Six Ukrainian cities are to compete to host the 2017 Eurovision song contest, Ukrainian state television officials have announced.
Kyiv, Lviv, Dnipro, Odesa, Kharkiv and Kherson had officially applied to host Eurovision 2017!
However, none of the cities currently have a suitable arena to host next year’s Eurovision, according to Ukrainian Culture Minister – Yevhen Nyshchuk. In an interview with Ukraine’s Fifth Channel, he said the nation didn’t “really have any place that would meet the international requirements.”
Nyshchuk has reportedly said that an arena could be built in Kyiv or Lviv.
The criteria outlined by Ukraine’s national broadcaster stipulate that to be eligible, a city should have an enclosed arena that can host at least 7,000 – but preferably 10,000 – spectators. It should also have an international press centre that would accommodate at least 1,550 journalists and submit proposals for a 3,000-person venue to host the welcoming reception.
Preference will be given to cities with official hotels, good transport connections, and an international airport.
Olympiysky National Sports Complex has been previously flagged as potential venue but it currently has no roof.
Nyshchuk previously estimated the cost of hosting Eurovision to be at least 14.5 million euros, with funding expected to come from a number of sources, including sponsors, the European Broadcasting Union and potentially the host city.
Ukraine was designated as next year’s Eurovision host after Ukrainian entrant Jamala won this year’s contest in May with her song “1944.”
Preliminary dates for Eurovision 2017 have been announced as May 9, 2017 (first semi-final), May 11 (second semi-final), and May 13 (grand final), but these will only be confirmed once the host city has been announced.
What city would be perfect for hosting Eurovision 2017?
