How Irish pop star Bambie Thug became the face of a Swiss referendum on Eurovision 

The Eurovision Song Contest will be coming to Basel. While choosing the host city was an incredibly slow process, a referendum to reverse the decision moved at double speed. Barely two hours elapsed between the performance by Swiss contestant Nemo at the Eurovision finals in spring 2024 and the end of the jury and televote. And then it was clear to TV viewers that the world’s biggest music event would be held in Switzerland in 2025. There was great rejoicing in the winning country, and not only among Eurovision fans. However, it was to take another six months – Switzerland is known for its frequent referendums – before the decision was finally confirmed. The people of Basel have now voted by a large majority in favour of hosting the contest. To be precise, 66,6% of voters in the canton of Basel City voted to confirm the canton’s public funding of nearly CHF35 million ($39.5 million) for Eurovision 2025. If a majority had voted against, the funding would have been blocked. The Swiss ...