Not a single vote has been cast in Eurovision 2022 yet, but the mayor of Valencia has already said that his city is ready to host the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 if Chanel takes the crown next Saturday.
Eurovision 2023 in Valencia? No es monetary!
Mayor Joan Ribó put a statement out on Twitter a few days ago, in which he confirms the city’s interest in hosting the Eurovision Song Contest next year. His proposal for the final day includes the beach in the morning, a good plate of paella at noon and Eurovision at night. He confirms that, if Chanel wins the Eurovision Song Contest, he will formally put forward a bid to host Eurovision in Valencia. He calls it a question of will, not of monetary – a reference to Chanel’s lyrics.
Could Valencia host the Eurovision Song Contest?
As always, a Eurovision bidding process goes hand in hand with the question whether some bids are viable at all. Just think about the 2020 Utrecht bid: No money to be invested, a tent as venue and no buses, but bikes for the delegations and artists. Valencia have three indoor venues in the cities, with the biggest being the Font de Sant Lluís. The basketball venue could host up to 9,000 people. Long gone are the days of Parken Stadium in Copenhagen or the Esprit Arena in Düsseldorf, where over 35,000 people could fit in a venue. 9,000 in the Font de Sant Lluís isn’t that big. It is however similar to Israel’s 2019 venue, the Expo Tel Aviv. Valencia Airport is also close to the city, so in terms of transport – they seem to be fine as well.
Chanel on her way to victory?
In previous years, Spain were never among the frontrunners for Eurovision victory. However, this year, Spain are comfortably in the top of rankings. With bookmakers, Chanel currently finds herself in fifth place – only behind Ukraine, United Kingdom, Italy and Sweden. In the MyEurovisionScoreboard app, Spain are the current leaders, followed by Sweden, Italy, the Netherlands and Greece. Spain are definitely a contender.
Yesterday, Chanel had her second rehearsal in Turin. With a note created especially for juries and a slick performance, she impressed fans and press. As a result, she got a massive applause all over social media. Chanel also managed to win yesterday’s press poll, only just ahead of the United Kingdom’s Sam Ryder. She has definitely come a long way since receiving just 3.97% of the televote during Benidorm Fest.
All in all: Chanel is definitely in the winners’ circle for the Eurovision Song Contest 2022. But the mayor of Valencia wishing to host the contest may be a case of don’t count your chickens before they hatch…
Would Valencia be a good choice to host the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 if Chanel were to win next week? 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 for the latest music from your favourite Eurovision acts. As well as YouTube to see our reactions to the news in the run up to the 2022 contest in Turin!
