The race to become Eurovision 2016 host city is hotting up with news about bids and withdrawls coming thick and fast. Today we’ve learned that Malmö will not bid for the contest because several events are already scheduled to take place in Malmö Arena during April and May. And Örnsköldsvik — that’s the seat of the Örnsköldsvik Municipality in Västernorrland County, obvs — has formally expressed interest in hosting inside its Fjällräven Center. If that weren’t enough, front-runner Stockholm has finally submitted its bid — and it does not include Friends Arena.
According to Sveriges Radio, authorities in the Swedish capital want to host Eurovision 2016 in the Globen area, which surrounds (and includes) the Eurovision 2000 venue, the Globe Arena.
“We have several different arenas in the Globe area, but the exact venue we will discuss further with SVT,” says mayor Karin Wanngård. “What we are doing now is proceeding with an application that says we want to organize Eurovision in 2016.”
The other venues are the Tele2 Arena, a brand new football stadium; Annexet, one of the smallest arenas in the capital, with a capacity of only 4,000 spectators; and Hovet, an idoor ice-hockey arena with a capacity of 9,000 visitors.
As we previously reported, the glitzy Tele2 Arena seems promising and there’s definitely the will to make it happen. Although the Swedish football team Hammarby is scheduled to play matches at Tele2 durng the ESC period, the club’s president has said he’s willing to mix things up to help make Eurovision happen.
According to StockholmDirekt, Kindlund said that if someone could present an alternative arrangement for the team then he would consider it. Of course, a team moving for Eurovision is nothing new. In 2011, Germany’s broadcaster transformed Espirit Arena, the home of Fortuna Düsseldorf, into a Eurovison temple. After all, four to six weeks away from home isn’t that much to ask – and absence makes the heart grow fonder!
As for Globen Arena, there is one important reason not to select it. It hosted the contest in 2000. As we know from Melodifestivalen, SVT likes to spread the wealth and share the excitement — that’s one reason Melodifestivalen tours through different cities every year. The Globe has already had its time to shine, so Swedish values would suggest it’s actually a strike against it. Why not showcase the other arenas in the area?
Of course, perhaps none of this matters and we’re all headed to Örnsköldsvik.
Hey! We just wrote a post on Gothenburg. http://wiwibloggs.com/2015/06/13/discuss-eurovision-2016-gothenburg-scandinavium/98025/
Tele2 Arena is perfect for this kind of contest. Undoubtedly indubitably preferable.
Please…let it be Tele2Arena!!!<3
Deli, what newsworthy shoild they say about it?
Make Tele2 Arena happen, please!
They will chose the smallest arena and the smallest city so we will go to Örnsköldsvik, Fjällräven Center…
@ Nicolas
Oh thank you dear… 🙂 Really kind of yours…You are sweet.. <3
The interest to watch the Eurovision final in the arena is always high, but what about the semi finals? It always looks rather awkward when the ESC is hosted in a huge venue with 20 000+ seats, when the venue seems to be half empty during the semi finals. The ESC is also mainly a TV show, and it seems to me that it’s more difficult to make everything work in a huge venue, rather than a smaller one. SVT has proven though that they can arrange such a show both in a smaller venue (ESC 2013) and in a… Read more »
@Mario, don’t worry about the others, just remember what Anti Social Media used to say: you’re perfect “just the way you are” 🙂 Going back to the topic of host cities, a close friend of mine who works at the finance department of SVT (as some of you might already know) confirmed that the broadcaster would need to decide on the host city and arena before 14th August. He said that SVT’s finance department and the Eurovision-delegation are actively discussing the remaining alternative cities; Stockholm (Ericsson Globe Arena, Tele2 Arena), Gothenburg (Scandinavium) and Linköping (SAAB Arena). However, rumour has it… Read more »
Örnsköldsvik would be the best host city ever, yes or yes?
@ Yes i agree..
Now that our Vision will be hosted especially by a country like Sweden that the Swedes loves EuroVision to death it would be wise to choose an area that would had big number of seats instead..
Even if the Swedes pickled an arena with a capacity of 100.000 the tickets would still go sold out very quickly when many thousands of Swedes would want to watch live the contest & adding the hundreds thousands of fans that would want to buy tickets for the same reason..
Ghotenburg is the home town of Helena Paparizou <3
If this town wins the bid to host the 61st EuroVision of 2016 in Scandinavium then i would adore it if the Swedes & SVT decided to select choose Helena 4 the hostess! <3 That scenario would be amazing! <3 😀
Given that the demand to watch Eurovision live is so high (as tickets sell out within hours) they really should pick the arena that can accommodate most number of people. It will bring in revenue and people will be happy. To be honest, hosting the contest in arenas that house 10,000 people is no longer realistic. More and more people want to watch the final live – I know I do!
Well ok… Friends Arena is expected to host the Big Finalen of Melodifestivalen 2016 i guess..{as it was the case with this year,last year & 2 years ago} I do not mind that Friends Arena is withdrawn too…As there are multiple different arenas & cities/towns in Sweden that are eligible to host the Vision next year.. Maybe who knows…The Swedes will decide to host the 61st Vision in a small arena with not large number of seats.. We will see how it goes next & what decision SVT will actually make…Its very early for that as we are still on… Read more »
Tele2 Arena seems to be the best choice.