Hangar 11 was the site of the EuroClub in Tel Aviv. And as we build bridges to the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 in The Netherlands, there’s another Hangar 11 in the mix. But this Hangar 11 isn’t a club — it’s part of Twente Airport in the eastern town of Enschede.
Yes, you read that correctly. The airport, which is actually a former military base, hopes to stage Eurovision 2020 inside one of its former plane workshops. Call it a case of “F16s to wind machines!”
Twente Airport no longer services military planes, but it does welcome charter flights and private jets. Speaking to Tubantia, its commercial director Marten Foppen said he isn’t crazy and that no dream is too big.
“People say it is especially nice that we stick our neck out and do our best for it. Some think that we have no chance because it will be organised in the west of the country. But, as I said on Monday, if you think that way, you will never achieve anything here in Twente.”
Enschede, where?
With a population of around 160,000, Enschede sits in the east of the country in the province of Overijssel. It’s just a few kilometres from Germany. The city was bombed several times during the Second World War, and was one of the first Dutch cities to be captured by the Germans.
Eurovision 2020 would occur during a solemn period for the town. May 2020 will mark 20 years since a massive fireworks explosion killed 23 people and wiped out the entire neighborhood of Roombeek. Eurovision would, in many ways, be a symbol of regeneration for a town that has stared tragedy in the face.
Today’s story is a happier one. Nodding to the city’s conservatory and pop academy, the local tourist board describes Enschede as the epicentre of music and culture in the east of the Netherlands, with a splendid range of shops and boutiques.” Apparently it also has “the most convivial public square in the Netherlands,” with Old Market Square surrounded by “several cafes, restaurants, bars and clubs.”
So about Hangar 11…
The airport’s commercial director told Tubantia that he’s busy lining up potential partners and that there’s wide interest at home and abroad.
“Even from Germany, from parties from North Rhine-Westphalia. And from a hotel in Münster that would like to participate and asks how we can tackle this together…We visited the new Provincial State members of Overijssel and there too heard many positive sounds. This creates a domino effect. ”
He said they would decide over the next two weeks whether a bid is actually feasible.
The hangar is 10,000 square meters and has a capacity of around 10,000 people. One staffer told AD.NL that the space has strong acoustics — “even Madonna sounds good here”.
Foppen’s enthusiasm for his idea is endearing, even if it sounds far-fetched. He took AD.NL on a tour and you can hear him smile.
“This can serve as a press room, here we can make a Eurovision campsite, with a kind of village and large screens,” he said. “And here [pointing at the parking lot] we can easily park 3,000 cars.”
Any divas with their own private jets will feel right at home. “They can literally land here a stone’s throw away, in a private jet or Boeing 747, and thus enter the Eurovision Village.”
Curiously, we’ve found several videos on YouTube of airplanes conducting their final landings at Twente Airport. Apparently it’s a great place to land if you want your plane taken apart and sent to the scrapyard.
The above YouTube video was captioned:
“On December 6th 2017, this KLM 747 made its very last landing, at the small airport of Twente, The Netherlands. This 747 will be scrapped at the airport, and parts of the plane will be re-used. It was the biggest plane ever at Twente airport. The result was, that hundreds of aviation enthusiasts and other interested people showed up at the airport to watch this KLM 747 landing. Very happy that I was able to make this quite unique footage.”
How do you feel about all this? Does the idea of spending time in a former military base during Eurovision seem remotely feasible? Or is Mr Foppens just having a bit of fun with all of us? Let us know down below.
Netta landed here to pick up Duncan to travel to Tel Aviv 😉
I expect the roof to be too low. How is a big stage and are seating stands possible there?
Fun Facts:
For Eurovision 2010 NRK didn’t have enough money to host Eurovision and Broadcast FIFA world cup.. So they threw the world cup away and all the Norwgian people get really mad!!
For Eurovision 2012 the government used the plumbing economy to get to host Esc instead.
