The deadline for venue bids to host Eurovision 2015 has now passed and Austrian host broadcaster ORF has revealed that 12 venues have applied – five in capital city Vienna, the other seven in provincial centres.

Eurovision 2015 — Vienna venues:

  • Wiener Stadthalle (a large indoor arena)
  • Schönbrunn Palace (a 17th century palace and a popular tourist attraction and concert venue)
  • Heldenplatz public square
  • Krieau race track
  • St Marx Rinderhalle (a former cattle market)

Of these, only the Wiener Stadthalle has an existing facility ready to use – the other four locations would require having some sort of temporary event staging constructed. We’d previously wondered if the Stadthalle’s existing bookings would rule it out of contention, but it seems they’re happy to kick out James Last and his flute, if need be. But missing from this list is Vienna’s Messe event centre – looks like nothing’s going to stop the International Liver Congress!

The bids from the provinces:

  • the city of Wels has the Messehalle event centre
  • the city of Innsbruck has submitted its OlympiaWorld sports and events facility
  • the city of Klagenfurt has the Wörthersee Stadium
  • the city of Graz offers its Stadthalle Graz event centre
  • the town of Oberwart has its Messezentrum event centre
  • the municipality of Unterpremstätten offers its Freizeitzentrum event centre
  • the town of Schwechat is offering the nearby facilities of Vienna International Airport (seriously!)

With a palace, a graveyard and an airport to consider, it seems the ORF team will have quite a job choosing the successful venue.

Would you like to see Eurovision 2015 held in Vienna International Airport? Would hosting the song contest at a former cattle market be appropriate for the sausage-loving Conchita Wurst? What’s your preferred venue for ESC 2015?

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Deven O'Kearney
Deven O'Kearney
9 years ago

Realist, I think Dhani made that statement because we failed to qualify this year. But we have qualified in 2004, 2006 and 2007 and every year between 2010-2013. So 7 times out of 11.

Realist
Realist
9 years ago

dhan ummm… ireland qualified 4 years in a row u to this year… whats you point about “you can’t even qualify”

Deven O'Kearney
9 years ago

Hi Darren

Well said man. Don’t listen to people when they say that Ireland will never win again. Look at Austria AND The Netherlands, we all had lost ALL faith in these 2 countries but they ended up in the top 2 in a very close faught battle.

I firmly believe that Ireland will be a contender next year. 😀

Jonathan
Jonathan
9 years ago

I have to say that Unterpremstätten 2015 sounds pretty cool!

Darren
Darren
9 years ago

@Dhani

Just because you never qualify for a final, doesnt mean you wont win the following year, look at Austria, they never qualified, yet won this year. It all depends on the song, if the song is good, then it has a chance.
Maybe you should actually watch Eurovision instead of spamming this website ….just a suggestion 🙂

Renske
Renske
9 years ago

Vienna would a very cool host city, but I think the best stage would be in Innsbrück.

Oostenrijk
Oostenrijk
9 years ago

St Marx is not a graveyard!! Get your facts straight, it’s a former kettle market….

Alex
Alex
9 years ago

Obviously, they won’t take seriously some offers like the graveyard one!

Innsbruck and Vienna are the big contenders but it seems that Vienna’s Stadhalle will win considering there are no problems with the period of time that the stadium is needed for the contest.

It is a big indoor arena which holds a decent number of spectators and has hosted a big number of concerts of international stars.

Deven O'Kearney
9 years ago

I am so glad that Austria came back in 2011. They quit in 2007 because ORF thought Austria would never win again. In fact, Wolfgang Lorenz quoted that ”ORF has no desire to send more talent out of Austria to a contest where we have no chances. … Should the situation change, we will be happy to take part again.”. He also hinted that Austria would pull out for good in 2007. Well, you know what Austria, coming back was the best move in the Eurovision Song Contest.

Erin
Erin
9 years ago

I’m rooting for Innsbruck…Vienna is perhaps the jewel crown, but nothing beats the infrastructure and the amazing landscape that Innsbruck has to offer. Even with a maximum capacity of 12,000, the Innsbruck OlympiaWorld is a state of the art facility

Deven O'Kearney
9 years ago

Hi Wiwi Bloggs

Will you please ban Dhani from posting comments. He is spamming on Eastern Europe and he is really annoying everyone on this website. You should see what he is posting and become aware of what he is doing.

