Basel’s St. Jakobshalle has cleared out. The glitter, the flags, the massive LED screens — all packed away. But the fallout from the 69th Eurovision Song Contest is just beginning to settle across Europe. The event that ran from May 13 to 17 left Austria holding the trophy, but it also left a trail of financial strain, political tension, and a lingering question about who can actually afford to show up anymore.
Moldova’s withdrawal before the contest even started was a warning shot. The country’s broadcaster cited economic reasons and the quality of songs in its national selection. It’s a blunt reality check. For smaller nations, Eurovision is an expensive gamble. Participation fees, staging costs, delegations — it all adds up. Moldova is the latest to bow out. It won’t be the last. The contest still drew thirty-seven countries, matching the prior two editions, but that number feels fragile. One more economic downturn, one more war, one more domestic budget cut, and the roster shrinks further.
Then there’s the political weight that never really leaves the stage. Israel’s participation remained a live controversy, set against the Gaza war. Several participating broadcasters pushed for a formal discussion on the matter. The EBU and host broadcaster SRG SSR had to manage that debate while keeping the show running. Eurovision bills itself as a celebration of music and unity. The reality is messier. The contest reflects the geopolitical fractures of its member states. That tension doesn’t disappear when the voting closes. It lingers, shaping how countries interact with the EBU, with each other, and with future hosting bids.
Switzerland, of course, had to foot the bill after Nemo won in 2024 with “The Code.” Hosting is a point of pride. It is also a logistical and financial burden. St. Jakobshalle in Basel handled two semi-finals and a final. The presenters — Hazel Brugger and Sandra Studer for the whole week, with Michelle Hunziker joining for the final — kept the show moving. But behind the cameras, the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation managed a massive operation. The payoff is exposure and cultural cachet. The cost is real money. For a small public broadcaster, that trade-off gets harder to justify every year.
Austria took the top prize. The song “Wasted Love,” performed by JJ and co-written with Teodora Špirić and Thomas Thurner, won both the combined vote and the jury vote. That double win is rare. It signals genuine broad appeal. The victory means Austria now faces the same question Switzerland just answered: can you afford to host next year? The Austrian broadcaster gets the trophy. It also gets the bill. The celebration in Vienna will be real. The budget meetings will follow.
Montenegro returned after a two-year absence. That’s a small victory for the contest’s reach. But the overall picture is one of contraction, not expansion. Thirty-seven countries is not a record. It is a plateau. The forces pulling countries away — economic hardship, political instability, internal cultural debates — are stronger than the forces pulling them in.
The Eurovision Song Contest survives because it matters to people. It draws viewers. It sells tickets. It generates headlines. But the institutions that stage it operate in a world of finite resources and rising pressures. The 2025 edition is over. The consequences are just starting to show. Who hosts next year. Who drops out. Who protests. Those decisions are being made now, in capitals across Europe, far from the Basel stage.
