Before Conchita Wurst’s winner’s press conference had even started, journalists in the press corps were already booking hotels for Eurovision 2015. More specifically, they were booking hotels in Austria’s capital Vienna, and in Salzburg, the heartland of classical music.
We now know that Salzburg, the birthplace of Mozart, isn’t interested in being Eurovision 2015 host city. Governor Wilfried Haslauer said that “this event does not fit with Salzburg’s globally unique cultural profile, which is geared towards the [Salzburg] Festival and other high-quality art forms.”
Well excuse us. Given his bad attitude, we are happy to take our British pounds, euros, and Azeri manat somewhere else! Fortunately we are spoiled for choice as a number of cities have already offered up their venues—and their hearts—for Eurovision 2015. Let’s have a lookie…
GRAZ
The second largest city in Austria, Graz has two potential Eurovision venues. The Stadthalle Graz holds 10,000 people, so could offer a Malmö-sized show. It’s hosted some mega events already y’all. I mean…who can forget the 2010 European Men’s Handball Championships? The other venue is the 5,000-capacity Schwarzl Freiziet Zentrum, which currently stages basketball matches. Hmm. Eurovision is a musical extravaganza, so we need a venue that will leave us in wonder and awe…not one where we’ll be more inclined to shoot hoops!
Lonely Planet says “a large student population (some 50,000 in four universities) helps propel the nightlife and vibrant arts scene, creating a pleasant, lively and liveable city.
INNSBRUCK
The word Innsbruck translates as “the bridge over the inn.” A major tourist hub for ski bunnies and other sporty types, there are plenty of inns and hotels for Eurovision fans. Its Olympiahalle seats 10,000 and hosted figure skating and ice hockey at both the 1964 and the 1976 Winter Olympics.
The “Goldenes Dachl” (Golden Roof) is considered the most enduring symbol of the city. Located in the Old Town, the roof is decorated with 2,738 fire-gilded copper tiles…perfect for reflecting the rays of Conchita’s stage show for “Rise Like a Phoenix”!
KLAGENFURT
The city of Klagenfurt, Austria’s sixth largest, would like to host Eurovision’s first open-air contest. However, it is currently snowing in Austria. And since the contest will be taking place in exactly one year in May, we are skeptical that Austria’s state broadcaster wants to give 90% of the audience and contestants hypothermia. You can’t hit your high notes when your throat is frozen! The city’s Wörthersee Stadion can seat up to 30,000 people, and has previously hosted UEFA Euro 2008 matches.
“Not an urban centre comparable with Graz or Vienna, Klagenfurt walks a very fine line between being Austria’s boondocks capital and a playground for a partying set,” according to Lonely Planet.
LINZ
If Linz, the country’s third-largest city, hosts Eurovision 2015, then the entire Wiwibloggs team will be sitting on each other’s laps. Their stadium, Brucknerhaus, holds a maximum of 1,420 people. That’s not enough to house Sabina Babayeva’s entourage of make-up artists and stylists. Not gonna work, people.
VIENNA
The front-runner Vienna is eager to give it a go. Their main stadium ‘Wiener Stadthalle’, holds 16,000 people. It’s a massive city filled with bars, cafes, restaurants, hotels, clubs and so much more. We don’t have to explain this to you. VIENNA people. VIENNA!
Vienna is sometimes called “The City of Dreams” because it was home to psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud.
OBERWART
This town of just 7,000 people was founded by Hungarians in the 11th century, and remains the cultural capital for the region’s Hungarian ethnic minorities. That means Eurovision fans can get down on some yummy goulash if Oberwart’s bid is successful. The town’s exhibition hall can hold 7,000 people. That means there is plenty of room for every local. Just not for the rest of Europe!
VORARLBERG
This Western region of Austria is basically in Switzerland and Bavaria. It’s gorgeous. But, like Oberwart, it’s music venue only holds 7,000….
Where would you like Austria to host next year’s ESC? Let us know below!
James Elliott contributed this report from the UK. You can keep up-to-date on the latest Eurovision news and gossip by following the team on Twitter @wiwibloggs and by liking our Facebook page.
Hi guys
If it is Graz 2015. It will be like Malmo 2013 all over again, just not with Petra Mede hosting it. Instead with Andi Knoll and Katharina Bellowitsch hosting. 😀
Please put it in Graz! It IS the perfect city to host! We can put on a spectacular show here!!!
I hope it’s Vienna. Not just because I live close to Vienna, but they are the only city to have the desired infrastructure.
The airport has been newly built and it’s gorgeous. Excellent puplic transportation with newly built railway stations and the only subway system in Austria. Plus it’s the best place to go shopping, to party and to have fun!
In my opinion, I think Graz should host it. It is a beautiful city by the looks of it and would be perfect. It also suits the name: ‘Graz 2015’ And also, if the Austrians or the EBU think their venues were too small, build a new one! The Germans did it, the Azeris, the Danes so why don’t they do it? And also, Graz is the second largest city, so they’ll have lots of hotels and bars, restaurants too! And don’t forget, Vienna are not the only ones to put on a spectacular show, think of the other cities… Read more »
Denmark spent about 25 million euros on the show, and 10 million on the redevelopment of The B&W Hallerne. That’s somewhat more than the Austrians are planning.
