The Mayor of Amsterdam, Femke Halsema, has said that her city does not want a ferocious battle to host the Eurovision Song Contest next year. The mayor does not want her city to stand in the way of others seeking to win the favour of hosting the Eurovision Song Contest 2020.
A split city council
Mayor Halsema answered questions during the city council meeting last week. During that meeting, several parties asked questions about the Eurovision Song Contest. Not all of the coalition parties in the Dutch capital agree that Amsterdam should put in a bid. D66, the democrats, hope that Mayor Halsema will put in a bid, to which the mayor responded by saying she does not want a fierce battle to bring the contest to the city.
Meanwhile the Socialist Party, also part of the Amsterdam coalition, are proposing the contest to go elsewhere. They follow the national tourist board advice, who recently released a statement to suggest a city other than Amsterdam should host the contest next year.
We would be thrilled to organise the Eurovision Song Contest 2020, but we will not stand in the way of other cities. We can take a lot, but we’re a responsible capital. That means we need to avoid a battle of prestige. We will handle it with class.
Mayor Femke Halsema during the city council meeting of 29th May
Halsema: No bid yet
The mayor confirmed that Amsterdam has not yet decided upon the bid to host the Eurovision Song Contest 2020. They say they would rather wait for the City Bid process before deciding whether they bid or not.
Two venues have expressed interest in Amsterdam: RAI Exhibition and Convention Centre and Ziggo Dome. The latter has however said that they would need to clear their agenda and that ‘big acts were lining up’. Those acts are not yet in their public agenda, but the agenda may just be a bigger issue than Ziggo Dome are hoping for. The Johan Cruijff Arena is also an option, but they have not yet expressed their interest and it is doubtful that they will. It’s the home base for football club AFC Ajax and it is highly unlikely that the current champions will leave their home for six weeks at the end of the season.
