Martijn

Martin Green director of Eurovision Song Contest

Martin Green will be the director of the Eurovision Song Contest. After last year’s Eurovision Song Contest, the EBU (European Broadcasting Union) made some changes. One of these changes was to appoint a director to lead the contest. Today, the name of Martin Green is announced. Green has led many major events. These include the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Hull UK City of Culture in 2017, and the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022. He also produced the BAFTA-winning Eurovision Song Contest in 2023 in Liverpool for Ukraine. Jean Philip De Tender, the EBU’s Director of Media, praised Green’s experience and creativity. He said that Green’s leadership will play a key role as they prepare for the 2025 contest and plan for the future. The EBU is committed to building on Eurovision’s history and making it even more powerful at uniting people through music. Green currently works as Vice President of global live events at TAIT, an entertainment company. He will start his new role in November. Green, who received a CBE in 2017, said he is excited to lead such a special event. He believes Eurovision brings people together across generations and cultures. He looks forward to making the event’s future even brighter. Since 1956, Eurovision has grown from a small competition with just seven countries to a global event. Today, it reaches millions of TV viewers and billions of online users around the world. The 69th Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Basel, Switzerland, from May 13 to 17, 2025. The EBU will announce the list of participating broadcasters by the end of this year. Martin Green will be the director of the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time in Basel.

Blast from the past: Romania 2003

We know a lot about Eurovision and we want to share this knowledge with you! Therefore we’d like to bring you a blast from the past. Today we look back at Nicola’s Don’t Break My Heart, Romania 2003. Romania in the Eurovision Song Contest Romania made their debut in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1994. The year before, they already did an attempt. That year, they took part in the Eastern European qualification round Kvalifikacija za Millstreet. Romania has never won the Eurovision Song Contest so far. Both Luminița Anghel & Sistem with Let Me Try (2005) and Paula Seling & Ovi with Playing With Fire (2010) reached a 3rd place. However, Romania did not participate in this year’s contest. They will also be absent in the 2025 contest. Luminița Anghel Selecția Națională 2003 The Romanian national selection is called Selecția Națională. That was already the case in 2003. Two semifinals were held with 12 songs each. Mălina Olinescu (Eurovision 1998) was one of the contestants but she didn’t reach the final. The 10 who did are listed below: Valahia sang Friends Are Friends, 11 pts. 3rd D’La Vegas sang Oxigen, 5 pts, 10th Nicola sang Don’t Break My Heart, 24 pts, 1st Genius sang My Life, 9 pts, 6th Paula Seling sang Let’s Go!, 11 pts, 3rd Răzvan Crivaci and Liviu Sorescu sang Once Upon A Time, 9 pts, 6th Alexandra Ungureau sang Make This Love Come True, 11 pts, 3rd Centru’ Civic sang Come With Us, 9 pts, 6th Aurelian Temișan sang Let’s Have A Holiday, 20 pts, 2nd Mihai Trăistariu (member of Valahia) and Paula Seling later also represented Romania, Paula even twice. Mihai Trăistariu Nicola Nicoleta Alexandru, known as Nicola, was born on November 5, 1966, in Bucharest, Romania. She began her music career in 1985, performing at the Mamaia Festival, where she won several awards. Nicola sang in various bands before launching her solo career in 1999 with the hit song Cu tălpile goale (Barefoot). The song gained widespread airplay on many radio and TV stations across Romania. In 2003, Nicola rose to fame after winning Romania’s national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest with the song Don’t Break My Heart. She represented Romania in Riga, Latvia, and secured 10th place. That same year, she released her album Best of Nicola, which achieved great success and earned her a Platinum Disc. Nicola continued her music career, releasing albums and singles such as De mă vei chema (If You Call Me) and Honey in 2005. She received several MTV Romania Music Award nominations and collaborated with well-known international artists, including Thomas Nichols. In 2019, Nicola competed again in Romania’s Eurovision selection with the song Weight of the World. Don’t Break My Heart Nicola wrote and composed Don’t Break My Heart, with her husband Mihai Alexandru producing the song. With its catchy tune and her strong performance, Nicola won first place in Romania’s national competition, securing her spot at the Eurovision Song Contest in Riga. On May 24, 2003, Nicola performed Don’t Break My Heart for an international audience. The song’s upbeat pop melody and her powerful vocals captured attention. Nicola finished in 10th place, earning 73 points from the voting countries, marking a strong result for Romania at that time.

