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Switzerland now leads the betting odds for the Eurovision Song Contest. If Nemo wins with “The Code” in Malmö, the ESC 2025 will take place in a Swiss stadium. But which one? And how are the costs divided? The head of the SRF delegation comments.
On Friday, Nemo was in fifth place in the ESC betting odds with the song “The Code”, but on Monday the Swiss act suddenly led them. The reason for this is the Eurovision pre-party in Madrid on Saturday. Nemo played live for the first time in front of thousands of ESC fans and then appeared in numerous social posts – including those from the competition. Video collaborations are just as much a part of the Eurovision Song Contest as political controversies.
“That’s a really nice sign,” says Nemo, “people are excited, believe in the song and that motivates me a lot.” Yves Schifferle, head of the SRF delegation, adds: “The whole team is really happy about this response, it gives us tailwind.” However, he points out that there are still five weeks until the competition and a lot could still change by then. “We are now concentrating on the performance, are rehearsing and still have a lot to do before Malmö.”
What are ESC pre-parties?
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Legend: Competition, yes – but also friends: Nemo is having fun with other ESC participants at the pre-party in Madrid. SRF/Benjamin Ramsauer
Events are taking place in several European cities in the run-up to the Eurovision Song Contest to really fuel the hype for the actual competition. The acts can present themselves and their songs live – not just to the fans on site, but all of Europe thanks to live recordings and social media collaborations.
In 2024, pre-parties will take place in Madrid, Barcelona, London, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Oslo and Copenhagen. “Madrid was incredibly great,” enthuses Nemo, “I was able to get to know the other artists and the energy of the audience was incredible. That was a really nice weekend.”
The tailwind is also noticeable in the numbers: Within a week, Nemo has gained over 5,000 followers on Instagram and “The Code” is scratching the 2.5 million streams mark on Spotify. The piece has also entered the viral charts in several European countries.
Where could the Swiss ESC rise?
According to the betting odds on the fan portal Eurovisionworld.com Nemo is currently predicted to have a 19 percent chance of winning. You can just hope and dream.
And initial clarifications must be made because: If Switzerland wins, it will host the competition in 2025. Places with large halls that offer good infrastructure are eligible. According to Schifferle, Zurich, Bern, Geneva and Basel would be an issue, among others.
Who pays for that?
In addition to the location, your wallet also needs to be prepared. Schifferle doesn’t want to give any figures yet – you can find various information on the internet, but most of them are not clear as to whether these are just production costs or the entire financial outlay.
“We are already exchanging ideas with the Netherlands, Portugal and Italy to get an overview of what the ESC costs,” he says.
In any case, the SRG would not have to bear the costs alone. The city in which it takes place will have to cover a large part, as will the countries taking part in the ESC. According to the head of the SRF delegation, there is also income from ticketing and sponsorship.
It would be the third ESC in Switzerland
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Legend: Canadian superstar Céline Dion (right) on stage at the ESC in Dublin in 1988. Next to her are the songwriter Atilla Sereftug and the songwriter Nella Martinetti as well as presenter Raymond Fein (from left). Keystone/Str
The Eurovision Song Contest has already been held twice in Switzerland. Once at the premiere in 1956 in Lugano, which was also won by a Swiss woman, Lyss Assia. The SRG didn’t want to hold the competition again right away, so Germany stepped in the following year.
The ESC took place for the second time in Switzerland in 1989 in Lausanne, after Céline Dion had won in Dublin, Ireland the year before.
Legend: Nemo on the red carpet of the ESC pre-party in Madrid. SRF/Benjamin Ramsauer
SRF 3, afternoon April 2, 2024, 2:14 p.m.; kobt