Basel officially hands over the baton for Eurovision 2026 to Vienna
Keystone-SDA
As host city in 2025, Basel handed over the baton for the organisation of the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) to Vienna on Monday.
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To mark the occasion, Basel mayor Conradin Cramer presented a carnival lantern to the Austrian capital.
This will be Basel’s last appearance as host city before its role officially comes to an end, the Basel authorities said in a press release on Monday. And just as at the opening ceremony last May on the banks of the Rhine, the carnival will once again be taking part on the banks of the Danube.
To mark the handover, a costumed fife-and-drum band carried a carnival lantern specially designed for the new host city through Vienna. Conradin Cramer will present the lantern to the Mayor of Vienna, Michael Ludwig, at the draw ceremony for the ESC 2026 semi-finals at Vienna City Hall.
The carnival lantern features the Austrian singer JJ, who brought the ESC 2026 to Vienna with his victory in Basel last spring, with the song Wasted Love. The reverse features a “Ueli” – a typical Basel carnival figure – with the Vienna Opera House and Basel Cathedral in the background.
Eurovision will be held in Vienna for the third time from May 12 to 16. The Austrian capital hosted the 1967 and 2015 editions of the contest.
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Eurovision in Basel generated CHF248 million
Adapted from French with AI/mga
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