Blast from the past: Austria 1976

We know a lot about Eurovision and we want to share this knowledge with you! Therefore we’d like to bring you a blast from the past. Today, we go back to 1976, when Waterloo and Robinson represented Austria with the song My Little World. Austria in the Eurovision Song Contest Austria started participating in 1957. Their first victory came in 1966, when Udo Jürgens won with Merci Cherie. It was his third consecutive participation. After that, Austria did not make it to the top-3 again for decades. In 2014 this changed, when Conchita Wurst gained the trophy with her Rise Like a Phoenix. In 2018 there was another top-3 place for Austria: Cesár Sampson even won the jury voting with Nobody But You. With Teya and Salena (Who The Hell Is Edgar?) last year and Kaleen (We Will Rave) this year, Austria reached the final. Almost returning My Little World was, as far as we know, selected internally. But in 2004, Waterloo and Robinson took part in the national selection again. Their song You Can Change the World was 2nd. After the national competition, Waterloo and Robinson, sued the winning group Tie Break. They said that the song Du Bist was too long (over three minutes) and copied the song Für Dich by German singer Yvonne Catterfield. However, the lawsuit was rejected for legal reasons. ORF, the TV broadcaster, said that the small time over the limit wasn’t enough to disqualify the song and promised to shorten it to three minutes for the Eurovision Song Contest. So no return at Eurovision for Waterloo and Robinson. Waterloo and Robinson Waterloo & Robinson is a pop music duo from Austria. The group consists of Hans Kreuzmayr (Waterloo) and Josef Krassnitzer (Robinson). Beginning Hans and Josef met in 1969 when Hans was looking for someone to help design displays for his boutique. Both were already playing in local bands. They decided to make music together. At their early shows, they were called The Edward Brothers. In 1971, they entered a music competition and came in third place with their song Du Kannst Sehen (a song about a blind girl). After that, they had hits with songs like Lili’s Haus, Baby Blue (their first big hit in Europe), and Hollywood, a worldwide hit. In 1974, Baby Blue and Hollywood took turns being number 1 and 2 on the Ö3 chart. Eurovision and Wild Land The duo represented Austria in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1976. They finished in 5th place with their song My Little World. In 1978, they filmed a movie called Wild Land in Kenya, and they also released an album with the same name. Germany Their popularity grew in Germany, but in Austria, their songs didn’t get as much attention. In 1979, they released Do You Remember Marianne, which became a hit in Germany but not in Austria. They appeared on many popular TV shows in Germany but started having disagreements due to their declining success in Austria. This led to their split in 1981. After the split After the split, Waterloo continued his solo career with songs like Im Land das Ewigkeit Heißt and other hits. Robinson also released some solo music and helped produce music for young artists, but he stayed out of the spotlight. Waterloo took part in the Austrian national selections for Eurovision twice as a soloist: in 1983 and in 1990. After about ten years, they tried working together again and performed concerts in 1989 and 1990. They both kept doing solo projects as well. Robinson went on an “Unplugged Tour,” and Waterloo spent time on a Native American reservation in North America. This experience influenced his later music, and he released albums with Native American themes like Tales of the Sun, Moon and Stars, Apaches’ Land, and Indio. While promoting Indio, Waterloo was playing Winnetou at a festival, where he met his current wife, Andrea. Nowadays Their concerts now include both their old hits from the 1970s and newer songs with Native American influences. In 2002, they released a new version of the Opus hit Live Is Life, which became a hit in Austria. In 2004, they placed second in the Austrian selection for the Eurovision Song Contest with their song You Can Change the World. Waterloo released a solo CD in 2005 for his 60th birthday, and a Christmas CD in 2006. Robinson also worked on solo projects during this time. They were still touring together at that point. In 2007, they decided to focus only on their solo work for live shows. In 2015, they reunited for a short time to perform at special events and on TV for the Eurovision Song Contest, which took place in Vienna. My Little World My Little World is a song performed by the Austrian pop duo Waterloo & Robinson. The song was composed by Gerhard Heinz, who is known for his work in film scores and pop music, while the lyrics were written by Peter Orthofer. The track was selected to represent Austria in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1976. At Eurovision, which was held in The Hague, The Netherlands, My Little World was performed as Austria’s entry. The duo delivered a heartfelt and melodic performance that resonated with both the jury and the audience. The song, with its catchy tune and reflective lyrics, stood out during the competition. Ultimately, My Little World scored 80 points in the contest and finished in 5th place, a strong result for Austria. The song was well-received and helped further establish Waterloo & Robinson’s career both in Austria and internationally. Their Eurovision appearance cemented their reputation as one of the country’s leading pop acts during the 1970s.

