Cities that expressed interest in hosting (in red) and other cities and towns that expressed interest but ultimately did not bid (in grey)
After Switzerland's win in the 2024 contest, the local authorities of Geneva expressed interest in hosting the 2025 edition at Palexpo and submitted a formal application.[3][4] On the same day, the president of the Basel-Stadt government, Conradin Cramer, also expressed interest in Basel hosting the 2025 event.[5] On 12 May, Olma Hall in St. Gallen was proposed as a potential venue.[6][7] On 13 May, 1956 host city Lugano ruled out a bid to host in 2025, while the president of Bern's cantonal government Philippe Müller expressed his reluctance to host the contest in the de facto Swiss capital, citing "a rise in antisemitism" in the event.[8][9] Müller was publicly contradicted by the whole cantonal Bernese government on 15 May; the council congratulated Nemo and announced its support in organising the contest in Bern.[10] Meanwhile, the Zurich City Council was reported to have held a "high priority" meeting to discuss a bid.[11][12] On 14 May, Lausanne, which hosted the 1989 contest, ruled out a bid to host in 2025, citing a lack of infrastructure.[13]
On 15 May, Biel/Bienne, Nemo's hometown, declared its interest to be associated with and co-host the event.[14] On 17 May, the local government of Fribourg stated that it was examining a potential bid.[15] On 5 June, the Basel-Stadt government confirmed that it would bid, proposing St. Jakobshalle and St. Jakob-Park as possible venues.[16] On 6 June, Biel/Bienne and Bern's municipalities announced a potential joint bid.[17][18] On 12 June, St. Gallen announced that it would not submit a bid due to not meeting the requirements to host the event.[19]
The host broadcaster SRG SSR launched the bidding process in the week of 27 May 2024, by issuing a list of requirements for interested cities. Those cities will have until the end of June to prepare their bids, and the selected host city is expected to be announced by the end of August.[20]
Eligibility for participation in the Eurovision Song Contest requires a national broadcaster with active EBU membership capable of receiving the contest via the Eurovision network and broadcasting it live nationwide. The EBU invites to participate in the contest to all active members. Countries that are a part of the "Big Five" and the host country Switzerland are expected to be automatically allocated a place in the final of the contest, while all other countries will be placed in one of the two semi-finals.
As of June 2024,[update] the following countries have publicly confirmed their intention to participate in the 2025 contest:
Provisional list of participants of the Eurovision Song Contest 2025
Bosnia and Herzegovina – In its broadcasting programme for 2024, Bosnian broadcaster BHRT outlined its plans for the year, including a statement that "it is high time to consider the possibility of returning to the Eurovision Song Contest in 2025". The broadcaster is still currently under EBU sanctions due to debts.[42] Bosnia and Herzegovina last took part in 2016.
Czechia – On 17 May 2024, the Czech assistant head of press revealed that a decision on Czech participation in 2025 was made on 10 May, and that it would be ratified and announced after August.[43][44]
Greece – On 13 June 2024, Danish-Greek singer Shaya revealed in an interview with a programme of Greek broadcaster ERT that she intends to submit a song to the broadcaster with the intention of representing Greece in 2025,[45] while on 15 June, Greek singer Josephine stated that both she and her team are currently in talks with ERT about potentially representing the country in 2025.[46][47][48] ERT has yet to comment on its plans for 2025.
Latvia – On 20 June 2024, the Latvian Saeima voted against a petition signed by 11,300 people urging Latvia to withdraw from the contest.[49] Latvian broadcaster LTV is yet to confirm its 2025 participation.
Montenegro – On 5 January 2024, Montenegrin broadcaster RTCG published a report from a public debate held on 4 December 2023 concerning its production plans for 2024. In the report, the broadcaster states that it "plans on organising a music festival to promote Montenegrin artists and authors, and which would (depending on the budget) be used as a way to select the representative for Eurovision 2025".[50][51] Montenegro last took part in 2022.
