'Spain, 12 points': The economic impact of a Melody Eurovision victory

It's the aspiration of every Spanish Eurovision fan that the Eurovision Song Contest will be held again in the country after 56 years. The last time was in 1969 , when Salomé won the contest for the second time at a gala held at the Teatro Real and hosted by Laura Valenzuela. The Catalan artist wore a 14kg dress designed by Pertegaz for the occasion. It's an edition that will be etched in Eurovision history for something absolutely unprecedented: an 18-point tie between the representatives of the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, France, and Spain. You know, the 'Spain is different' thing... After that, we've only brushed against glory on a few occasions: with Karina (1971), Mocedades (1973), Betty Missiego (1979), Anabel Conde (1995), and Chanel (2022). But what if, this year, Melody performs the 'miracle' by winning the crystal microphone? For Spain, it would represent a real "Chanelazo" as a country, as well as a tourism boost for the future host city.

Eurovision puts you on the map

For Pere Bacardit, professor at EAE Business School and the Barcelona School of Management (Pompeu Fabra University), "a Melody victory in Basel (the Swiss city hosting this year's Eurovision Song Contest) would represent a huge internal projection for Spain from a tourism and cultural perspective : an opportunity to showcase a modern and creative image." For this expert, the host city is allied with "a show that has a cultural and global tone." In this regard, he highlights the attraction of Eastern European countries to host the contest in order to gain notoriety and put themselves on the map . "In 2011, when Azerbaijan won the festival, they decided to demolish an entire neighborhood to make way for the facilities that would host the new edition," he points out.

"A Melody win in Basel would give Spain enormous internal projection from a tourism and cultural perspective: an opportunity to showcase a modern and creative image," Pere Bacardit (EAE Business School/Pompeu Fabra University)

Another nation very interested in winning is Israel , which, in this expert's opinion, has found in the festival a way to "whitewash" its image. Similarly, for Bacardit, hosting the festival could also be a "boost" for the host country's music scene. "Of course, Melody capitalizes on the audiences, but this could be extended to other Spanish singers : Spanish songs would be in vogue," he notes.

Much more than a music festival

In light of all the above, one thing is clear: Eurovision is much more than a music festival. It also includes cultural, tourism, and international diplomacy components. "The televoting has helped it spread to other continents , especially in Latin America, the United States, and Australia, a country that has been participating for several years," says Bacardit. As a sign of the interest generated by this musical event, local press such as the Tribune de Geneve reported at the end of January that nearly 42,000 tickets to attend the live event in Basel had sold out in just 7 minutes, while those for the preview had sold out in 20 minutes.

It's expected that any Spanish city hosting the festival would see hotel and other accommodation prices skyrocket significantly. "I have friends who book in their top five countries a year in advance because prices are growing exponentially," says the professor at EAE Business School and Pompeu Fabra University as an anecdote. However, the experience is not always so positive. Bacardit (EAE Business School) recalls that the last host city, Malmö in Sweden, despite achieving an estimated economic return of around €38 million (compared to €66 million for Liverpool in 2023) and receiving 159,680 visitors from more than 80 countries ( according to data from the Festival's official website ), "had to face massive protests over the exclusion of Israel, with some participants even failing to show up. They feared that the Festival would end up being held on Israeli soil."

Basel, like a Swiss watch

Because it's not just the grand final, scheduled for next Saturday, May 16th, but Eurovision spans an entire week, including both semi-finals: Tuesday, May 13th and Thursday, May 15th . Added to this is the opening ceremony, which will take place next Sunday, May 11th . A true Eurofan reserves the entire week to make the most of a festival, where the host cities literally pull out all the stops. For example, in Basel, according to Swiss public broadcaster SRF, there will be a "Eurovision Village," or free fan zone with live performances. Fan clubs also organize various parties at the EuroCafé, located at the Basel Trade Fair Centre and with a capacity for 3,000 people. There will also be live music in the open air at various locations, such as 'Eurovision Square', the new name for Barfússerplatz, and 'Eurovision Street', one of the largest nightlife areas in Switzerland (Steinenvorstadt).

Eurovision now spans a full week. In addition to the grand final on Saturday, May 16, two semi-finals are also held: on Tuesday the 13th and Thursday the 15th. In addition, the opening ceremony will take place on Sunday, May 11.

The Swiss city of Basel will host the festival, and according to the Tribune de Geneve, an estimated 250,000 to 500,000 Eurofans are expected to attend from May 13 to 17. As is often the case in these cases, the host city must lock down, requiring the deployment of 1,300 police officers and at least 40 soldiers. These measures will entail a total cost of more than €8 million (7.9 million Swiss francs), although the total investment by the canton of Basel in the festival amounts to €37.42 million (approximately €35 million Swiss francs). A budget that stood the test of one of this country's traditions: direct democracy. The planned investments received the approval of 66.57% of the residents of the canton of Basel-City in a referendum held on November 26.