Martin Lee passed away

Though it hurts to go away, it’s impossible to stay…. On September 29, Martin Lee passed away at age 77. Lee was one of the members of Brotherhood of Man, the group winning the 1976 Eurovision Song Contest. Martin Lee was a British singer and songwriter, best known as a member of the pop group Brotherhood of Man. He was born on November 26, 1949, in Surrey, England. Martin always had a love for music and started his career as a singer in the 1960s. In 1973, Martin joined Brotherhood of Man. The group became famous for their catchy pop songs. He was part of the group when they won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1976 with the song “Save Your Kisses for Me.” The song was a huge hit and reached number one in many countries. As a member of Brotherhood of Man, Martin performed in many countries and had several more hit songs. Some of their other famous songs include “Angelo” and “Figaro.” Martin not only sang in the group but also helped write many of their songs. The group quit in 1984. However, they made a restart in 1987 and kept on going until very recent. Martin Lee has a daughter from his first marriage. She was born in 1973. In late 1973, Sandra Stevens joined Brotherhood of Man. Soon after, she and Martin Lee started a relationship. Martin and Sandra got married in August 1979. They lived in Surrey.

Blast from the past: Germany 1958

We know a lot about Eurovision and we want to share this knowledge with you! Therefore we’d like to bring you a blast from the past. Today, we go way back: to 1958, when Margot Hielscher sang her “Für Zwei Groschen Musik” for Germany. Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest Germany has always participated in the Eurovision Song Contest. Only in 1996 they didn’t manage to survive the audio semifinal. Germany managed to have high positions very often, but it was only in 1982 when the country had their first victory: Nicole managed to win the contest with her song “Ein bißchen Frieden”. In 2010 it happened again. Lena won with “Sattelite”. In recent years, Germany seems to have lost it with many songs ending up in last place or close to the last place. Michael Schulte was the exception with a 4th place in 2018. And this year, Isaak was 12th, so the only way is up for Germany. Lena Schlager 1958 Little is known about the 1958 national final. We know that it was held on the 20th of January in the Kleine Westfalenhalle in Dortmund. Eurovision 1957 host Anaid Iplikjan and Kurt A. Jung hosted the show. Twelve artists sang one song each. We know the singers, but only three titles of songs: Evelyn Künneke Erni Bieler Fred Bertelmann Gitta Lind sang “Etwas Leise Musik“ Lale Andersen sang “Die Braut der Sieben Meere“, 4th place Vico Torriani John Paris Margret Fürer Margot Hielscher sang “Für Zwei Groschen Musik“, 1st place Georg Thomalla Peter Lorenz Fred Weyrich We know that one of the songs was called “Drei Häuse Weiter”. However, it is unclear who sang it. source: Eurovision Artists Lale Andersen Margot Hielscher Margot Hielscher was born on September 29, 1919, in Berlin, Germany. She trained as a costume and fashion designer in the 1930s. While studying, she met famous singers and actors and decided to learn to sing and act as well. She worked in film as a costume designer before getting her first acting role in 1940. Margot became a popular actress during World War II, acting and singing in many films. She also toured as a singer to entertain soldiers. After the war, she performed for GIs and worked on the radio. In 1957 and 1958, Margot represented Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest. Hielscher appeared in 60 films and about 200 TV shows during her career. She was also known for her many singing performances and recorded over 400 songs. In the 1950s, she hosted Germany’s first TV talk show. Margot married film composer Friedrich Meyer in 1959. She lived in Munich for most of her life. Even in her later years, she continued to perform on stage. Margot Hielscher passed away on August 20, 2017, at the age of 97. She was buried in Munich next to her husband, Friedrich Meyer, who died in 1993. Margot Hielscher; photo Beeld en Geluid Für Zwei Groschen Musik “They chose miss Germany, miss France and miss Italy. There’s even a miss Fashion and miss Leg. But because everybody loves music, and there is no miss Jukebox yet, I would like to be miss Jukebox.”, that’s how the lyrics started. “Für Zwei Groschen Musik” (Music for Two Pennies) is a German song performed by Margot Hielscher at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1958. The music for the song was composed by Friedrich Meyer, who was Hielscher’s husband. The lyrics were written by Aldo von Pinelli and Ralph Maria Siegel. The song is a charming, nostalgic piece that speaks about enjoying simple pleasures in life, like music, which can bring happiness even when money is scarce. Margot Hielscher performed the song as Germany’s entry at the Eurovision Song Contest, held in Hilversum, the Netherlands. The contest took place on March 12, 1958. Hielscher’s performance stood out for its elegance and simplicity, and she sang the song with grace, wearing a stylish outfit and using a telephone prop on stage, just as she had the year before. While wearing a dress with a ‘Miss Jukebox’ sash, and having a vinyl single in her hands throughout the entire song, Margot scored only 5 points. “Für Zwei Groschen Musik” finished in seventh place.

