Last week Portugal’s RTP confirmed that Praça do Comércio — that’s Commerce Square — will play host to Eurovision Village 2018.
And ahead of the public reveal, wiwiblogger William traveled to Lisbon to explore the square first-hand amid the growing (and it’s now clear accurate) speculation it would be used.
In the video below we stroll up Rua Augusta, climb the Rua Augusta Arch and then take a turn in the stunning 18th century square to get a feel for what may unfold at Eurovision 2018 next May.
Eurovision Village 2018 in Lisbon: Vlog preview
For months Eurovision fans have suggested that Rua Augusta — a picturesque shopping street — might play host to the Eurovision red carpet.
The stunning thoroughfare, which is pedestrianised and covered with mosaic tiles, stretches from Rossio Square to Commerce Square, where it’s punctuated by the ornate Rua Augusta Arch.
The Arch marks the city’s reconstruction following the devastating 1755 earthquake and rises over 30 metres (that’s more than 100 feet), offering fantastic views of the square and streets below.
Rua Augusta is fantastic for a stroll and a drink, but it’s highly unlikely that it will host the red carpet event.
For starters it’s lined with cafes and restaurants — many of which have their tables in the middle of the street — and shops like H&M and Zara. Officials would have to shut all of the shops for the day (and at great expense). And they’d likely have to conduct security sweeps of all the buildings along the route.
It terms of space it may not be wide enough anyway. The Eurovision red carpet requires a great deal of depth on each side to accommodate journalists, camera crews and thousands of fans.
If the Opening Ceremony takes place somewhere near the square, it could be a nice touch to have artists arrive by boat: There is a small dock just opposite the square, which you can see in the Instagram snap above.
Eurovision Village, a key gathering point for fans during the Eurovision Song Contest, hosts live performances from Eurovision artists throughout the Eurovision fortnight.
It’s a great place for people to soak in the atmosphere of the event, regardless of whether they have tickets to the actual competition. It’s also a great way to mix with locals.
We have another Lisbon vlog coming in the next week, so be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel at wiwi.tv so you don’t miss it. It’ll include footage from the Lisbon Aquarium (above), MEO Arena and the nearby Vasco da Gama shopping mall, potential press room spaces and a potential venue for EuroClub.
What do you think of Lisbon’s Commerce Square? Does it look like a promising spot for Eurovision Village? Are you going to be there partying with us? Let us know in the comments box below.
Has anyone ever been to Eurovision village? Can we see the final from the village? will there be Eurovision nightclubs? Please advise as I couldn’t get tickets.
Commerce Square is just amazing! It looks so beautiful!
I believe you mean Lisbon’s aquarium, not London’s.
To be honest, the ocean is everything, otherwise those buildings look like 1000 y/o and dangerous in earthquakes, but the water is glorious. I do hope the artists will arrive in boats.
except that’s not the ocean, that’s the enormous river Tagus. When there’s ignorance, there’s assumptions
Actually the downtown of lisbon was rebuilt after the great earthquake of 1755 that destroyed a big part of Lisbon, and that “new” downtown was one of the first exemples of antiseismic costruction (built with innovative techniques)
stunning city 🙂
Lisbon 2018