Thanks
Deven O’Kearney

So tired
So tired
9 years ago

@dhani, re: ” i dont understand anything!!! would there be build an a stage on the deads??? esc is nothing but block voting and crap music with weird people, grand mothers vampires a real freak show yes i think that shitty music would wake the dead from their graves!!!” Yes, I think you don’t understand anything and you just confessed it by yourself. If you have nothing else to do by days than disturb and poison this site, so why don’t you just go away and start torturing some other sites… or why I have an imagination that you already… Read more »

dhani
9 years ago

Deben and Darren dream on , Ireland will never win esc again haha !!! you cant even qualify ror the final ahahahaha

and how can esc be held in a graveyard or airport????? i dont understand anything!!! would there be build an a stage on the deads??? esc is nothing but block voting and crap music with weird people, grand mothers vampires a real freak show yes i think that shitty music would wake the dead from their graves!!!

Euphoria
Euphoria
9 years ago

Sweden 2016, Friends arena in Stockholm! More than 65.000 people (with roof).

We wont do the same mistake as in 2013, I promise you that! 🙂

Alex
Alex
9 years ago

I was glad Denmark didn’t choose to host in a prison last year. Now I’m hoping Austria doesn’t choose the graveyard.

The airport would be pretty funny, though. I think the airlines would have a problem with that idea.

Deven O'Kearney
9 years ago

Yeah I agree with you Darren. But RTE are going to want a show that is spectacular and financially economical. I do think that Tallaght 2016 is an unlikely option though because the stadium is too small (8,000 people) and would require a roof. Another alternative could be the square between The Civic and Rua Red performing arts centre. I performed there with Tallaght Youth Theatre in December for a production called ”12 days of Christmas” and there was about 3,125 people watching us. But that would prove to be extremely complicated as well as far too small. As for… Read more »

Darren
Darren
9 years ago

Its gotta be Vienna!!! Please please please! It is the only venue in that list that is suitable for hosting Eurovision! @Deven If Ireland was to win, there would be no doubt about it that Eurovision would be hosted in the O2 Dublin.,Given its capacity, it would produce a show on the same scale as Copenhagen 2014 or Belgrade 2008 Its the only suitable venue in the Republic, unless RTE hosted it in Belfast. The Aviva would need a temporary roof, which needs planning permission, Croker is too big, and needs a roof and the Hogan Stand to be developed… Read more »

Pan99
Pan99
9 years ago

I think next year’s contest deserves something very special which I think that only Weiner Stadthalle and Wörthersee Stadium could be…Dusseldorf and Moscow did such spectacular shows that i think they cannot be compared with this years contest! A stadium would be the best! So I vote for Weiner or Wörthersee …

Vlatko Horvat
Vlatko Horvat
9 years ago

Wiener Stadthalle!!!

Only logical venue, like Arena Zagreb would be the only logical venue if Croatia win 2015.

Dhani
9 years ago

i want a BIG EUROVISION in a STADIUM like in DüSSELDORF YES THIS IS THE ANSWER FOR ME THANK YOU VERY MUCH

Deven O'Kearney
9 years ago

Wow. ORF is really doing what DR did last year and that is forward thinking. If Ireland win ESC 2015, here are some of my ideas for the venue in 2016. Some are rather berserk 😀 . Dublin 2016: The 02 Arena (Formerly Point Theatre). 15,000 seat ampitheatre. Aviva Stadium (With a roof). 24,000-50,000 people. A huge tent in the Phoenix Park. 10,000 people. A huge tent in Marlay Park. <20,000 people. A tent/dome in Baldonnel Airfield. 10,000 people. Tallaght 2016: Roof over Shamrock Rovers grounds. (8,500 people) Belfast 2016: Odyssey arena. (14,500 people) Harland and Wolff. (Ireland's B&W Hallerne.… Read more »

Calvin
Calvin
9 years ago

No Statsoper? That would be so weird/cool.

Dhani
9 years ago

all of the others that are not vienna stadthalle in vienna sounds really strange !!!!

Davve
Davve
9 years ago

I just hope austria take this opportunity and make a great huge show!

Thiefo
Thiefo
9 years ago

Well, if we already went to a shipyard in Denmark, why not an Airport in Austria? 😛
Denmark also offered a former prision if I recall correctly, so a graveyard doesn’t sound that crazy either.
I’m up for “crazy” venues, as long as they’re ready in time and the final product is impressive, the B&W Hallerne proved to be a great venue… at least on the inside.