Blast from the past: Spain 2012

We know a lot about Eurovision and we want to share this knowledge with you! Therefore we’d like to bring you a blast from the past. Today, let’s talk about Pastora Soler, who represented Spain in the 2012 contest with the song “Quedate Conmigo”. Spain in the Eurovision Song Contest Spain has been a key participant in the Eurovision Song Contest since its debut in 1961. The country has won the competition twice, first in 1968 with “La, La, La” by Massiel, and again in 1969 with “Vivo Cantando” by Salomé, though the latter was part of a four-way tie for first place. Despite these early successes, Spain has struggled in recent years to achieve top positions. Its best recent result came in 2022, when Chanel finished 3rd with her energetic performance of “SloMo.” As part of the “Big Five” (alongside the UK, France, Germany, and Italy), Spain automatically qualifies for the final each year. This prominent status reflects the country’s significant financial contribution to the contest. Spanish entries are often a blend of modern pop and traditional music, reflecting the country’s rich musical heritage. Eurovision remains a major cultural event in Spain, drawing a passionate fanbase year after year. Recently, the national final Benidorm Fest put Spain back on the Eurovision map. Chanel’s “SloMo” won Benidorm Fest and reached a 3rd place in the Eurovision final. This year’s “Zora” didn’t end up high, but is a Eurovision classic already. Eurovisión: Pastora Soler On December 21, 2011, it was announced that Pastora Soler was going to represent Spain in the Eurovision Song Contest. The plan was to select the song through a national final, with all the songs sung by, of course, Pastora Soler. It started with an internet selection between 15 and 20 February. Two songs were submitted, one of them would be added to the national final: Ahora o nunca, 2,265 votes Me despido de ti, 1,750 votes The final was held on March 3rd, with a 50/50 televote and jury. Here are the songs and results: Tu vida es tu vida, 56 pts, 2nd Quédate conmigo, 72 pts, 1st Ahora o nunca, 52 pts, 3rd Pastora Soler Pastora Soler, born María del Pilar Sánchez Luque on September 28, 1978, in Coria del Río, Seville, is a famous Spanish singer and songwriter. Known for blending traditional Spanish music styles like copla and flamenco with modern pop and electronic sounds, she has built a successful music career. Pastora showed her singing talent as a child, performing Spanish folk songs. In 1994, she released her first album, Nuestras coplas. Five years later her song Dámelo ya became a big hit and made her famous. She continued to release successful albums, mixing different music styles, including the electronic-influenced Deseo in 2002. In 2005, Pastora signed with Warner Music Spain, releasing albums like Toda Mi Verdad (2007) and Bendita Locura (2009). In 2012, she represented Spain at the Eurovision Song Contest with the song Quédate conmigo, finishing 10th. After a short break in 2014 due to health issues, Pastora returned to the music scene with new albums and TV appearances, including La Voz Kids and La Voz Senior. In 2019, she also released the album Sentir, and in 2022, her album Libra came out, continuing her successful career. photo: Junta de Andalucía, Wikimedia Commons Quédate Conmigo “Quédate Conmigo” (Stay with Me) is a powerful ballad performed by Spanish singer Pastora Soler at the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest in Baku, Azerbaijan. The song was written by a talented team of lyricists and composers. They included Thomas G’son, Tony Sánchez-Ohlsson, and Erik Bernholm. Known for its emotional depth and Pastora’s stunning vocal delivery, the song talks about the pain of losing a loved one and the desire to have them stay, and filled with heartfelt emotion and strong musical arrangements. At Eurovision, “Quédate conmigo” earned wide praise for its moving performance and was considered one of Spain’s strongest entries in years. It finished in 10th place out of 26 finalists, scoring a total of 97 points, which was a significant achievement for Spain, as it was one of their best results in the contest in over a decade.