I think it is such a pity that they want the ESC in Salzburg. Every fucking city wants it EXCEPT Salzburg. Like, wtf?! What on earth are they scared of?! I live in Salzburg and I think it would be perfect!
I’m already thinking of the “intermission” entertainment – Mozart arias done up in Eurovision style….
Vienna please. Austria isn’t gonna win anytime soon (they’ve waited 40 years for their second victory!) so Vienna would be the best choice. We want the capital city which is extremely popular and can accomodate the thousands of people which will arrive next year. And please pick a big arena/stadium, not a small one. We want a grand show and Austria can afford it given the fact that they are kinda rich 😛 Denmark did an amazing job this year so Austria’s task is tough
I hope its Vienna! 😛 I wasnt even born the last time Eurovision was staged there and it would be interesting to see how they could host it.
Really looking forward to Austria hosting the Eurovision, wherever the host city is. (Please be Vienna) and people may feel Conchita’s win was political….it probably was, but I loved the song, it was in my top 10…and it is nice to see the Eurovision back in the west of Europe and out of the ex-USSR and Scandinavia.
‘That’s not enough to house Sabina Babayeva’s entourage of (SWEDISH) make-up artists and stylists.’))
I hope its going to be Vienna!
ps: btw. respect to Salzburg, they don’t want to see conchita’s in their holy city.
I think that Eurovision 2015, as being the 60th anniversary , has to be the most spectacular edition ever !
In my opinion, Vienna,choosing either Wiener Stadthalle or Messe Wien, is the perfect city to host the contest because of the capacity to acccomodate more Europeans and also because i think that the possible venues are more suittable!
If it won’t be Vienna , i would prefer Klagenfurt, but i am more in favor of Vienna!
Vienna!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Adriana, what do you mean?!
I hope it’s Vienna, I’m deffo planning to go next year for the first time, and have always wanted to go there!
P.s. Conchita, Common Linnets AND Molly are all in the mid-week top 10 in the uk charts. It was a HUGE shock when loreen got to number 2 here, cos eurovision acts don’t do great here, but now three acts are doing amazing! Conchita is likely to get a #1 here which would be the first time in decades a euro act has got that! LOVE TO CONCHITA!!!
If they choose Klagenfurt don’t worry about hotels, the regional capital of Villach is just across the Wörthersee!
i hope we will have a BIG contest like in 2011!
Salzburg – big deal. So what if Mozart was born there? VIENNA is the place where he put all his works to use and made all the magic happened. Even Billy Joel wrote a song about the city! Besides Eurovision 2015 is the 60th anniversary as well. It can’t get anymore musical than Vienna~!
I’m hoping for Innsbruck or Graz (the 10,000 people ones), I quite liked the smaller-scale show in Malmö.
hasn’t they already confirmed vienna? o.O
the only possible choice is vienna. i’d love to see it in klagenfurt (wouldn’t “klagenfurt 2015” sound badass?!), but even if that huge stadium had a roof it would be hard to find enough hotel rooms in the city itself. and I’m so happy eurovision is coming to austria-I’m from slovenia and this is the first time since 2008 that the contest is coming to these parts. me and my friends are already planning a trip to vienna next year, but since we’re all broke students and eurovison tickets are ridiculously overpriced and hard to get we’ll probably just see… Read more »
Klagenfurt or Vienna. Other Eurofans and I will want to be able to get tickets… So a bigger venue would suit
They’ll have an “open” contest where every city can make their pitch. They’ll then “fairly” evaluate all the choices.
And then they’ll pick Vienna. It has to be Vienna. But first they have to go through the process.
Vienna is the obvious choice, but I think state broadcaster ORF could be persuaded by local governments chipping in enough money. The only other option I can see realistically working is Innsbruck, as it might be able to cope with the amount of people. But even that’s a stretch. Anything else is just laughable.
Eurovision in an open air venue? I don’t think that would work well for the acoustics, sounds interesting but not practical, good for a football match or the olympics, not for a musical event. I agree the best option seems to be Vienna, unless they want to have an even smaller contest than Malmö, which doesn’t sound as a good idea either, specially for the 60th edition of the contest, which I think should be extra special!
Oh take a load of shizz, Salzburg. Your city is too boring anyways. Eurovision fans would have nothing to do at night.
However not totally practical so 95 % sure well be heading to Vienna next year
Tbh, none of the other candidate cities stand a chance. Vienna is pretty much garuanteed the contest next year.
Austria said they’re willing to spend 20 million on the show that’s a lot more than what Denmark, Sweden and Norway spent. So, I think it will be Vienna.
To be honest only vienna seems like a practical option however I would personally love to see a special open air edition of the Eurovision song contest. Certainly would make the 60th anniversary shows memorable and spectacular
I think that they will either go for wiener stadhalle, or a tent. every year it’s been a possibility and austria simply don’t have venue big enough, considering how much they have wanted to host it and how long it’s taken them to win it.
this year has been the best by far, and i am sure austria will try to outdo the Danes.
Uk the lowest media ever
I love the random references hahahha “…That’s not enough to house Sabina Babayeva’s entourage of make-up artists and stylists. Not gonna work, people”