hosting, testifying that they are experiencing the positive impact of the “Eurovision effect”. Companies in the fields of event technology, construction and exhibition stand setup, security, logistics, catering, media, and cleaning received contracts as a result of taking part in the Eurovision production. “Many of these companies were able to raise their international profile, gain recommendations and experience for future mega-events, and establish new contacts,” said Daniel Schindler, spokesman for the Basel-Stadt Canton Business Association.
According to data published by the canton last November, the Eurovision competition generated revenues of 248 million Swiss francs – equivalent to approximately 254 million Euros – across Switzerland, bringing an added value of 53 million francs (about 54 million Euros) to the Basel region.
Looking back at host cities in previous years, the “Eurovision effect” has often tended to fade a few months after the competition. The exceptional case of Basel, however, proves that proper management can leverage the competition for long-term economic growth. Now, all eyes are focused on the upcoming Eurovision that will be held in Vienna in about two weeks, but will Basel’s success be replicated to the exact same extent there? We will just have to wait and see.
Eurovision 2025: The 69th Eurovision Song Contest was held in Basel, Switzerland, on 13, 15 and 17 May. It was the third time Switzerland had hosted the contest, having last hosted it in Lausanne in 1989. The host venue for the contest was the 12,400-seat St. Jakobshalle. It was the first time Basel had hosted the contest.
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