I know, I know: We just got done with one exhausting Eurovision Song Contest, and we are already asking where will Eurovision 2025 be?
Thanks to Nemo, the contest will return to Switzerland for the first time since 1989. However, there are plenty of cities in La Suisse, and Eurovision can only be in one venue (though it would be a monstrous logistical feat if it was in more than one). Let’s not even go there.
What we will get into are the candidate cities and potential venues where we might see Eurovision 2025.
Where Will Eurovision 2025 Be: Cities Expressing Interest
- Basel
- Fribourg
- Geneva
- St. Gallen
- Zürich
Where Will Eurovision 2025 NOT Be: Cities That Have Ruled Themselves Out or Leaning Against
Basel
In the extreme north of Switzerland lies the city of Basel, the country’s third-largest. It is in essence an international city, as it directly borders both France and Germany. The city itself is big enough, and they do have some indoor arenas (not that an indoor arena has been used every single Eurovision, as you may know).
Just outside of Basel is St. Jakobshalle, an arena that can seat over 12,000 people and which has hosted musical concerts in the past. Other arenas in and around Basel are smaller, which means this is the main candidate venue should Basel be granted hosting rights. Their May 2025 calendar is also mostly open, so keep an eye on that.
Fribourg
The city of Fribourg, in western Switzerland, recently stated their interest in being involved with Eurovision 2025. It will probably not be a serious contender: Fribourg has a fraction of the population of Zürich, Basel, and Geneva, and while quite a beautiful city, it may not be able to handle the influx of people that will be coming. Fribourg is by far the smallest city that has expressed interest.
BCF Arena in Fribourg looks quite nice, especially after it was redone a few years ago. While Fribourg now has a state-of-the-art arena for hosting events, its size is an issue. It can only hold about 9,000 spectators; for reference, the Malmö Arena which hosted Eurovision in 2013 and 2024 holds about 15,000.
Geneva
Geneva has a few things going for it. First, and maybe most notably depending on whom you ask, it is the headquarters of the European Broadcasting Union. They must be quite pleased with the thought of not having to go anywhere and to perhaps have the contest at home. Geneva is also one of the largest cities in Switzerland and a true world-class city. It can handle Eurovision and all the people and craziness that comes with it.
The Palexpo convention center has been mentioned as a potential host venue, and its size does not seem to be a major issue. Another thing that makes it appealing as a venue is that it is practically at Geneva’s airport. This city and venue will be serious contenders when the decision is announced later in 2024. If it is not our predicted city and venue (you will see in a moment), then it will be this one.
St. Gallen
Another contender for hosting the 2025 contest is St. Gallen, a city in Switzerland’s east near its borders with Liechtenstein and Germany. In fact, some in Liechtenstein, which has never participated in Eurovision before, said that they would be willing to partner with St. Gallen should it host the contest, helping with tourism. St. Gallen could probably use the help as well: It is the eighth-largest city in the country, well behind the other major contenders.
The biggest venue in the city is an outdoor stadium, Kybunpark. It can hold more than enough people to make Eurovision work, but transforming this stadium into an enclosed venue would be a huge undertaking. St. Gallen also has a large convention center space which might be better, though the question is if it could host an event of this scope.
Zürich
One of the most logical choices for a host city in 2025 is Zürich, the largest city in Switzerland. It also has quite a few hotels, the biggest airport in the country, as well as complex train and road connectivity. Finally, it has a venue large enough to accommodate a musical event of this scope. In many ways, Zürich is an ideal choice and it checks all of the boxes.
Our prediction is that the event will be hosted in 2025 at the Hallenstadion in Zürich. The Eurovision organizers can get well over 10,000 spectators in the arena, and it has hosted many big concerts in the past. Almost every big-name artist that has gone through Switzerland in the past 50 years has played the Hallenstadion. There would be little doubt that it could handle the demands of Eurovision, as could Zürich itself. The venue has reportedly also been asked to reserve its May 2025 calendar in anticipation.
