International fans heading to Basel, Switzerland, for this week’s Eurovision Song Contest may find themselves paying steep prices for accommodation. A surge in demand has driven prices sharply upward, especially during the six days surrounding the event.
A study by the sports news site Wettfreunde.net analyzed over 1,000 listings on Booking.com and Airbnb, comparing prices for a six-night stay for two people from May 12 to 18 — the period covering the day before through the day after the competition — with the weeks before (May 5–11) and after (May 19–25).
According to the data, the average cost for a six-night stay via Booking.com during Eurovision week is €6,024 ($6,500), a 139% jump compared to the week before the event and 137% more than the following week.
Get the Ynetnews app on your smartphone: Google Play: https://bit.ly/4eJ37pE | Apple App Store: https://bit.ly/3ZL7iNv
Euronews reports that the most expensive listing on Booking.com during the contest is a studio apartment located 8 kilometers (5 miles) from St. Jakobshalle arena, priced at €21,906 ($23,670). But that pales in comparison to the priciest Airbnb listing — a loft 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) from the venue, offered for €67,369 ($72,850) for the six-night period.
The cheapest Booking.com option is a double room in a capsule hotel about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from the arena, costing €1,178 ($1,275). On Airbnb, the most affordable listing is a flat 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) away, available for just €252 ($270).
Airbnb’s average price for the Eurovision period stands at €1,804 ($1,950), marking a 130% increase over the previous week and a 164% rise compared to the week after.