Pauluskirche goes ESC — throwback to three nights to remember

The largest music competition in the world was held in Basel in 2025. The city did everything it could to be a good host - and St Paul's Church played its part: a total of eight live acts from the regional and national choir scene performed over the three days of the show, followed by well-attended public viewings with a bar on the forecourt. A brief review of the ESC.

The façade of St Paul's Church, suitably illuminated on all three evenings.

During the event week from 10 to 17 May 2025, three choir concerts featuring seven choirs were held on the occasion of the final shows (semi-finals on 13/15 May, final on 17 May). All choirs presented their own programme peppered with choral arrangements of ESC songs or of artists who have taken part in the ESC in the past or have become famous through their participation.

Preparations for the ESC week: our employees put up the posters.

There were ESC-related specials on all three evenings. For example, the Basler Beizenchor held its own ‘Beizivision Song Contest’ on 13 May. On 15 May, the Basler Madrigalisten integrated the ESC points system into their classical programme featuring the well-known cabaret artist David Bröckelmann. In addition to the six regional choirs, the ‘queerchor schweiz’, newly founded in 2025, gave its first ever public performance in St Paul's Church on 17 May, thus also establishing the traditional link between the LGBTQ community and the ESC. The programme was rounded off with a performance by the well-known children's singer Balz Aliesch, who also presented an age-appropriate programme for the youngest generation in the afternoon before the final show.

The choir ‘Stimmbänder’, Balz Aliesch and the ensemble ‘Cantalon’.

The other choirs that performed were the Wasgenring primary school choir, the ‘Stimmbänder’ choir, the ‘Cantalon’ ensemble and the 'Tafelrunde” and ‘Singvoll’ sections of the Basler Liedertafel. They all provided the perfect transition to the public viewings with arrangements of popular pop songs and brought a large audience with them.

Public screening in the church and bar on the forecourt.

Following the choir concerts, the final shows in St. Jakobshalle were broadcast live on a big canvas as public screening in St Paul's Church. The independent bar run by ‘unternehmen mitte’ with a wide range of drinks and organic vegetarian finger food catered for the culinary needs of the numerous guests.

The team of Kulturkirche Paulus and ‘queerchor schweiz’ receiving standing ovations.

Admission to all three concerts, including public screening, was free of charge. In keeping with ESC tradition, the events enabled the neighbourhood population and other interested parties from the city, the region and abroad to celebrate music in St Paul's Church in an open and inclusive way. We would like to thank all the choirs and visitors for joining in the excitement and celebrations during this unique ESC week; we were overwhelmed by the peaceful and euphoric atmosphere.

Text by David Rossel