The head of the Tamar Regional Counci, Dov Litvinoff, has revealed plans for the site to host the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest.
“We have already dealt with huge events” states council leader
Ynet reports that Dov Litvinoff, leader of the Tamar Regional Council, will submit a bid for Masada to host next year’s event – increasing the number of interested parties to five.
To back up his plans, Litvinoff made the following statement:
We have already dealt with huge events at Masada, such as a David Guetta show and the Israeli Opera.
The Cultural Hall of Nature can accommodate more than 20,000 people. It is natural that we will deal with the event.
With Masada’s setting, plus the matter of saving the Dead Sea (which will no doubt make international headlines), it is not just a place but also a message and not forgetting, one of the most beautiful places we have in Israel. If not Jerusalem – then Masada.
Although the criteria for hosting is yet to be published, Litvinoff is confident that Masada meets all the necessary requirements.
“We have 4,000 hotel rooms adjacent to us at the Dead Sea and 500 vacation rentals in the area. Jerusalem is just an hour away if we fall short. For public transport – we’ll take care of the buses, and the walls of the compound should not be a problem. In short – we are ready and we hope to be taken into account.
Final decision expected by September
If their bid is successful, Masada will join Jerusalem, Eilat, Tel Aviv & Haifa in a race to become the host city for next year’s contest.
However unlike the other four, Masada is declared as an ancient fortress and therefore not considered a city. Despite this however, the site has played host to a number of international events. In 2013, one of the world’s biggest DJs – David Guetta, played an intimate set at the site. The concert was promoted as ‘David Guetta – A Party 424 Meters Under the Sea’.
Earlier this week, the EBU confirmed that the 2019 contest would take place in Israel. The host city announcement is expected by September.