The Azeri government apparently evicted residents without compensation to build the Crystal Palace- I’d rather have a lacklustre venue than see people become homeless as a result of the contest
People were worried about Cyprus hosting the competition… When the Netherlands wants to host it in a f’ing hanger.. lol.
Interestingly, the explosion mentioned was on the day of eurovision 2000, so The Netherlands didn‘t broadcast the show and switched from Televote to jury vote.
Amsterdam or no one!
I am from Brooklyn; and from where I’m sitting, given the Amsterdam mayor’s unwillingness to put up a fight for the contest, there’s a better chance they’ll hold it in Armin’s backyard (Leiden) than Amsterdam…
…But it looks pretty obvious that Rotterdam is the front-runner now. “Ahoy There!” and “Ahoy, Europe!” sound quite appropriate as possible slogans for ESC 2020, given the very name of Rotterdam’s main entertainment and sports complex.
Very similar to 2018 “All aboard”, though 🙂
“Even Madonna sounds good here”
Sold, take my money, I’m buying my ticket, don’t mind hotel capacity I’ll be camping
I have three likes, so you know what I mean. We are coming for more. (Joke)
Rotterdam or nothing.
Next year you must buy another song from Sweden because you’re Swedish anyway. Sweden is the real sponsor.
So it is “sour pickle season”, as we say in German, when unnessary and impossible things become news.
To be fair, we get that category literally all year round here.
That perfectly sums up a lot of eurovision based articles on here, especially when it’s slow after the contest is over.
it could host a singing contest for smurfs with that low a$$ roof
Would that hangar and its low ceiling be acceptable for JUNIOR Eurovision?
I always love special places. This might be slightly unrealistic, but it is entertaining 😀 But I worry about the height: Kate Miller-Heidke wouldn’t have been amused about this 😀
I kinda like everyone and their mother wants to host. Other countries would just get 2-3 bids, but The Netherlands is like ‘got a barn ready, let’s host.’
Hospitality at its finest xD
I have a small attic, in case the proposed venues are not good enough 😉
It’s like a “our economy is great, social cohesion is generally good throughout the country, we have no territorial disputes” bragging exercise- so everyone gets a hosting bid. To paraphrase Oprah “You get to submit a bid! You get to submit a bid!”
Since 2014 contest was held in a former industrial complex, I don’t see why this should be a bad idea. Thing is this is not in Amsterdam nor Roterdam though
Because the ceiling at B&W was much higher.
Do you see those rails stretching from one end of the hangar to the other? Kate and her sidekicks would have banged their necks into those rails swaying from one end to the other on their fiberglass poles. “Zero Gravity” would have been a no-go when they have zero headroom for the staging plan. 🙁
My vote is for Barneveld !!!!!! 🙂 Nice place , egg capital of the Netherlands , good B&B’s and I went with a friend to see Omnia there once (now they should do ESC) only half an hour on the train from Schipol airport . What’s not to like hehehehe Just kidding
Anyway in regard to that video. Deban is quite negative towards hosts cities beside the largest (capital) city. But I completely understand the concern, I think it is more the “fear” for the unknown. If another country considers to hold it in a smaller city, my eyebrows might frown too tbh. Rotterdam just had a very negative image just only ten years ago. Even among Dutch citizens, it had the image of a dirty labour port city with a lot of crime and unsafety. But it experienced an amazing make-over in just less than ten years time, with a lot… Read more »
There are nearly 3 million people within a 25km radius from Rotterdam. It is by no means a small provincial town. It has Europe’s largest port by far and is an economic powerhouse.
I agree would be a lot more interesting host city than “cliche” picture-perfect Amsterdam. Rotterdam will truly surprise people. It is probably the most “american” city in Europe.
