Eurovision Song Contest

The ESC 2025 in Basel will be hosted by three extraordinary women who embody the Swiss ESC motto, «Welcome Home» in a congenial way. Hazel Brugger, Sandra Studer and Michelle Hunziker will present the «Grand Final», which will take place on Saturday, May 17, 2025, at the St. Jakobshalle and will be watched by over 160 million viewers worldwide. Hazel Brugger and Sandra Studer will also host the two semi-final shows. 

Mélanie Freymond and Sven Epiney will present the pre-shows and public viewing in the Arena plus, the repurposed St. Jakob-Park football stadium. They will also be live on air during the Grand Final to announce the Swiss points in the legendary voting segment. 

Hazel Brugger, 31, is an award-winning stand-up comedian and presenter. Born in the USA, she grew up near Zurich and now lives in the Darmstadt region in Germany. She captivates audiences with her dry humor and keen observational skills – not to mention her passion for the ESC. She is a winner of the German Comedy Award, the Salzburg Bull, and Swiss Comedy Award. The jury of the German Kleinkunstpreis called her «the queen of wit». As a voice of the younger generation, Hazel offers entertaining, witty and innovative perspectives on the event.

Michelle Hunziker, 47, grew up in Ostermundigen near Bern and is one of Switzerland’s best known international personalities. She is one of Europe’s most beloved entertainers, known for TV highlights on German and Italian television such as «Wetten, dass..?», «Striscia la Notizia» and the renowned «Sanremo Festival». As a versatile media personality and entrepreneur in the European entertainment landscape, Michelle brings an international reputation that will put both Switzerland and the ESC on the world stage. 

Sandra Studer, 55, started her career in 1991 as Switzerland's ESC participant. Under the stage name Sandra Simó, she secured the fifth place with the song «Canzone per te». Since then, she has shaped Swiss culture as a presenter, actress, and singer. Her deep connection to the ESC has seen her take on roles such as national preselection host, spokesperson, and commentator. Sandra Studer’s ESC journey has become full circle: The grande dame of Swiss entertainment will bring charm, professionalism, and warmth to the ESC 2025 as the perfect host to capture its spirit. 

The choice of the host trio for the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 symbolizes the values that define Switzerland: openness, diversity, multilingualism, and a sense of togetherness. They will not only celebrate Europe’s diversity but also bring the values and spirit of Switzerland to the stage – country known for its openness, integration, and community. 

Public Viewing in the Arena plus 

The Arena plus is the place to experience the ESC final with thousands of fans. A spectacular 90-minute pre-show featuring national and international artists such as Baby Lasagna, DJ Antoine, and Anna Rossinelli will energize the approximately 36,000 ESC fans in Switzerland's largest football stadium. Visitors can then watch the ESC Grand final live on oversized screens as well as being connected live to the show. Ticket prices range from CHF 55 to CHF 128. Admission for children in the family corner is CHF 5. Tickets for Arena plus will be available online via Ticketcorner from 30 January 2025 at 10am without pre-registration. 

Mélanie Freymond and Sven Epiney will present the shows and viewings at Arena plus. 

Mélanie Freymond, 47, is one of the most experienced presenters for RTS (Radio Télévision Suisse), where she hosts numerous entertainment and cultural programs. Her career began as a children’s program host on RTS, marking the start of a successful career in both radio and television journalism. 

Sven Epiney, 53, has been one of the most prominent figures in the Swiss media landscape since the 1990s. Since 2008, he has been SRF’s commentator for the Eurovision Song Contest. A versatile media professional, Sven has presented over 3,000 television shows, 1,500 radio morning shows, and more than 30 original TV formats. In addition to hosting Arena plus, he will continue to commentate the ESC for SRF. 

Co-Executive Producers’ Statement 

The co-executive producers of ESC, Moritz Stadler and Reto Peritz, commented on the selection of the hosting team: 

«For the world’s biggest show, it was important for us to recruit hosts who bring more than just presenting skills – Hazel, Sandra, and Michelle bring unique versatility with additional talents such as comedy, dance, or singing. We are incredibly proud to have signed such impressive and diverse women as hosts. Together with Mélanie and Sven, our two hosts for the Arena plus public viewing, they form a true dream team that will delight audiences around the world! Together, the team reflects cultural and linguistic diversity of our country and embodies Switzerland's openness, its ability to bridge cultures, and its feeling of being home to everyone – true to our Swiss motto ‹Welcome Home›.» 

ESC 2025: A Celebration for Everyone 

The ESC 2025 aims to be more than just shows in the arena. Through specific projects and events, it will become an event for the whole of Swiss society. For example, from February 2025, in collaboration with «SRF school», age-appropriate teaching materials on the ESC will be available in the four national languages for interested teachers to integrate into their lessons. The aim is to introduce students to the cultural and musical diversity of the ESC in a creative way. This offer will be supplemented with song workshops and a video song contest for school classes and bands. 

Many different other projects complete the ESC 2025: a children’s choir performing in retirement homes, what is probably the world’s largest party for the over 60s, an urban art initiative, different exhibitions, and numerous cultural initiatives that make ESC tangible across Switzerland. 

