Song Contest: Basel Stayed Under Budget

The Song Contest 2026 in Vienna will not only be a colorful mega show but also a cost factor. ORF estimates net costs of 16 million Euros, and the city of Vienna budgets 22.6 million Euros for the 70th edition. In terms of the monetary aspect, Basel could certainly serve as a model for the federal capital. This is because this year's Swiss ESC host city was able to undershoot its budget set at 35 million Swiss Francs (37.6 million Euros) by 1.7 million Swiss Francs (1.8 million Euros).

Report Published After ESC

This is according to the sustainability report published by the city on Thursday, which attempts to present the economic, ecological, and social impacts of the event. Accordingly, the net costs for the host amounted to around 33.3 million Swiss Francs (35.8 million Euros). "The key factor for undershooting the budget was higher revenues from sponsorship contributions and ticket sales," it was explained in a press release.

Value Creation and Revenue

Vienna justifies the investments in the major event despite tight financial conditions with the expected value creation, which will significantly exceed the costs. In the case of Basel, the value creation amounted to 53 million Swiss Francs (57 million Euros), and for the whole of Switzerland even 115 million Swiss Francs (124 million Euros). The goal of regional value creation was achieved, as nearly two-thirds of the preliminary services procured by the host city came from companies in the Basel region, it was stated.

Overall, the ESC generated a revenue of 110 million Swiss Francs (118 million Euros) in the Basel region, and across the country, it even brought in 248 million Swiss Francs (267 million Euros). The advertising effect is likely to have been high, as Basel was mentioned in connection with the Song Contest more than 313,000 times in various media over a period of nearly a year.

(APA/Red)

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