Indeed! I’m happy if it will be hosted in Amsterdam too! But the nice thing is: When its hosted in AMS, many people prob. wont leave AMS during their stay. But when its hosted in RTD. people are forced to go to RTD, while they probably will also visit AMS during their stay (Schiphol Airport is really close to AMS). So you can show best of both worlds (old vs modern) in a very short time. Also dont forget; hotel prices in AMS are much higher than in RTD. Especially next year when there is Formula1, Sail, UEFA Cup, Kingsday… Read more »
It seems like someone took this year’s grand final opening a bit too seriously.
Anyway, the locals’ passion is so adorable. We all know that for them the hosting bid is kinda a losing game, but well, if it’s overseen by the same people that generated the scores for Belarussian jury, who knows, maybe it’s Twente Twenty Twenty.
‘Even Madonna sounds good here’ 😀
the fireworks disaster happened on the same date as eurovision 2000, actually. the broadcast was interrupted and the televoting cancelled. i see some strong symbolism in organising it there at more or less the same date. Linda Wagenmakers can perform again. will they allow pyro?
13th of may 2000, I watched eurovision from a hospital bed(until they cut the broadcast) for this reason. It was a surreal day.
This might be only a novelty bid, but it sure adds some flavor towards the process!
Ahoy or Ziggo Dome still are the most ideal venue choices capable of hosting. Johan Cruijff or GelreDome is still on some potential to host, unless the owner or the production can ensure a good level of acoustic quality. Big arenas would have a lot of echos and it’s kind of tricky to work the angles with that much space.
Jesus Christ…
I swear, the gymnasium at my university is larger than that..
Lol, the two most amazing things in life for me are airplanes and then after eurovision. Strangely though, the idea of combining the two seem… not to be a good idea xD though I have to admit, it’s quite cool to have a plane spotting station just outside of the eurovision village 🙂 but still, no thx. Also <3 you Netherlands
This can be the green room
Don’t blame me for posting gifs, I just can’t help it. The host must tell where the show will be. Fans want to book hotel rooms as soon as possible, because is cheaper that way.
This is Eurovision. Netherlands, just show your best.
Off topic, learn from animals how decent they can be,
even when they know they have more power.
Is it really likely that it will be anything but Amsterdam? I imagine the Dutch EBU dude who also started out with a fan page like this is going to lobby for the capital, no?
Rotterdam can also do a VERY good bid. Facilities are just as good as Amsterdam, it only lacks the international appeal. But in May 2020, there are already some other big events in Amsterdam. People want to reduce tourism in Amsterdam and give attention to other parts of the country, so Rotterdam is a very good option.
I know that. My questions is if it is realistic for the people in charge to go somewhere other than the capital.
It would be so fun if that is what the Netherlands offer the EBU. I want the EBU to be treated as horribly as they treat the fans and voters. But unfortunately, that would help nobody as this crap organization IS Eurovision. We are stuck with them.
The next bid is probably gonna be an abandoned factory in Drenthe.
Serving former industrial REALNESS!
Orveldt !!!! lol they can do cheese making for the postcards
Only if it’s as big as B&W Hallerne in Copenhagen (2014).
Hope for no h a t a r i anymore. They have no idea that Pal… use their own children for war.
Watch this, is just a little more than one minute.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWhwLUw5stI
Please, send this link to h a ta a r i if you are in touch with them. After all, civilisation and decency should prevail.
I agree with Deban at minute 8:20 : Don’t use my 2 weeks to showcase your village.
This is Eurovision, give it your best, otherwise pre-parties will be more glamorous than Eurovision itself.
Rotterdam isn’t some random small city.
Esc is not organised for Deban, but for the millions of tv viewers. They don’t care whether it’s organised in a cowshed or in a big hall. On top of that Deban is supposed to work in the pressroom. He shouldn’t care where this is.
All right, so Netherlands will be known as “the village people”. In my humble opinion, it’s more ecological to have esc in a big city, and the rest of the country should be just forest, wild, free, forest.
The hall, HANGAR 11, is dome shaped, means that it has irregular ground to ceiling height, varies between 5 metres on the left and right side (not enough space for the grandstand (stadium-type seating), to 13 metres in the middle.. EBU requires a hall with a minimum height of 15 metres. And yeah. HANGAR 11 hall is as big as Tel Aviv Pavilion 2 (where 2019 Eurovision was held).
