Turin 2022🇮🇹 Italy

🇮🇹 Eurovision 2022: Only 3 out of 17 bids meet host city requirements?

Is it a three-horse race between Milan, Bologna and Turin?

Last month, representatives from Rai travelled to Geneva to meet with the EBU’s Eurovision Reference Group. Following the meeting, Italian Head of Delegation Simona Martorelli stated that the first task ahead was to select a host city. Last week, the bidding process was officially launched, with the publication of the criteria for eligible host cities. Following bids from Turin, Pesaro, Bologna and Jesolo, Rai later confirmed that a total of seventeen bids were received.

According to Italian site Eurovision IN, however, only 3 of the 17 bidding cities and municipalities meet the criteria published by the EBU, specifically the venue and hotel capacity requirements. These three candidates are supposedly Milan, Bologna and Turin.

Meanwhile other candidates such as Trieste and Viterbro have openly publicised that they do not meet the requirements to actually host the contest and are bidding for publicity reasons.

As a reminder, the host city must have:

  • An international airport no more than 90 minutes from the city.
  • Over 2,000 hotel rooms in the area close to the event.
  • An infrastructure (stadium/venue/centre) capable of hosting a large-scale live broadcast with the minimum requirements listed below.
    • Be indoors with air-conditioning and have a well defined perimeter;
    • An audience capacity in the main hall of around 8,000 – 10,000 during the event (which corresponds to 70% of maximum capacity of that venue for regular concerts, taking into consideration the specific stage and production needs of the Eurovision Song Contest);
    • A main hall with the capacity to house the set and all other requirements needed to produce a high level broadcast production (this includes good specifications of load capacity in the roof, clearance to low beams, easy load in access, etc);
    • Have ample space within easy access of the main hall to support additional production needs, such as: a press centre, delegation spaces, dressing rooms, artist facilities, staff facilities, hospitality, audience facilities, etc;
    • Be available exclusively for 6 weeks before the event, 2 weeks during the show (which will take place in May) and a week after the end of the event for dismantling.

However, as the article points out, this doesn’t automatically rule out any of the dark horse candidates. Stranger things have happened. In the past, the contest has been hosted in…non-traditional venues, such as an equestrian centre (1993) and a former industrial complex on an island (2014). Although, the well-documented difficulties of the latter may well make the EBU more likely to opt in favour of a more traditional venue.

Either way, we will know by the end of next month.

Host city will be decided by the end of August

A total seventeen Italian cities have submitted their candidacy to host the Eurovision Song Contest 2022. Notably, Verona, Naples and Bari did not submit bids after initially expressing interest.

The cities in the running are:

The provincial capitals that are in the running are:

  • Alessandria
  • Matera
  • Pesaro
  • Rimini
  • Viterbro

Meanwhile, the following municipalities have submitted bids:

  • Acireale (Catania)
  • Bertinoro di Romagna (Forlì – Cesena)
  • Jesolo (Venice)
  • Palazzolo Acreide (Syracuse)
  • Sanremo (Imperia)

Each of the above have submitted their initial bids, and will now received a more detailed document ahead of the next stage. Rai, in coordination with the EBU, will select the host city by the end of August.

Måneskin won the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 with “Zitti E Buoni”, taking us to Italy for the first time since 1991. We will report as the selection process continues!

Which city would you like to see host Eurovision 2022? Let us know! Be sure to stay updated by following @ESCXTRA on Twitter@escxtra on Instagram and liking our Facebook page for the latest updates! Also, be sure to follow us on Spotify and YouTube to see our reactions to the news in the run up to the 2022 national final season!

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