Eurovision Can Go Ahead in Basel as Vote Against ‘Blasphemous’ Event Fails

(Bloomberg) — The Eurovision Song Contest can go ahead as planned in the Swiss city of Basel in 2025, after local citizens gave the world’s largest music competition their blessing in a vote. 

A Christian-conservative party had collected enough signatures to trigger the plebiscite, seeking to block 37.4 million francs ($42 million) the canton of Basel-City intends to spend on hosting the event. The group decried “blasphemy” at the ESC and campaigned under the slogan “no taxpayer money for woke propaganda.”

The opponents are set to garner some 33.6% of the vote, with 66.4% of the population supporting the event, according to early government figures published on Sunday.

This year’s ESC in Malmo, Sweden, attracted a TV audience of 163 million people across Europe, Asia and Australia. Swiss singer Nemo won the contest, earning Switzerland the right to host the next competition. 

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