European Broadcasting Union

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.

Acting Minister of Culture Nayden Todorov expressed concerns regarding certain streaming platforms operating in Bulgaria without providing Bulgarian translations, stating, "We have problems with some of the content streaming platforms that work in Bulgaria, but without Bulgarian translation." He conveyed this to journalists during his attendance at the Education, Youth, Culture, and Sp

The world's biggest live music event involving 37 nations, the Eurovision Song Contest, culminates in Sweden on Saturday.

Roughly 100,000 visitors from 89 countries have descended on host city Malmo during the week for the 68th edition of the competition, which has been marked by anti-Israel protests.

Who is in the final?

The Eurovision Song Contest final gets underway in Sweden's Malmo on Saturday with thousands of protesters expected to culminate a week of tensions surrounding Israel's participation during the Gaza war.

It took over 26 hours to travel from Kiev to Malmo, a journey Ukraine's Eurovision contestants say was imperative to make their country "visible" in the song contest overshadowed by Israel's participation.

Israel can compete in this year's Eurovision Song Contest, organizers said on Feb. 15, despite calls for it to be excluded over the Gaza war like Russia was after invading Ukraine.

The southern Swedish city of Malmo has been chosen to host the 2024 Eurovision Song contest on May 7-11, Swedish public broadcaster STV has said.

"Malmo is a creative city with a rich cultural life that can provide a music festival for the whole of Europe," said STV director general Hanne Stjarne.

Eurovision has a huge following in Sweden.

The Eurovision Song Contest will have Ukrainian flags, Ukrainian musicians and Ukrainian fans but not the country's wartime leader.

Organizers rejected a request from President Volodymyr Zelensky to make a video address to the final of the pan-continental music competition on May 12. He was expected to urge the world continue its support for Ukraine's fight to repel Russian invasion.

Ukraine on June 17 condemned the European Broadcasting Union's decision to strip it of the right to host next year's Eurovision song contest on security grounds after Russia's invasion.

Kitsch, glitz and geopolitics -- the Eurovision Song Contest is back in two weeks' time, with Russia excluded and conflict-ravaged Ukraine the hot favourite to take the crown.