Basel council approves CHF35m Eurovision Song Contest budget

The Swiss city of Basel has approved a budget of CHF35 million for the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC), which it will host in 2025. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The decision was made by 87 votes to 4 with 4 abstentions in the cantonal parliament that covers the city. All parliamentary groups were in favor by a majority. + Switzerland at Eurovision: the colourful hits and misses The gross amount is CHF 37.5 million, which includes an expected income of CHF .5 million from the Arena Plus venue, which will be set up in the St Jakob-Park stadium for public viewing. The canton is therefore expecting a net expenditure of CHF35 million. The government had requested the expenditure for various areas such as infrastructure, security, medical services, transportation, accommodation, welcome activities and supporting events. The small party EDU has already announced that it will launch a referendum against the spending authorisation. According to the government ...