GENEVA, Switzerland –
The Swiss city of Basel will host next year’s Eurovision Song Contest from May 13 to 17, organizers announced Friday.
The mostly German-speaking city on the Rhine River bordering both France and Germany was selected over Geneva in a faceoff that generated buzz and anticipation across Switzerland.
“The government council is delighted with the decision and sees hosting the world’s largest music competition as a great opportunity,” Basel’s city council said in a statement. “Basel will do everything in its power to be a good host.”
The Alpine country won the right to host the annual glitzy song-and-dance extravaganza, which draws hundreds of millions of viewers worldwide, after Swiss singer Nemo won the contest’s 68th edition in May in Sweden.
Swiss public broadcaster SSR-SRG said the selection of Basel and the St. Jakobshalle indoor …