ESC 2025 – Basel Made History

For an entire week, Basel was alive with the rhythm of the Eurovision Song Contest – the world’s biggest musical show. The event culminated on Saturday night with the victory of Johannes Pietsch, representing Austria, with the song “Wasted Love”. Over 6,500 enthusiastic fans filled the St. Jakobshalle for the grand final, while 36,000 more gathered just across the street at St. Jakob-Park, specially redesigned for the massive public screening. The event unfolded in a festive and joyful atmosphere, and ended peacefully and without severe incidents.

Positive outcome for the host broadcaster SRG SSR

Reto Peritz and Moritz Stadler, the two Executive Co-Producers of ESC 2025, expressed their satisfaction with the event: «We warmly congratulate JJ for the song Wasted Love, and ORF for an unforgettable performance and the victory at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025! For us, ESC in Basel was a truly unique experience – three shows full of emotion, diversity and creative highlights. But ESC 2025 was more than just three live broadcasts: the entire city of Basel lit up, came together and inspired, drawing in Switzerland and all of Europe with its energy. Our heartfelt thanks go to our amazing teams, the host city of Basel, and the entire SRG family. What we achieved together, by uniting our strengths as one team, is something we’re proud of – and it shows what’s possible when many people bring their passion and work towards a shared goal».

Outstanding audience figures

The 2025 edition marked the return of the contest to its roots in Switzerland – the founding country of Eurovision and host of the very first edition in 1956. Tuesday’s first semi-final, themed «Where It All Began», drew 552,000 viewers across SRG channels, with a peak of 605,000. SRF1 reached a market share of 43%, RTS1 in French-speaking Switzerland 34%, and RSI LA1 in Italian-speaking Switzerland 39%. Thursday’s second semi-final, under the theme “Eurovision Fans – A Party for Everyone”, attracted an average of 594,000 viewers – 42,000 more than the first semi-final. In the German-speaking part of the country, significantly more young people tuned in (a 29 percentage point increase). Final audience figures for the grand finale, hosted by Hazel Brugger, Sandra Studer and Michelle Hunziker and themed «Let’s Celebrate A New Winner», will be released on Monday.

Eurovision – More Than Just a Music Show

Thanks to a wide range of projects and events, ESC 2025 became a celebration for all of society. Educational materials for schools, an ESC 60+ disco attended by over 1,200 people, the «Feel the Beat» event for the hearing-impaired, a school competition for the best student bands, songwriting workshops, school choirs performing in retirement homes, and even an opening ceremony produced by students from the University of Applied Sciences of the Grisons – all contributed to making this edition truly remarkable.

Added to that were the countless events throughout the city of Basel and at the Messe, attracting more than half a million visitors in total. These moments will help ensure that ESC 2025 is remembered for years to come.