The Venue & Host city
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DanielLuis
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Hey, you've just won for the first time in 53 years and you're already thinking on your second win?
I didn't give a time span for that 2nd win, did I?
DanielLuis
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It must be confirmed very very soon!
DanielLuis
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RTP has told escportugal.pt that the announcement of the dates and the chosen host city will be done most likely before the end of July, depending on when the EBU wants to announce them too.
The candidate host cities and venues are:
Braga with Parque de Exposições de Braga. The venue and the surrounding areas are currently being upgraded and the reconstruction is going to end in the beginning of 2018, at most in March (Might be a bit too late for Eurovision. I think this is why the dates haven't been announced yet - if Braga wins, the contest would have to be held later). It will have a capacity of 15000 people, bigger than most of the recent venues. The city has an efficient public transport system and has no problem finding a place for the press center and other secondary venues. However, the closest international airport, in Porto, is 35 min away and there isn't enough hotel beds in the city alone for everybody.
Santa Maria da Feira with Europarque. This is a case similar to the International E
bition Center I think, as it is an open hall. It's said the capacity can be for around 10000 people. Similarly to Braga, it can hold secondary venues but the accomodation is definitely not enough, and it will need to resort to neighbouring cities like Porto, Aveiro and São João da Madeira. It's 30 min away from the Porto international airport, and it belongs to the Porto Metropolitan Area. It is the option supported by Porto Metropolitan Council.
Gondomar with Multiusos de Gondomar. I would say this one has absolutely no chance. The venue is the smallest with capacity for only around 8000 people. It has problems for the installation of secondary venues, public transport in and out of the city and hotel acommodations. It is 20 min away from Porto's airport, and it also is in the Porto Metropolitan Council, which is supporting Santa Maria da Feira over Gondomar.
Lisbon with MEO Arena. The obvious favourite, MEO Arena has the capacity to hold 20000 people and it is the 3rd biggest indoor arena in Europe. All the secondary venues can be located in the area around MEO Arena, known as Parque das Nações, where the Expo '98 was hosted. The area is filled with pavillions and smallar venues that can be used for anything that the EBU requires. One example is the Feira Internacional de Lisboa, right next to MEO Arena and with a capacity for 10000 people - very good to host things like the press center. Obviously there is no problem with the public transportation system nor the hotel accomodations, and the venue is only 4 minutes away from the closest international airport. It is also very close to RTP's headquarters, which can only be an advantage too.
Lisbon is the obvious choice here. The only problems might be that the EBU might consider the venue too big for Eurovision, or that the time the venue needs to be reserved for Eurovision might be too much for them, and they require a big price for that reservation. Still, all of the other host cities would require additional costs that would be bigger than this, so I think that won't be a problem.
The only competition for Lisbon would be Braga, but the upgrade of their venue is only scheduled to finish around March and that has to be too risky to choose it as the host city.
RTP's team also said that so far everything is going very smoothly, within the EBU's deadlines.
The candidate host cities and venues are:
Braga with Parque de Exposições de Braga. The venue and the surrounding areas are currently being upgraded and the reconstruction is going to end in the beginning of 2018, at most in March (Might be a bit too late for Eurovision. I think this is why the dates haven't been announced yet - if Braga wins, the contest would have to be held later). It will have a capacity of 15000 people, bigger than most of the recent venues. The city has an efficient public transport system and has no problem finding a place for the press center and other secondary venues. However, the closest international airport, in Porto, is 35 min away and there isn't enough hotel beds in the city alone for everybody.
Santa Maria da Feira with Europarque. This is a case similar to the International E
bition Center I think, as it is an open hall. It's said the capacity can be for around 10000 people. Similarly to Braga, it can hold secondary venues but the accomodation is definitely not enough, and it will need to resort to neighbouring cities like Porto, Aveiro and São João da Madeira. It's 30 min away from the Porto international airport, and it belongs to the Porto Metropolitan Area. It is the option supported by Porto Metropolitan Council.
Gondomar with Multiusos de Gondomar. I would say this one has absolutely no chance. The venue is the smallest with capacity for only around 8000 people. It has problems for the installation of secondary venues, public transport in and out of the city and hotel acommodations. It is 20 min away from Porto's airport, and it also is in the Porto Metropolitan Council, which is supporting Santa Maria da Feira over Gondomar.
Lisbon with MEO Arena. The obvious favourite, MEO Arena has the capacity to hold 20000 people and it is the 3rd biggest indoor arena in Europe. All the secondary venues can be located in the area around MEO Arena, known as Parque das Nações, where the Expo '98 was hosted. The area is filled with pavillions and smallar venues that can be used for anything that the EBU requires. One example is the Feira Internacional de Lisboa, right next to MEO Arena and with a capacity for 10000 people - very good to host things like the press center. Obviously there is no problem with the public transportation system nor the hotel accomodations, and the venue is only 4 minutes away from the closest international airport. It is also very close to RTP's headquarters, which can only be an advantage too.
Lisbon is the obvious choice here. The only problems might be that the EBU might consider the venue too big for Eurovision, or that the time the venue needs to be reserved for Eurovision might be too much for them, and they require a big price for that reservation. Still, all of the other host cities would require additional costs that would be bigger than this, so I think that won't be a problem.
The only competition for Lisbon would be Braga, but the upgrade of their venue is only scheduled to finish around March and that has to be too risky to choose it as the host city.
RTP's team also said that so far everything is going very smoothly, within the EBU's deadlines.
Ezio
Veteran
Being close to the broadcaster can be a major advantage. In 2014, the bid for hosting Eurovision 2015 was NOT won by the Wiener Stadthalle, and it was not even close. Innsbruck and Graz had more modern venues and could have accomodated more spectators as well. However, ORF said it had to be the very old Stadthalle with all its flaws for logistic reasons. (That the City of Vienna and ORF are run by the Socialist party did not hurt neither, Graz and Innsbruck are conservative)
DanielLuis
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Even if they wanted to do that (which they probably do) they can't for two reasons:
1. The EBU doesn't allow it. They want a open host city selection.
2. Some people from the Northern part of the country, around Porto, would complain that it wasn't fair, that Lisbon gets everything all the time, that Porto (or in this case the cities in the Porto metropolitan region) also have the same conditions yadda yadda.
There are some rumours going around that MEO Arena has actually been pre-reserved by RTP already and that this selection is just really happening because of these 2 reasons.
JonnyWest
Member
I changed my mind and I think this process helps while making the cities to come up with the best proposal they can have, if it was already destined to a certain city they would be too relaxed imo and wouldn't try so hard (although in this case everyone knows it will be Lisbon 
)
)Nemesis
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FysyZxDPEvs
Live from Meo Arena solidary concert in tribute to the victims of the wildfires in Portugal
Live from Meo Arena solidary concert in tribute to the victims of the wildfires in Portugal
DanielLuis
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RTP produced the show. In a way it was kind of a rehearsal for Eurovision for them.
Every time I see the Eurovision logo I think of the "Heart of Viana" (It's a traditional jewelry from Viana/Portugal). I would love to see something like this as the logo for Eurovision 2018.
I like the idea
(I used the logo from here https://www.behance.net/gallery/18715895/Vector-design-Coracao-de-Viana-recreation- )
DanielLuis
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It will be announced before the end of July, as will the dates of the contest.
blue00eyes
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I hope it's in the capital city. Lisbon is so great.