Lviv, Kyiv, Odessa — start bidding now!
Today NTU, Ukraine’s state broadcaster, revealed the official bidding process to become Eurovision 2017 host city.
The list of requirements and plans for bidding cities is extensive and detailed, and you can read it in full here. Among other things, applicants must must be able to provide an “international press centre for at least 1,550 journalists” and provisions for “crisis and emergency situations.” Preference will be given to cities that can provide an arena that is covered and can house at least 7,000 people.
Aspiring hosts have between now and July 8 to submit their applications and bids to NTU.
NTU will review the applications between July 8 and July 15, giving each bid a first look and deciding whether they are worthy of continuing in the race.
NTU will then present the most legitimate and feasible bids to its Eurovision Organizing Committee. At this point things get very serious, as they must whittle them down to the two strongest candidates by July 22. They will then present the two remaining bids to the EBU.
Between July 15 and August 1, officials from NTU, the EBU and the Eurovision organising committee will visit the two finalists — and their proposed venues. During the visit they will also inspect transport infrastructure and take account of social programmes and how Eurovision will benefit the potential host.
Back in May we asked our readers where they’d like to see the contest next year and Lviv — Ukraine’s seventh largest city — won the day with more than 50% of all votes.
Lonely Planet has described the city as “the country’s least Soviet” and one that “exudes the same authentic Central European charm as pre-tourism Prague or Krakow.”
Located just 70 miles from Poland, it was once the capital of the Kingdom of Ruthenia (duh) and was later part of the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland. Some glorious Austro-Polish architecture remains, visible in lovely green-domed churches, among other things.
I hope L’viv will be chosen
I smell bribery and corruption
Why u say duh to kingdom of ruthenia?
Lviv or Kyiv will be the final two cities as I really don’t see the others making it. In the end I think Kyiv will be chosen as it is the capital, with good transport links, it’s relatively safe and it has the available arenas. Although Lviv would be good and would be my first choice, it’s arena needs a roof and although it’s only 70 miles from Poland and close to the Polish city of Kraków, very strict border controls are in place and may not be for everyone.