The flag policy updated for this year’s Eurovision 2025 means that contestants and their delegations can only bring the flag of the country they are representing into official Eurovision venues, events or related performances.
Despite loosening restrictions on audience members, this year’s Eurovision contestants and their teams are only permitted to bring the flag of the country they represent into official Eurovision venues, events or related performances according to new flag policy guidance.
This means that this year’s LGBTQIA+ participants, including fan favourite Malta’s Miriana Conte, will not be able to display any Pride-related flags during their performances. This applies to the Eurovision Opening Ceremony, the Eurovision Village Stage, the Green Room and the main Eurovision stage.
This was initially revealed by Danish broadcaster DR and later shared with LGBTQIA+ media brand PinkNews. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter.
After obtaining this year’s official policy regarding national and political emblems, the Danish broadcaster revealed that audience members are seemingly permitted to bring any flag into the St Jakobshalle arena, which includes that of Palestine, which was notably banned from the 2024 contest in Malmo. Although, it must be said that any items displaying symbols that violate Swiss law, such as discriminatory and racist content or promoting known terrorism organisations are prohibited.
However, there are strict rules in place for the acts taking part in the competition and their teams. This year, participants will only be allowed to bring an official country flag provided by Swiss television station SRG SSR into the flag parade.
The news comes after Eurovision 2024’s winner Nemo from Switzerland, who identifies as non-binary, disclosed that Eurovision organisers had prohibited them from bringing the non-binary flag onto the stage. Last year’s competition limited fans to flags representing the 37 competing nations or the universal rainbow Pride standard.
As a result, the performer had to secretly bring it past security to display it during last year’s flag parade.
The confessed at the time: “I had to smuggle my flag in because Eurovision said no, and I did it anyway. I hope that some other people did that too.”
Eurovision contestants are now barred from using flags as symbols of solidarity with other nations, such as showing support for Ukraine, and they face “consequences” for breaching the new flag regulations. However, specifics on these consequences remain unclear after the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), coordinator of Eurovision, withheld details upon being queried by DR.
When PinkNews reached out for a statement, a spokesperson for Eurovision remarked: “The official flag policies of the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) 2025 have been developed by the Swiss host broadcaster SRG SSR with input from the EBU, particularly on official ESC spaces, to provide clarity for audiences and delegations.”
He continued, “Together we wanted to strike a balance to ensure that our audiences and artists can express their enthusiasm and identities, whilst at the same time provide more clarity for the delegations when it comes to official spaces.”
Elaborating further, the spokesperson added, “In line with other international competitive events, the policy for participating broadcasters is that only one national flag can be used in official spaces – these are the Stage, Green Room, Eurovision Village Stage and Turquoise Carpet.”
To conclude, they said, “Outside of these official spaces the flag policy for delegations is the same as for audiences, where all flags permitted under Swiss law can be used, and provides plenty of opportunities for the expression of everyone’s identities.”
The semi-finals of Eurovision 2025 are set to be held in Basel, Switzerland, on the 13th and 15th of May, with the grand final scheduled for the 17th of May. All will be broadcasted on the BBC and BBC iPlayer.