Italian newspaper Il Resto del Carlino recently claimed that the Eurovision 2022 host city announcement will take place on Monday, August 30. And it previously said that just five cities remain in the race, including Bologna.
A few weeks ahead of that, the kind people at Bologna Welcome invited us to explore their ambitious plans. So we got our Deban packing and sent him to dive into the sights and sounds and delicious food of this UNESCO World Heritage city of music.
In our 33-minute tour, which you can watch above, you’ll see the stunning Piazza VIII Agosto, which the city would like to use for Eurovision Village. You’ll also see the inside of the glorious Palazzo Re Enzo, which would welcome the delegations for the Opening Ceremony after the red carpet event (which we assume will be turquoise again in honour of presenting partner Moroccanoil).
Perhaps most important for all you Eurovision fans, we also take a look inside the two candidate venues: Unipol Arena and Bologna Fiere. The former has hosted concerts for everyone from Elton John to Katy Perry. And the latter has several pavilions which have already been earmarked for the press room and delegation bubble, among other things.
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The competition to host Eurovision 2022 has been intense. A whopping 17 cities — some obvious, others very surprising — expressed their interest in hosting the next edition of the Eurovision Song Contest in 2022. We haven’t seen a number this high since 2011, when the initial selection for the host city in Germany had no less than 23 candidates at the get-go.
Earlier this month, Italian newspaper La Stampa reported that only 11 cities actually submitted the required dossiers to the Italian broadcaster Rai. They were:
The following six cities previously expressed interest but did not send in their documents.
- Bertinoro di Romagna
- Florence
- Jesolo
- Matera
- Trieste
- Viterbo
But now the race is reportedly down to Bologna, Milan, Pesaro, Rimini and Turin. Il Resto del Carlino suggests it all came down to infrastructure and potential venues, which ruled Rome out. It wrote:
“The chronic absence of adequate structures in the capital must have played a decisive role in the choices of the European Broadcasting Union and Rai, organizers of the event, and now the event looks elsewhere with Bologna, Turin and Milan, which, thanks to their infrastructure, have a slight advantage over the other two suitors [Pesaro and Rimini].
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A cover VS an Original song…..
Congrats Duncan you’re the best.
Stop crying pls you said that in another article
Oh gosh! Find a good psychiatrist. You repeat yourself. We understood you are Dutch and want always a dutch singer to win. But now calm down and see a good doctor. 🙂
Monday‘s over – where is the announcement?
it’s torino in the veins for me, if not then bologna can take it
Still no announcement…
I know the site doesn’t really cover junior vision, but I’ve got some good news. Italy is going to return for junior eurovision 2021! I guess they changed their minds
The winner of ESC usually makes an effort to compete in that year’s JESC (Portugal and Israel returned to JESC in 2017 and 2018 respectively and The Netherlands has consistently competed so of course they were there for 2019).
I didn’t start watching Junior Eurovision until 2018, so I never noticed the pattern before.
Still hoping for Milano …
It seems that we’ll go to the sea…..
What do you mean ?
Rimini?
There’s a absolute mystery in Italy about host city…. Why doesn’t Rai make the announce of the host city? Today is the announce day, but… not.. …no Alps, no skyscrapers, no Asinelli tower?
if Bologna gets the bid, I hope it will be with the Pavilion 37 of the Fiera instead of the Unipol Arena. why? because the Pavilion is statistically more spacious than Unipol (despite Unipol winning in height, 30 metres against 22 metres). and one more fact, the Pavilion 37 will reportedly be the new home venue of Virtus Bologna basketball team, replacing the Segafredo Arena (Segafredo is in the Pavilion 30 of the same Fiera). to compare, Pavilion 30 has the capacity of around 9000 seats for basketball, while Pavilion 37 for the same sports can accommodate around 16,000 spectators.
My money is on Milan for May ’22…Milan’s modern infrastructure is robust enough to cope with 8 weeks of multi-axle transporters transporting the huge equipment necessary with a modern road structure and the Mediolanum Forum in Assago lending perfectly within the range for seating at 12,12,700 people. A bonus for RAI is that one of their main broadcasting hubs is located in Milan (this may ‘influence RAI members who have a ‘casting vote’)
I know Turin is a potential winner, but just hearing “Bologna 2022” sounds sooooooooo good!!!
Word on the street is Turin might be out due to mafia ties
oop-
It would be quite unfortunate
Mafia ties? Is it a dangerous city?
Don’t know about Turin. I do know the part of Italy stereotypically associated with the mafia is Sicily
Like in the municipality has mafia ties or how?
Like the organizing committee has mafia ties (allegedly)
The dictator of Azerbaijan gave his wife a job at Baku 2012 and his son-in-law the interval act… so it wouldn’t be the first time.
@kirbi avoid telling falsehoods, you are at risk of a criminal complaint, stereotypes and false accusations keep them locked in your brain, avoid saying bullshit like Maneskin cocaine. Thank you
Don’t be a drama queen like that, lol, some italians are really susceptible on this site…..Godgarina team…..
just avoid igniting useless controversy by using falsehoods and nobody makes dramas!
“mafia ties” DEAD :X
Any news about Turin Eurovision Village and the Opening ceremony place?
Why ESPECIALLY Bologna? D’ you know something we don’t!? Jk
There was also that ad from Turin so it might be down to one of those two cities. I wish them luck whoever gets the hosting gig.
A rumour is going on that says that the top2 are Milan and Rimini (?!). Just imagine Rimini 2022
I think Rimini is unlikely to be chosen, it lacks the hotel rooms and their proposed venue is capacity-wise too borderline. if a bigger venue in another city is found, with more hotel rooms, there is no reason to choose a smaller one.
period. rimini can stay hosting homophobic gatherings like the cl convention
Totally agree. Rimini doesn’t deserve to host the ESC. They host each year the meeting of Comunione Liberazione, a right winged, catholic, lobbyist centered group who pushes an integralist catholic agenda and puts their affiliates in all the top political roles in Lombardia region to control money, get funding and promote only other affiliates, etc. Like a sect. The ex governor of Lombardia region, the right wing Mr. Roberto Formigoni, an arrogant self forgiving twat, already jailed for corruption, is also a CL member. Rimini doesn’t deserve to host ESC.
I agree Rimini is not suitable, but saying “it lacks the hotel rooms” is just false.