About
“(Un)Fairness in Music – and the Eurovision Song Contest”
The 2025 conference will focus on the theme of "(Un)Fairness in Music", examining the complex dynamics of justice and injustice in the music world. From ESC selection processes and voting systems to questions of gender, cultural representation, and the economic structures of the music industry, this year’s conference promises a deep dive into some of the most pressing issues facing music today.
Why focus on (Un)Fairness?
Fairness in music is a universal issue that resonates far beyond the ESC. At the 2025 conference, we’ll explore topics such as:
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Voting systems and biases: How do geopolitical alliances and cultural stereotypes impact voting mechanisms?
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Representation and diversity: Who gets to take center stage, and who remains in the shadows?
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Fairness in the music industry: What structures promote or hinder equitable conditions for artists?
Every year, millions of people gather to celebrate the world's largest music event: the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC). Since 2018, the EUROVISIONS International Conference has been held alongside the ESC, offering a unique forum where fans, professionals, and researchers come together to explore the many facets of this iconic contest.
Whether you're new to the ESC, a lifelong fan, an industry expert, or a curious researcher, the EUROVISIONS International Conference welcomes anyone interested in the cultural and social dimensions of one of the world’s biggest music events - or in how these insights might connect to your own work or passion.
Discover a new perspective on music, fairness, and the Eurovision Song Contest at Eurovisions 2025!
Programme
(Re)watch the livestreams: Day 1 Livestream (13 May) and Day 2 Livestream (14 May)
Day 1 | 13th May 2025 | 09:00 - 13:30
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09:00 - 10:00 Opening Session: Get together and Coffee
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10:00 - 10:10 Official welcome Eurovisions team and Basel University
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10:10 - 10:40 Impulse 1: "Fairness? What Fairness?" Speaker: Prof. Dr. Eberhard Wolff (more information...)
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10:45 - 12:45 Science Slam: With Science Slammers Andreas Grassl, Boglarka Makari, Laureen Hannig & Nathalia Rivera, Jane Healy, Jie Ren, Jonathan Stark, Timo Herrmann, and hosts Jess Carniel and Jack Shepherd (more information...)
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12:45 - 13:25 Impulse 2: "Fairness in the Creative Industries: Overcoming Structural Asymmetries and the Struggle for a Level Playing Field" Speaker: Matthias Hornschuh (Composer, Initiative Urheberrecht, Germany) (more information...)
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13:25 - 13:30 Eurovisions Conference Wrap up and End of Conference Day 1
Day 2 | 14th May 2025 | 09:00 - 12:30
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09:00 - 09:10 Welcome Eurovisions Team and Basel University
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09:10 - 09:40 Impulse FairMusE: "Rethinking Fairness in a Platform-Dominated Music World"Speakers: Prof. Giuseppe Mazziotti & Assoc. Prof. Jannick Kirk Sørensen (more information...)
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09:45 - 10:45 Round Table 1: "Fairness in Eurovision". Speakers: Alessandro Capicchioni - HoD (San Marino RTV), Gunvor - Singer (Switzerland), Alan Tubery - DJ (Australia)
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10:45 - 10:55 Musical interlude Gunvor: ESC Medley
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11:20 - 12:20 Round Table 2: "Challenges of fairness in Eurovision". Speakers: Jess Carniel (University of Southern Queensland), Barbara Barreiro Leon (University of Aberdeen), Jack Shepherd (Mid Sweden University, Östersund), and Samuel Murray & Jenna Doyle (Leeds University) (more information...)
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12:20 - 12:30 Eurovisions Conference Wrap up and End of Conference Day 2
Speakers
We are very glad to bring together inspirational speakers from across the world.
Venue
Basel University
Department of Musicology
University of Basel
Musikwissenschaftliches Seminar, Universität Basel
Petersgraben 27
4051 Basel, Switzerland
Contact: +41 (0)61 207 28 00
https://musikwissenschaft.philhist.unibas.ch/de/fachbereich/kontakt-und-oeffnungszeiten/
Can't come in person? Join us online!
People involved in this year's conference
SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE
Carla Figueira (ICCE, Goldsmiths, University of London, UK)
Hanna Walsdorf (Musikwissenschaftlichen Seminar University of Basel, Switzerland)
Irving Wolther (Center for World Music, Germany)
Isabel Campêlo (INET-md, FCSH | NOVA University of Lisbon, Portugal)
João Soeiro de Carvalho (INET-md, FCSH | NOVA University of Lisbon, Portugal)
Lena Rohrbach (Seminar für Nordistik, University of Basel, Switzerland)
Manuel Deniz Silva (INET-md, FCSH | NOVA University of Lisbon, Portugal)
Maria de São José Côrte-Real (INET-md, FCSH | NOVA University of Lisbon, Portugal)
Martin Luginbühl (Deutsches Seminar, University of Basel, Switzerland)
Matthias Schmidt (Musikwissenschaftlichen Seminar University of Basel, Switzerland)
Sofia Vieira Lopes (INET-md, FCSH | NOVA University of Lisbon, Portugal)
Wilfred van Dellen (University College Maastricht, Netherlands)
ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
Carla Figueira (ICCE, Goldsmiths, University of London, UK)
Gonçalo Antunes de Oliveira (INET-md, FCSH | NOVA University of Lisbon, Portugal)
Hanna Walsdorf (Musikwissenschaftlichen Seminar University of Basel, Switzerland)
Irving Wolther (Center for World Music, Germany)
Isabel Campêlo (INET-md, FCSH | NOVA University of Lisbon, Portugal)
Matthias Schmidt (Musikwissenschaftlichen Seminar University of Basel, Switzerland)
Paul Lashmana (Freelancer Motion Graphics Designer, Video Editor and Online Video Producer)
Sofia Vieira Lopes (INET-md, FCSH | NOVA University of Lisbon, Portugal)
Wilfred van Dellen (University College Maastricht, Netherlands)
Supporting Institutions
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