Norway – Norwegian head of delegation Stig Karlsen [no] stated on 4 June 2024 that Norway intends to participate in 2025, but that its participation would depend on "actions the EBU will take to ensure that we do not face another season filled with polarisation, politics, and security concerns", referring to the controversies in 2024.[53]
San Marino – Sammarinese broadcaster SMRTV has a two-year agreement to host its current national final format, which expires after the 2025 contest.[54] Following San Marino's failure to qualify for the final in 2024, Secretary of State for Tourism Federico Pedini Amati suggested a possible withdrawal.[55]
Slovenia – On 9 March 2024, Mario Galunič [sl], editor at RTVSLO, drafted a document, with one of the points being a plan to return to selecting Slovene entries for Eurovision through the national final EMA [es; sl] from 2025 until 2028.[56][57]In2023 and 2024, the broadcaster selected its entries internally, despite originally intending to organise a national final in both years.
Non-EBU members
Kosovo – On 29 October 2023, in the wake of the first edition of Festivali i Këngës në RTK, the intended Kosovan national selection event for Eurovision, the CEO of Kosovan broadcaster RTK, Besnik Boletini, reaffirmed the country's continued efforts to be included in the contest as early as 2025.[58] On 6 June 2024, the broadcaster's general director Shkumbin Ahmetxhekaj sent a formal letter to the EBU requesting an invitation to participate in Eurovision 2025.[59][60]
Liechtenstein – In May 2024, the Liechtensteiner Vaterland newspaper reported that the country's national radio broadcaster, Radio Liechtenstein, was in the process of seeking membership in the EBU with the aim of making a debut in the Eurovision Song Contest.[61][62]
Confirmed non-participation
Slovakia – On 8 April 2024, the head of marketing communication at Slovak broadcaster RTVS, Zuzana Vicelová, stated that the country would not return in 2025 due to budget cuts.[63] Slovakia last took part in 2012.
^ abCramer, Conradin [@ConradinCramer] (12 May 2024). "Herzliche Gratulation an Nemo" [Warm Congratulations to Nemo] (Tweet) (in Swiss High German). Retrieved 12 May 2024 – via Twitter.
^Galli, Paolo (13 May 2024). "Eurosong, Zurigo non si sfila" [Eurosong, Zurich doesn't show up]. Corriere del Ticino (in Italian). Retrieved 13 May 2024.
^Mancheño, José Miguel (11 June 2024). "Elhaida Dani será la directora artística del Festivali i Këngës 63" [Elhaida Dani will be the Artistic Director of Festivali i Këngës 63]. ESCplus España (in Spanish). Retrieved 11 June 2024. La cantante vencedora de la competición albanesa y representante del país en el Festival de Eurovisión 2015 asume la dirección del certamen donde se elegirá la propuesta del país del próximo año. [The winner of the Albanian contest and the country's representative at the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 takes over the leadership of the contest where the country's entry for next year's Eurovision Song Contest will be chosen.]
^"Štengl: Politika na Eurosongu je neizbježan faktor" [Štengl: Politics at the Eurovision Song Contest is an inevitable factor]. Croatian Radiotelevision (in Croatian). 13 May 2024. Retrieved 15 May 2024. Štengl je rekao kako novi proces kreće čim se malo odmore. Idemo raditi nove prijedloge ugovora, otvoriti novi natječaj uz nadu da će se na valu LET 3, Baby Lasagne prijavljivati izvođači svih različitih vrsta glazbe, mladi, stari. Tko god ima dobar proizvod, neka se prijavi, rekao je. [Štengl said that the new process starts as soon as they rest a little. We are going to work on new contract proposals, open a new competition with the hope that performers of all different types of music, young and old, will apply for the wave LET 3, Baby Lasagna. Whoever has a good product should apply, he said.]
^Zaikaner, Avi (31 May 2024). "ישראל מאשרת השתתפות באירוויזיון 2025" [Israel confirms participation in Eurovision 2025]. EuroMix (in Hebrew). Retrieved 31 May 2024.
