Italy: Which arena has the most chances to host Eurovision 2022?

Immediately after the completion of this year’s contest, and the triumphant victory of Italy, 12 cities have already expressed their interest to host the 66th Eurovision Song Contest. But which arena has the most chances to host the competition? What are the pros and cons of each case? Let’s see them in detail!

TURIN – PALA ALPITOUR

The arena in Piedmont’s capital is the largest in Italy, in terms of seating capacity. Already in the running to be the venue for the competition should it be held in Italy in 2018 following Francesco Gabbani’s victory with “Occidentali’s Karma” which never happened, it is also the “freest” in terms of available and useful dates for the competition.

In particular, in addition to Måneskin who will be on stage on 3 April 2022, the last concert will be that of Tommaso Paradiso on 10 April. After the former frontman of Thegiornalisti there is nothing more, and we have to wait until 17 September for something else: the International Dental Hygienists Expo.

A perfect situation for Eurovision, which could easily take place in the second half of May without anyone having to change their concert schedule.

MILAN – MEDIOLANUM FORUM

Historically, the Forum di Assago is the place that, over time, has assumed the most central role within the palasport that host high-level concerts in Italy, as evidenced by the long trail of performances by great artists who have succeeded inside in the pre-Covid era.

As far as Assago is concerned, there are two kinds of problems. One is linked to three concert dates (not that of Måneskin on 22 March): we have Tommaso Paradiso on 22 April, Eric Clapton on 18 May and Liberato, whose face we don’t know if it will have been revealed by then, on 25 May. Dates too close together for

The other is called Olimpia Milano: the celebrated basketball club is now based at the Forum, where it plays all its home games except when there are special needs. The solution of the Allianz Cloud could be useful in the championship, but the eventual Euroleague problem would remain, with the only alternative (because of the competition rules) being the far PalaDesio. A complicated problem to be solved in the period between April and May, that is the most inflamed period.

ROME – PALACE OF THE SPORT (PALAEUR)

The capital’s stadium, from 2003 to 2018 called PalaLottomatica for sponsor reasons and then returned to the ancient and also to the name with which Rome has known and loved it, is also the most particular for its structure. Pier Luigi Nervi’s project, which has been in place since the 1960 Olympics, is characterised by its circular structure.

And this is already problematic for Eurovision, because if you put the stage on one half of the installation there is basically one half that is impossible to use. Things are further complicated by the fact that some of the events take place on dates that are of continental interest.

Apart from Tommaso Paradiso’s last concert on 7 April, the Roman palasport has been booked for four consecutive evenings of the Notre Dame de Paris, from 12 to 15 May, which makes an attempt to host the competition practically impossible as things stand, barring further events.

BOLOGNA – UNIPOL ARENA

Born in the mid-1990s as PalaMalaguti, it is the palasport that has inevitably been identified with some very successful concerts (and big names: in the summer of 2022 Queen will perform with Adam Lambert) and with the exploits of Virtus Bologna as long as the city’s most titled basketball club has been hosted.

The biggest problems, in this case, are directly related to the band that, theoretically, would be used to build the Eurovision stage: on 25 April, in fact, there is Bologna on Ice, and this is a very significant problem; the double date of Eric Clapton on 20 and 21 May should also be kept under observation.

And to say that the facility located, to be exact, in Casalecchio di Reno would have all the possibilities, at least for potential spectators when it comes to non-sporting events, to give shape to an event such as the one that brings together in front of TVs all over Europe 180 million people.

Turin’s Palasport Olimpico is the hot favorite to host Eurovision 2022

In essence, Turin’s Palasport Olimpico, as things stand, would already be ready to host Eurovision without having to resort to requests for transfers and similar situations. Not so for the other three arenas, which would require major changes in programming with all the attendant risks. It is worth remembering that the five or six weeks required as a break without an occupied arena are needed to build the stage, rehearse with the stand-ins and then start with the actual rehearsals.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the news regarding the 66th Eurovision Song Contest!

Source: Eurofestivalnews