Dutch broadcaster delays decision on participation

The Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS has been allowed to delay their decision about participating in next year’s Eurovision Song Contest. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organizes Eurovision, has given them until at least November 1 to decide. AVROTROS explained that a meeting with the EBU’s leadership has started a positive conversation. To give this conversation a chance, they asked for more time to decide if they will participate. The EBU agreed to this delay, and AVROTROS is thankful for it. The broadcaster started questioning their participation after the EBU disqualified Dutch artist Joost Klein from this year’s Eurovision final in Malmö, Sweden. Klein had an argument with a camerawoman, which led to his disqualification. AVROTROS disagreed with the EBU’s decision. Recently, Swedish authorities closed the case, saying there wasn’t enough evidence. Next year’s Eurovision will take place in May in Basel, Switzerland. The EBU hopes that the Netherlands will take part and plans to announce the list of participating countries by the end of the year.

Blast from the past: Ukraine 2010

We know a lot about Eurovision and we want to share this knowledge with you! Therefore we’d like to bring you a blast from the past. Today we look back at Alyosha‘s “Sweet people”, the Ukrainian song in 2010. Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest The first Ukrainian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest was “Hasta la vista”, sung by Olexandr Ponomariov in 2003. Already a year later, the country had it’s first victory with Ruslana and her “Wild dances”. Ukraine is the only country that always reached the final so far. Ukraine managed to win the contest even three times already: with Ruslana, in 2016 with Jamala and her “1942” and in 2022 with Kalush Orchestra’s “Stefania”. Evrobachennya. Ukrayina-2010 Vasyl The road that lead to “Sweet people” being the Eurovision song was quite a complicated one. In December 2009, Ukrainian Television announced that the artist representing the country was selected internally. It was the 28 years old singer and performer Vasyl Lazarovych who got the job. The national final Evrobachennya. Ukrayina was held on March 5. Vasyl sang a total of 5 songs. The winning song was “I love you”, written and composed by Brandon Stone and Olga Yarinich. However, a storm of criticism came up, especially about the idea of giving only one artist the chance to perform. 20 songs After 10 days, Ukrainian broadcaster NTU decided to have a new national final. “I love you” was now one of 20 songs. Vitaliy Kozlovskiy sang “”I-L@VE?” Vasyl Lazarovych sang “I love you”, 24 pts, 7th SH and BB sang “Ne zhurys” OIeksiy Matias sang “Angely ne umirayut”, 32 pts, 3rd Zaklyopi sang “Anybody home?” 23 pts, 8th Ivan Berezovskyi sang “No doubt”, 21 pts, 10th Stereo sang “Ne shkody s uma”, 22 pts, 9th Irina Rosenfeld sang “Forever”, 29 pts, 6th Shanis sang “Lechu k tebe” Max Barskih sang “White raven” Vladyslav Levytskyi sang “Davay, davay!” Miya sang “Vona” DaZzle Dreams sang “Emotional lady” Masha Sobko sang “Ya tebya lyublyu”, 36 pts, 2nd Zlata Ochnevich sang “Tiny island”, 30 pts, 5th Mira Gold sang “Crazy lady” Natalia Valevska sang “Europe”, 31 pts, 4th Juliya Voice sang “Zavyazhi mne glaza” El Kravchuk sang “Fly to heaven”, 21 pts, 10th Alyosha sang “To be free”, 36 pts, 1st A new song Accusations of plagiarism were made about the winning song “To be free” immediately after the contest. Also, it was said to be published already in 2008. While NTU wanted to investigate this, the final deadline of submitting a song was so close that NTU decided that Alyosha could sing another song in Eurovision: “Sweet people”. Alyosha Olena Oleksandrivna Kucher, known as Alyosha and later by her real name, Olena Topolia, is a celebrated Ukrainian singer, songwriter, and composer. Born on May 14, 1986, in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, she grew up in a hardworking family; her father was a traffic officer, and her mother worked at an aviation plant. From a young age, Olena was passionate about music, singing in school choirs and attending the “Youth” music studio. She later graduated from the Kyiv National University of Culture and Arts with a degree in Pop Vocal. Olena’s career began to take off after she won the international competition Yalta 2006. In 2010, she gained worldwide attention when she represented Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest with the song “Sweet People,” . Olena quickly became a prominent figure in the Ukrainian music scene. She has written and composed many of her own songs, as well as for other artists. Over the years, Olena has released several successful albums, such as A World Outside Your Door and Tocka na karte. In 2023, she returned to Eurovision as an interval act, performing a duet with Rebecca Ferguson. That same year, she started performing under her real name, Olena Topolia, marking a new chapter in her career. Sweet people The song “Sweet people” was composed by Alyosha, alongside Borys Kukoba and Vadym Lisitsa. It was written in response to environmental concerns, carrying a strong message about the negative impact of human actions on the world. The lyrics call for awareness and responsibility, warning about the destruction caused by pollution and the need to protect the planet for future generations. At the Eurovision Song Contest, “Sweet People” represented Ukraine after the forementioned last-minute change from Alyosha’s original song, “To Be Free,” due to plagiarism accusations. In the grand final, Alyosha delivered a powerful performance of the ballad in Oslo, Norway. The song finished 10th out of 25 participants, scoring a total of 108 points. “Sweet People” stood out for its emotional message and Alyosha’s strong vocal performance, gaining widespread recognition across Europe.

