ESC Basel 2025 Show producer: "Maybe the Swiss think it wasn't Swiss enough"
The Eurovision Song Contest is just around the corner - and with it a major event in the middle of Basel. Show producer Marco Krämer and Event Manager President Beat Läuchli talk about sleepless nights before the final and Swiss clichés in XXL.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- The big ESC final show will take place in Basel on May 17. In the background, preparations for the biggest singing show in the world are in full swing.
- A fine line: ESC show producer Marco Krämer talks to blue News about the challenge of staging a show with a Swissness factor - without falling into clichés.
- Beat Läuchli, ESC project manager for the city of Basel, reveals whether he can still sleep well despite the major event.
From alphorn to avant-garde - the ESC 2025 aims to build a bridge between tradition and modernity. True to the motto "United by Music", the opening and interval acts of ESC 2025 combine musical genres and perspectives with surprising moments and a mix of Swiss identity and international pop culture.
Paola Felix, Peter, Sue & Marc, Luca Hänni and Gjon's Tears celebrate Switzerland's ESC heritage as the opening act in Basel - united in a medley.
Mr. Krämer, how difficult was it to bring all the artists together?
Marco Krämer: Getting the four artists on board was surprisingly easy. They were all immediately enthusiastic about being part of this big show. The challenge then lay more in the selection of the songs and the choreography - who gets how much stage, how do you connect the generations?
A medley with choreography?
What would an ESC be without choreography? Even if Paola might not be floating from the ceiling this time, there will definitely be movement.
What is so Swiss about this show?
A lot. We show Switzerland from its modern and traditional side - in the so-called postcards, i.e. the short clips before each performance. Our five "Cs" are symbolic: Cash, Cow, Cheese, Chocolate - and Cèline Dion.
But it certainly won't be boring - the acts and the countries, who put a lot of thought into the staging, make sure of that. We really discuss every second and think about how we can make the performance even more attractive.
The ESC was held in Lausanne in 1989. Malicious tongues claim that it was the most boring ESC ever. Does that put you under pressure?
Of course we want to do better. But of course, the pressure of expectation is huge. We work on every detail right up to the last second.
There is definitely pressure for someone to be dissatisfied after the show. Maybe the Swiss think it wasn't Swiss enough for them - while the audience abroad thinks: "That was very introspectively Swiss." Finding this balance is difficult.
It's not a classic SRF production - that's why we work very differently. I am convinced that many people will like the result.
Do you still sleep well at all?
At the moment I wake up at 4 a.m. every day. My head is full. But it's a positive pressure. We're all living it here.
The big question: Is Céline Dion coming or not?
It will happen in some form or another. I can't say any more than that.
Beat Läuchli: "Basel should be remembered as a cosmopolitan city with a warm population"
This week, the city of Basel officially handed over the St. Jakobshalle to the ESC organizers. Since then, work has been going on around the clock in the hall to ensure that the stage is ready on time. How many hours a night do you still sleep?
Beat Läuchli: I sleep well - six hours must be enough. And the joy far outweighs the stress.
What is your biggest challenge at the moment?
The mainvenue - the Jakobshalle - is the main focus. Construction is underway there and we are in full event mode. New smaller challenges arise every day that we have to solve immediately.
What do you want for Basel, how do you want the city to be remembered by ESC fans?
We want visitors to remember Basel as a cosmopolitan city with warm-hearted people.