^"MESC Music Exchange Camp – Regulations"(PDF). Public Broadcasting Services. 6 May 2024. p. 6. Retrieved 13 May 2024. The compositions (lyrics and music) created during the MEC [The Malta Eurovision Song Contest Music Exchange Camp] 2024 must not be commercially released before the next edition of the Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2025 and the Malta Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2024
Albania
Austria
Belgium
Croatia
Denmark
Finland
Germany
Israel
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Portugal
Serbia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Bosnia and Herzegovina – In its broadcasting programme for 2024, Bosnian broadcaster BHRT outlined its plans for the year, including a statement that "it is high time to consider the possibility of returning to the Eurovision Song Contest in 2025". The broadcaster is still currently under EBU sanctions due to debts.[42] Bosnia and Herzegovina last took part in 2016.
Czechia – On 17 May 2024, the Czech assistant head of press revealed that a decision on Czech participation in 2025 was made on 10 May, and that it would be ratified and announced after August.[43][44]
Greece – On 13 June 2024, Danish-Greek singer Shaya revealed in an interview with a programme of Greek broadcaster ERT that she intends to submit a song to the broadcaster with the intention of representing Greece in 2025,[45] while on 15 June, Greek singer Josephine stated that both she and her team are currently in talks with ERT about potentially representing the country in 2025.[46][47][48] ERT has yet to comment on its plans for 2025.
Latvia – On 20 June 2024, the Latvian Saeima voted against a petition signed by 11,300 people urging Latvia to withdraw from the contest.[49] Latvian broadcaster LTV is yet to confirm its 2025 participation.
Montenegro – On 5 January 2024, Montenegrin broadcaster RTCG published a report from a public debate held on 4 December 2023 concerning its production plans for 2024. In the report, the broadcaster states that it "plans on organising a music festival to promote Montenegrin artists and authors, and which would (depending on the budget) be used as a way to select the representative for Eurovision 2025".[50][51] Montenegro last took part in 2022.
Netherlands – On 6 June 2024, Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS stated that its participation in 2025 would depend on "structural adjustments" to the organisation of the contest, following the controversies of the 2024 edition, including the disqualification of that year's Dutch entrant Joost Klein from the final.[52]
Norway – Norwegian head of delegation Stig Karlsen [no] stated on 4 June 2024 that Norway intends to participate in 2025, but that its participation would depend on "actions the EBU will take to ensure that we do not face another season filled with polarisation, politics, and security concerns", referring to the controversies in 2024.[53]
San Marino – Sammarinese broadcaster SMRTV has a two-year agreement to host its current national final format, which expires after the 2025 contest.[54] Following San Marino's failure to qualify for the final in 2024, Secretary of State for Tourism Federico Pedini Amati suggested a possible withdrawal.[55]
Slovenia – On 9 March 2024, Mario Galunič [sl], editor at RTVSLO, drafted a document, with one of the points being a plan to return to selecting Slovene entries for Eurovision through the national final EMA [es; sl] from 2025 until 2028.[56][57]In2023 and 2024, the broadcaster selected its entries internally, despite originally intending to organise a national final in both years.
Kosovo – On 29 October 2023, in the wake of the first edition of Festivali i Këngës në RTK, the intended Kosovan national selection event for Eurovision, the CEO of Kosovan broadcaster RTK, Besnik Boletini, reaffirmed the country's continued efforts to be included in the contest as early as 2025.[58] On 6 June 2024, the broadcaster's general director Shkumbin Ahmetxhekaj sent a formal letter to the EBU requesting an invitation to participate in Eurovision 2025.[59][60]
Liechtenstein – In May 2024, the Liechtensteiner Vaterland newspaper reported that the country's national radio broadcaster, Radio Liechtenstein, was in the process of seeking membership in the EBU with the aim of making a debut in the Eurovision Song Contest.[61][62]
Slovakia – On 8 April 2024, the head of marketing communication at Slovak broadcaster RTVS, Zuzana Vicelová, stated that the country would not return in 2025 due to budget cuts.[63] Slovakia last took part in 2012.
Media related to Eurovision Song Contest 2025 at Wikimedia Commons
