It is known that the announcement of the host city of the Eurovision 2019 is expected in September. While lots of cities have expressed their will to host the contest, newly released information suggest that only three cities are still in the race of hosting, with Jerusalem and Tel Aviv as the main contenders.
So, which cities are still in the running?
According to an article in the Jerusalem Post earlier today, the Israeli broadcaster KAN confirmed that three cities, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Eilat are the candidate host cities of Eurovision 2019, as they are the only ones who have submitted formally their bid to the broadcaster. Kan also confirmed that neither Haifa nor Masada submitted an official bid to host the contest.
Jerusalem and Tel Aviv confirm details of their bids
All cities try to do their best in order to host the contest next year. The Jerusalem Municipality issued a press release on Monday, noting that it has already hosted multiple international events. The proposed stadium is Pays Arena, with a capacity up to 11,200 spectators and 1,500 journalists. As previously reported, a main issue regarding the Jerusalem bid is Shabbat. Ariella Rajuan, head of the municipality’s Culture and Arts Division, commented on that. She pointed out that “Shabbat is an issue that is relevant in the entire State of Israel, not just in Jerusalem. Therefore it will be discussed with the Eurovision directors.”
As for the Tel Aviv bid, the contest will be hosted in the Tel Aviv fairgrounds. The proposed host venue is Pavillion 2, which can seat up to 10,000 people. Both cities seem to fulfill the criteria proposed by KAN. So, the hosting procedure appears to be a two- horse race. However, Eilat has reportedly submitted a bid to construct a complex with a capacity of 10,000 people, a green room and space for the press. With Kan’s criteria suggesting that a city offering an existing venue will have an advantage and a great deal of activity on the weekends that the contest requires, Tel Aviv appears to be the main contender to host the 2019 contest.
Do you think Tel Aviv has the contest in the bag? Would you like Jerusalem to host?
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