This morning, at the conclusion of the host city press briefing, a journalist asked Ukraine’s Minister of Culture the official dates of the Eurovision 2017 shows.
Somewhat amusingly he said, “[Deputy General Director] Victoria Romanova isn’t here…it’s in early May.”
More specifically, Semi-Final 1 will take place on May 9, Semi-Final 2 will take place on May 11, and the Grand Final will take place on May 13.
Below you can read the official press release from the EBU.
Eurovision 2017: Dates and host city information
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the National Television Company of Ukraine (NTU) has today revealed that the city chosen to host the 62nd Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) in 2017 will be… the country’s capital and largest city, Kyiv!
The city fought off strong competition from Odesa and Dnipro to host the world’s most exciting musical event reaching over 200 million viewers, following Jamala’s win in Sweden this year with her self-penned song, “1944”.
The Ukrainian capital previously hosted the Eurovision Song Contest in 2005 as well as the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in 2009 and 2013. The city plans to host the 2017 contest at the International Exhibition Centre, the largest venue of its kind in Ukraine with capacity for 11,000 spectators.
Kyiv, selected as host by NTU and approved by the EBU and the ESC Reference group, is located in the north-central part of Ukraine on the Dnieper River. The city is a modern megalopolis with everything fans visiting for the competition will need. From hotels and easy transport links to beautiful architecture, green spaces, nightlife and a rich history, the city has shown itself to be a worthy host.
“After a thorough selection process, we are very pleased to be announcing today that NTU will be working with Kyiv as host city for the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest” commented Jon Ola Sand, the EBU’s Executive Supervisor for the Eurovision Song Contest. He continued, “We would like to congratulate NTU on their extensive and careful assessments of each bid. Kyiv presented an excellent case and we are looking forward to working together to create the most electrifying show yet next May”.
NTU Deputy Director General Victoria Romanova commented; “In the course of the selection we were deeply impressed with the efforts made by the bidding cities, the professionalism of their teams and the serious approach to their participation in the Bid. The process has demonstrated an unprecedented interest in the Eurovision Song Contest in Ukraine. We look forward to maintaining that momentum, with thanks and congratulations to Kyiv – the host city of the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest.”
The decision was made after six candidate cities originally presented their bids to the Organising Committee of the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest, televised live in Ukraine. At that stage Kharkiv, Kherson and Lviv stood down, allowing Kyiv, Dnipro and Odesa to continue their bids for final consideration. The committee and representatives from the EBU then reviewed and inspected the final city hopefuls and have now declared Kyiv the host for 2017.
The dates of next year’s Eurovision Song Contest are 9 May (First Semi-Final), 11 May (Second Semi-Final), and 13 May (Grand Final) 2017. Tickets to the semi-finals and final of the Eurovision Song Contest in Kyiv will be available by the end of the year; check Eurovision.tv, @Eurovision and Eurovision Song Contest on Facebook for updates.
I guess if UEFA will not complain about this dates, because in the same week the matches of UEFA Champion League and Europa League will be played at the same time than the ESC 2017 semifinals! if not then the dates should be moved from 23, 25 and 27 may as well!
Bit disappointed with the choice of Kyiv. All that wait for the most boring choice. Will the 2009 and 2011 contests ever be topped?