The ESC 2025 is also breaking new ground by focusing on creative collaborations with various Swiss universities, such as the Basel University of Art and Design, the Basel School of Design, the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) and the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW). The ESC has also teamed up with the «ADC Young Creatives», who will act as official creative partners. 

The Eurovision Song Contest 2025 will not only set new musical standards but also open doors for young talent in Switzerland. Together with dedicated students, innovative social media concepts are being developed and implemented, taking the ESC to a whole new, creative level. A special highlight this year is the collaboration with the University of Applied Sciences Graubünden: students will be responsible for the international broadcast of two key ESC events – the «Semi-Final Draw» and the glamorous «Turquoise Carpet & Opening Ceremony».

This unique collaboration provides a platform for young talent to showcase their creativity and innovation, learn in a hands-on environment, and actively participate in one of the world's biggest entertainment events. It is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to gain valuable professional experience and to showcase Switzerland’s creative energy on the global stage.

Also on loops

https://loops.video/v/5f3p5LwM-e

https://eurovisionworld.com/national/montenegro/montesong-2025

Bambie Thug's new song is surprising very pop, and well timed for Halloween. (Reminds me a bit of Icona Pop's "I Love it")

Though police did not press charges and the investigation was dropped, Joost has now confirmed he won’t be taking part in the next Song Contest and needs ‘more time to heal’.

‘My team and I had everything ready, but it just doesn’t feel good.

‘I am very thankful for all the love around the world, however I am still very affected by this year.

‘I need to give myself more time to heal.

‘It was my dream to do Eurovision and we did that.

Raab was also responsible for the national final in 2010 which resulted in Germany winning the contest with Lena and the song Satellite

Finally get to hear a new song from Nemo.

(Including a few Eurovision cameos in the video clip)

Made for my brother's birthday (acryllic paint on canvas). Only problem is, every time I see it, I get the song stuck in my head.

The Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 will take place in St. Jakobshalle, Basel, on Saturday 17 May with Semi-Finals on Tuesday 13 and Thursday 15 May, after it was selected by Host Broadcaster SRG SSR and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to host the 69th edition of the Contest.

So. That's it. The investigation against Joost Klein is officially closed.

According to the prosecutors of the case, the Dutchman hit the photographer's camera, but it all happened very quickly, and there are doubts as to what exactly happened.

According to SVT, witnesses who have been questioned have stated that they did not watch the incident as threatening.

– Today I have closed the investigation because I cannot prove that the act was intended to cause serious fear or that the man had that intention, says senior prosecutor Frederik Jönsson in the press release.

Joost Klein, the Dutch entrant for this month’s Eurovision Song Contest, denies all the charges which led to him being thrown out of the competition, his lawyer Jan-Åke Fält has told Swedish media.

Klein, whose song Europapa was one of the competition favourites, was disqualified on Saturday after an incident at Thursday’s rehearsal between him and a camerawoman. He now faces being charged with “criminal intimidation”, according to Swedish media.

Swedish police said earlier that they were accelerating the prosecution process because they consider the evidence to be strong and because the offence is not more serious.

But Fält told local reporters Klein denies wrongdoing. “As I understand it, there was an agreement between him and the event management,” he said. “It was a sensitive occasion where he was not to be photographed leaving the stage. He should have been met just by his team but there was photographer standing there. He asked the person to stop filming.”

The photographer, says Fält, did not listen to Klein who then pushed the camera away to get rid of it. “He denies having threatened this person,” the lawyer said.

Fält said a preliminary trial date had been set for early June but that the police are not yet finished with their investigation.

“We have been informed of the investigation and now have the opportunity to comment on it,” he said. “We will request that some Dutch people appear as witnesses…I think the chances of him being acquitted are good.”

The European Broadcasting Union issued a statement on Tuesday saying that the Dutch version of events did not correspond with the witness accounts.

“Joost’s behaviour was in clear breach of contest rules, which are designed to ensure there is a safe working environment for all staff and to protect the production,” the EBU statement said.

Croatia's Baby Lasagna, who took second place at the Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday, says he is giving to charity the 50 thousand euros he will receive from the Government as an award for helping to promote Croatia and enhance its international recognition.

I'd previously assumed that the logo that showed up on the title screens for Moroccanoil was just another state owned oil company putting sponsorship money into random things, but the haircare ad at the end of yesterday's broadcast let me to do some investigating.

It turns out Moroccanoil is an Israeli company and I haven't seen many people talking about the potential conflict of interest here that might explain the EBU's shady behaviour this year.

I did find this article about them from 2015 which links to a video of sales reps from the company partying in what "may be" the occupied west bank. They also do appear on various BDS lists.

There is also this article from The Sun which does connect this to Eurovision this year, but it's from the sun so honestly that just makes the whole thing seem less credible.

Given the lack of information that I've found, I'm wondering what people here think? Do you know anything else about this? Do you think the EBU's actions are related to this sponsorship? Do we even care because their behaviour was shitty whether their motivation was from the sponsorship or more directly political?

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.blahaj.zone/post/12031158

image description: STAND FOR THE FLAG (soldier saluting in front of enby flag) AND KNEEL FOR THE CROSS (soldier kneeling in front of swiss flag)

Europapa got 182 out of 216 possible points and scored the second place in the second semi-final. Only a bit less than Israel, this would have probably meant a top 5 placement in the finale.