Conclusion: HANGAR 11 is, sorry, incapable of hosting.
For more details about HANGAR 11 and its description, look here: https://ibb.co/M2Dvd2M
This is the most useful comment here. Thank you.
Ehm April the 1st Was a long time ago …
1981 – Theatre
1991 – Movie Setting Studio
1993 – Horse Stable
2014 – Shipyard
2020 – Hangar
2021 – Valentina Monettas House
Hope there is space for the green room in her garden.
Well if San Marino wins they need to host it in her house. A true KWEEN of ESC
omg Expo Tel Aviv esc made people think that eurovision can be held anywhere… next please
https://youtu.be/Qk93aWUurNg
Watch here about esc….
Eurofans on lesser known municipalities and cities: Why bother?
Millstreet, Ireland: Hi.
In the days of vintage Eurovision, where less countries competed and the rule on languages was in place, the UK and Ireland were always more likely to win and thus host- thus creating the opportunity to showcase different cities in the same country, and necessitating a change of scenery because hosting Eurovision repeatedly can get expensive and inconvenient for even large cities. Now, in an age where countries don’t win on such a frequent basis anymore (sans Sweden) Eurovision would provide a far rarer hosting opportunity that people would want only major cities to handle.
Low ceiling. The bleachers will not rise at a steep-enough angle for the people seated in the back to see the stage past the heads of the people sitting in front of them. And when the people in the front start standing (and there are bound to be standing ovations left and right), viewing for the people in the back will be impossible. The pipes and struts overhead will be another obstruction to the view of the stage. And judging from the pictures, it looks even smaller than Tel Aviv’s Pavilion 2. You’ll be lucky enough to get 5,000 in… Read more »
Eurovision 2021 venue: abandoned garage
Serhat’s mansion
Yes….I can go by bike….it’s my city. But this will not happen. It will be Ahoy Rotterdam, I think…
What surprises me most is that William actually put an effort in writing a serious article about this. This bid deserves all the ridicule it can get. There is a fine line between cute and embarrassing. This bid is way over that line.
I know, it might look strange for people all over Europe/Australia that there are so many smaller unknown towns participating in the bidding process, because in other countries it’s mostly only the larger well-known cities. But you should see it in the smaller context on national level; municipality officials working in offices are usually not die-hard Eurovision fans whom are aware of such a large active global Eurovision communities like Wiwibloggs (where people like to discuss everything including the host city). For many people this might feel like “wth why would they host it in such a relatively small unknown… Read more »
Yes. I really appreciate all the bids because it demonstrates a level of appreciation for the contest- and I’m all for the promotion of different cities and towns. At the very least, they could become part of the pre party season or could be featured in postcards.
No no no no and eh no!
Let’s face it, we get these reports every year. “Local council wants to hold Eurovision in a field between two trees”.
We know this won’t be the host location. We know it will either be Amsterdam, Rotterdam or The Hague. (Probably Rotterdam, but I’m hoping for Amsterdam).
The Hague has no venue. The World Forum (former Congresgebouw, host of 1976 and 1980) is too small. The football stadium has no roof. And EBU will never allow the contest to be held in a tent.
Well then it’s simply between Adam and Rdam.
It might be useful to follow this tweep:
https://twitter.com/kinu_unik/status/1133727941915922432
He seems informed.
I love it. It’s crazy. It’s fun. Lots of potential to focus in on. TV audience. It’s kind of refreshing.
Judging by the recent video, Deban would LOVE this 😛
Technicalities. I am sure Marten Foppen will find a solution for all those things you mention.
It looks great!Thank you, NEXT
It’s between Amsterdam and Rotterdam, since The Hague can’t provide something with a roof on it.
A dark horse would be Maastricht.
#daretodream
So happy to read that there is a hotel in Munster that wants to host 15,000 guest.