Basel is getting ready to host the 69th edition of the most iconic musical event on the planet: the Eurovision Song Contest 2025. As fans across Europe and beyond prepare to dive into another thrilling season, one of the most eagerly anticipated moments of the contest remains the voting sequence — the climax that often defines the fate of nations and artists on the Eurovision stage. Over the years, the Eurovision voting system has evolved significantly, adapting to new technologies, viewer preferences, and the need for greater transparency. In 2025, Eurovision continues to refine its approach, retaining much of the format introduced in recent editions, while reinforcing the decisive role of the public vote in shaping the outcome of the contest.
Just like in Malmö 2024, the voting system in Basel 2025 will maintain the hybrid structure that combines the input of national juries and the voices of viewers at home. However, the televote will once again carry tremendous weight — in fact, the greatest since the mixed voting format was introduced — reaffirming the importance of public participation in determining the winner of Europe’s favorite music show.
Key Changes and Continuity in the Eurovision 2025 Voting System
While the rules introduced in 2023 and solidified in 2024 will continue into this new edition, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has reaffirmed several innovations aimed at enhancing accessibility, fairness, and engagement. These updates directly impact the voting process and how audiences from around the globe can influence the outcome.
One significant development is the early opening of voting lines. Once again, viewers will be able to cast their votes from the very start of each live show — even before the first performance — echoing the system used in 2010 and 2011. This change is designed to increase audience engagement and make voting more accessible to fans tuning in from different time zones.
Moreover, the “Rest of the World” vote — introduced to give fans from non-participating countries a say in the results — will remain a staple feature of the Eurovision format. Online voting for these countries will begin immediately after the second dress rehearsal (known as the jury show) and remain open for almost 24 hours, until the start of the live broadcast. This allows global fans to participate meaningfully in the Eurovision experience.
The Big Five — France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom — along with the host country, Switzerland, will once again perform in their allocated semi-finals as part of a showcase performance. While their spots in the Grand Final are guaranteed, their appearances will allow them to be part of the semi-final narrative and contribute to the voting process in those rounds.
Public Vote Takes Center Stage in the Semi-Finals
One of the most decisive aspects of Eurovision 2025 is the fact that the semi-final qualifiers will be chosen exclusively by public vote. On Tuesday, May 13, and Thursday, May 15, viewers across Europe and participating territories will determine the ten acts from each semi-final that advance to the Grand Final on Saturday, May 17.
This marks the continuation of a major shift away from jury influence in the semi-finals. While national juries will still watch and assess the performances during the jury shows, their votes will only be used as a backup in the rare event of a televoting failure. Otherwise, the results rest entirely in the hands of the audience.
Fans will be able to vote via telephone, SMS, the official Eurovision app, and the online platform at www.esc.vote. Notably, each device can submit up to 20 votes per show — and, as always, no one is allowed to vote for their own country. Votes from non-participating nations will be grouped together and treated as a single “virtual” country, contributing points that mirror the classic Eurovision scale: 12 points for the top favorite, followed by 10, 8, and so on down to 1 point.
The Grand Final: How the Winner Will Be Chosen in Basel 2025
The excitement of the Grand Final builds up to one of the most dramatic voting reveals in live television. On Saturday, May 17, 26 acts will compete for the coveted glass microphone trophy. The final results will be determined by the combined points from national juries and public votes across all 37 participating countries — including votes from eliminated semi-finalists and fans worldwide.
Each participating country’s jury is composed of five music industry professionals who evaluate the performances during the jury show. They independently rank the songs, and their combined top ten will receive points on the familiar Eurovision scale. These results are pre-recorded and revealed during the live show by spokespersons from each country — delivering the legendary “douze points” moment.
Next, we’ll discover the aggregated score from the “Rest of the World” vote — representing international fans’ preferences. And finally, the most suspenseful part of the night: the full breakdown of the public vote. Each country’s televote is ranked from most to least popular, and the ten most-voted acts receive points from 1 to 8, then 10 and 12. These public vote results are presented in ascending order based on the jury ranking, creating unforgettable twists as the scoreboard reshuffles in real-time.
This dynamic format ensures that the winner isn’t known until the very last moment. Once all the votes are revealed, the act that tops the final combined scoreboard will be crowned the Eurovision 2025 champion.
Transparency and Fairness at the Core
The EBU has implemented rigorous protocols to ensure fairness and transparency throughout the voting process. Any irregular voting patterns identified in the national juries may lead to disqualification or the use of a replacement score derived from similar voting countries. In extreme cases, if a country lacks valid jury or public votes, substitute scores will be calculated based on countries with matching historical voting trends.
Should irregularities be found in the semi-finals, those juries will be disqualified from the Grand Final. If detected during the Grand Final, the public vote weight may be doubled to maintain the balance between televote and jury influence.
This robust framework is part of the EBU’s ongoing mission to protect the integrity of the competition and ensure that every vote counts in determining Europe’s next music star.
Looking Ahead to Basel: An Edition Full of Emotion and Surprises
Eurovision 2025 in Basel promises to be a spectacular celebration of music, culture, and unity — with a voting format that prioritizes audience involvement and embraces the global fandom that continues to grow year after year. With voting lines opening earlier, online participation expanded, and transparency measures in place, the path to the glass microphone has never been more thrilling.
All eyes will be on Switzerland as they welcome Europe — and the world — to the heart of the continent for another unforgettable chapter of Eurovision history.