Sweden: Gothenburg kicks off the application preparation for the hosting of Eurovision 2024!
On Monday 12 June, the application period ends for the Swedish cities that want to organize the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.
Earlier this week, the city of Stockholm submitted its expression of interest to organize next year’s competition, which will be held somewhere in Sweden after Loreen’s Eurovision victory in Liverpool almost a month ago.
The Municipality of Stockholm has, however, provided its application with a couple of clear reservations. The arrangement must, for example, be economically and climate-wise sustainable.
“In times when there is not enough money for school and care, it is fundamentally
unreasonable to think that the city of Stockholm alone can contribute to the same
financial extent to Eurovision as in 2016,” says finance councilor Karin Wanngård in a
comment.
The city of Stockholm therefore demands that the costs of the Eurovision Song Contest – the world’s largest television program alongside the Summer Olympics and the football World Cup – be financed in cooperation between SVT, the government, surrounding municipalities, the region and a number of private sponsors.
“Eurovision cannot and should not always be about making the biggest event.
However, Eurovision can and should be the best party. And it is welcome, given the right conditions, to be in Stockholm”, states the Financial Citizens Council in its press release.
A specially appointed group works for Eurovision
Thus the gauntlet is thrown. The question is how Gothenburg chooses to respond and whether it is prepared to take on the challenge from the capital?
Magnus Hallberg, the vice president and event manager at Gothenburg & Co.commented:
“The short answer is yes. We are more than ready.”
But that’s not quite right. A specially appointed team consisting of people from the municipality’s arena company Got Event, Svenska Mässan and the city’s official destination company Göteborg & Co is currently sitting under Magnus Hallberg’s leadership amplifying their arguments and boosting their application, which will not be submitted to SVT until the very last moment .
“We are glad that SVT has not set a time for Monday. We will work on our application until the very end.”
– SVT receives Gothenburg’s application on their email on Monday at 23.59?
(laughter) “Yes, no later than this.”
Gothenburg can host Eurovision
Eurovision hasn’t been held in Gothenburg since Lill Lindfors dropped her dress in Scandinavium in 1985. And there are a number of question marks to clear up: Can the city afford it?
Does our 50-year-old arena meet the requirements of the EBU? What stresses does the organisation entail for the city? In short, is Gothenburg ready for the Eurovision Song Contest?
Magnus Hallberg has already answered a short “yes” to that question, and has no problem developing his way of thinking.
“We have taken into account every aspect, from arena capacity and sustainability solutions to creating an attractive party venue for the audience, what the EBU usually calls the Eurovillage. There are many parts that have to fall into place, but we can handle that in Gothenburg.”
“Even for the most technically critical point, Scandinavium’s old roof that has difficulty supporting modern lighting rigs, there now seems to be a solution.”“Got Event claims to be ready for the TV production that the EBU wants to do, perhaps with a few minor adjustments, so we have good conditions to host Eurovision in terms of TV technology.”
Jonas Attenius: “Great time with Eurovision”
The solution that remains to be found is purely financial. The cost is estimated at 100 to 200 million Swedish kroner, an amount that does not please the chairman of the municipal council Jonas Attenius.
“I think Eurovision is fun and I understand that hosting the competition would mean a lot to the city, but the municipality of Gothenburg will not pay 100 or maybe 200 million kroner. It is completely out of question when we are striving to save our nurses and keep the teachers in our schools.”
However, the situation can change if Göteborg & Co finds private financiers and sponsors who are prepared to contribute money. Something that Jonas Attenius more or less sees as a prerequisite in order Eurovision to be held in Gothenburg.
Source: Göteborgs-Posten
Stay tuned on EurovisionFun for all the latest news regarding the Eurovision Song Contest 2024!
Follow us on all social media, so you do not miss a moment of what is going on in Liverpool:
Leave a Reply
Want to join the discussion?Feel free to contribute!