On the picturesque streets of Basel, where Eurovision super fans from around the globe wander with cans of beer in hand and flags of all colours draped round their shoulders, Israeli visitors have found a remarkably warm welcome.
“After the trauma of last year in Malmö, it’s like fresh air for us,” said Tel Aviv-based Eurovision fan Omri, who celebrated his 50th birthday in Basel on Sunday.
It’s easy for Omri to draw comparisons to previous years; this is the eighth Eurovision he’s attended in person and, despite security warnings from the Israeli national security council cautioning Israelis travelling to Basel, he wasn’t about to miss out on this year’s contest. Fortunately, it seems he was right not to be deterred.
“Everyone has been incredibly welcoming and friendly,” said Omri, who has attended all of the live dress rehearsals as well as both semi-finals. “On the first day I forgot to bring my passport and you need your passport to enter the arena, and when I went to the guard there and told him I don’t have it, he said to me, first of all, ‘I see that you’re from Israel, and I want you to feel safe.’ He let me go ahead anyway – everyone has been so nice.”
The warmth of Basel’s Eurovision atmosphere marks a stark contrast to that of last year’s in Malmö, which was overtaken by some 10,000 anti-Israel protesters, and the arena itself echoed with the sounds of booing and jeering during Israeli contestant Eden Golan’s performance. After that experience, Omri said “nothing can scare me.”
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators swarmed outside the Malmo Arena during the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest in Malmo, Sweden, marking a contrast to the peaceful, welcoming atmosphere in Basel this year. (Photo by JOHAN NILSSON/TT NEWS AGENCY/AFP via Getty Images)TT NEWS AGENCY/AFP via Getty Ima
Self-professed Eurovision superfans Tamir and May, both 29 and from Tel Aviv, were slightly nervous about the Israeli security warning before arriving in Basel, but the couple said they were put at ease as soon as they got to the city, where they were immediately “so, so welcomed,” said Tamir.
“In the arena itself, one of the security guards reached out to us and told us that if we see any negative reaction – because we’re very very visibly Israeli, we wear outfits with the Israeli flag – he told us they will stay close and will be able to guide us to a safer place.
“People have even come up to us to say they support us and they’re really sorry about how it went last year, and we feel super safe,” he added.
Tel Aviv-based couple Tamir and May, 29, are proudly supporting Israel at the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest, and say they've been welcomed with open arms in Basel.[Missing Credit]
And even in the city centre of Basel, where buskers perform on street corners and drunk karaoke singers shout the lyrics to ABBA’s “Waterloo” from inside bars, the fear instilled in Israelis last year seems almost unfounded.
Fellow Israeli fans Avishai and Omer have been walking around the city with their national flag around their shoulders, and said they “haven’t experienced anything negative,” according to Omer, 21. “But even if we did, we don’t really care - we just came for the music.”
He continued: "Eurovision is my favourite thing of all time. It was my dream to come here, and I’m enjoying the atmosphere in Basel so much. I love everything about it.”
Tel Aviv resident Avichai, 20, said he came to Eurovision for “escapism”, adding that Israeli delegate Yuval Raphael’s performance “is giving much needed comfort to Israeli people and Jewish people at large, especially because of the fact that the war keeps going on and the hostages are still in Gaza.”
“I think it’s much needed hope for our people in difficult times,” Avichai said.
The streets of Basel have been full of tourists and Eurovision superfans - and minimal protests.[Missing Credit]
Avishai, 21, also noted the poignancy of Raphael’s song “New Day Will Rise,” especially given her experience as a Nova survivor. “Her performance is so emotional, I almost cried.”
For most Israeli fans, who remain devoted to the contest for its message of unity, camp performances and catchy music, the change in atmosphere from last year comes as a relief more than anything else.
“We feel like a part of the community and we have so many great Eurovision friends we meet again each year, and each time we also gain a lot of new friends,” said May. “It’s a really big part of our lives.”
Omri has a similar attachment to the song contest, which keeps him coming back regardless of the naysayers: “I remember from the age of five or six that Eurovision started to be something I liked – it's almost like it’s in my genes,” he said. “I like the music, I like the atmosphere, I like all the fans, I like travelling, I like the production and seeing behind the scenes – I just like all of it.”