🇨🇾 Theo Evan to represent Cyprus

Theo Evan will represent Cyprus in the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest. That is what the singer himself announced on Instagram today. The singer was internally selected by the Cypriot broadcaster CyBC. Theo Evan is a Cypriot singer, born in Nicosia. He was already a singer and a dancer at the age of 7. In his teens he started writing songs himself. After finishing school in Nicosia, Theo moved to the United States to study music and performance at the famous Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. He did very well in his studies and has been invited back as an honorary guest at the university’s graduation ceremony three times, alongside stars like Missy Elliot, Pharrell Williams, John Legend, and Justin Timberlake! Theo released his first single, “The Wall,” in 2021, and since then, he has created a strong collection of songs, inspired by artists like Stromae, Michael Jackson, and reggaeton. Theo was also involved in the popular HBO TV series Euphoria, where he appeared as an extra!

Eurovision 2025 in Basel

Basel will be the host city of the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest. The contest will be held on 13, 15 and 17 May. Due to Nemo’s victory this year, Switzerland has the opportunity to host the contest. Geneva and Basel were the last two cities, and through this video, Basel was announced as the host city: Martin Österdahl, executive producer of the Eurovision Song Contest, says: ‘The EBU is thrilled that Basel has been selected as the Host City for the Eurovision Song Contest 2025. The Contest was born in Switzerland in Lugano back in 1956 and it’s great to be bringing it back to its birthplace almost 70 years later.’ Following Contests in the Italian and French speaking parts of the country in 1956 and 1989 we’re also excited to bring the Eurovision Song Contest to German Switzerland for the very first time. Together with Host Broadcaster SRG SSR and the city of Basel we will create a spectacular celebration of music on the banks of the River Rhine that resonates far beyond the stage.’ Conradin Cramer, President of the Government of Basel said: ‘It is a great honour for Basel to be able to host the world’s biggest live music event! We are looking forward to this fantastic opportunity to present Basel to the world as a cosmopolitan city of culture in the heart of Europe. As an open city in the border triangle of Germany, France and Switzerland, we overcome borders of all kinds every day. This fits in perfectly with the Eurovision Song Contest. We are already looking forward to welcoming our guests from all over Europe: welcome to Basel!’