eurovision

Basel will host the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest after the Swiss border city was chosen on Aug. 30 to stage the 69th edition of the glitzy annual TV extravaganza.

Swiss singer Nemo's 2024 Eurovision victory gave Switzerland the right to host next year's event, with a huge global audience guaranteed.

Basel has been selected to host the Eurovision Song Contest in 2025, winning out over Geneva for the honor of staging the 69th edition of the event, according to AFP. The choice follows Swiss singer Nemo's victory in 2024, which granted Switzerland the right to host the next contest on May 17.

The Eurovision Song Contest, a music kitsch-fest watched by some 200 million people, kicks off in Malmö, Sweden, on Sunday with its "turquoise carpet" gala, in what fans say is a wide-open year with half a dozen countries having a shot at the title.

Turkey's decision not to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest this year too has again left the fans disappointed, but some singers of Turkish origin will be competing to be a part of the iconic show on behalf of other countries.

The kitschy glamour of Eurovision is back, with the Dutch hosting a scaled-down, coronavirus-safe version this week after the song contest was canceled last year.

Around 3,500 COVID-tested fans will be allowed to attend the May 22 final in Rotterdam as the return of the pageant injects some glitz into Europe's cautious reopening.

Kristian Kostov is the Bulgarian participant at the next edition of Eurovision in 2017, announced BNT.

He will take the stage of the contest for the first time in May, in Ukraine's capital Kiev. According to the draw, Bulgaria is in the second semi-final of the music contest, which will start at 22.00 Bulgarian time on May, 11.