page_title: Eurovision Song Contest
section_title: Hosting
hierarchical_section_title: Eurovision Song Contest / Hosting
caption_attribution_description: English: ESC 2014 Copenhagen semi 1 jury stage with some of the contestants on stage
context_page_description: The Eurovision Song Contest is an international song competition, organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union and featuring participants representing primarily European countries. Each participating country submits an original song to be performed on live television and radio, transmitted to national broadcasters via the EBU's Eurovision and Euroradio networks, with competing countries then casting votes for the other countries' songs to determine a winner.
  Based on the Sanremo Music Festival held in Italy since 1951, Eurovision has been held every year since 1956, with the exception of the cancelled 2020 edition, making it the longest-running annual international televised music competition. Active members of the EBU, as well as invited associate members, are eligible to compete in the contest, and as of 2019, 52 countries have participated at least once. Originally consisting of a single evening event, the contest has expanded greatly as new countries joined, leading to the introduction of relegation procedures in the 1990s and eventually the creation of semi-finals in the 2000s.
context_section_description: Preparations for each year's contest typically begin following the conclusion of the previous year's contest. At the winner's press conference following the grand final, the contest's Executive Supervisor will traditionally provide the winning country's Head of Delegation with a welcome package containing information related to hosting the contest.
  Once the participating broadcaster of the winning country confirms to the EBU that they intend to host the event, a host city is chosen by the broadcaster, which should meet certain criteria set out in the contest's rules. The host venue must be able to accommodate at least 10,000 spectators, space for a press centre for 1,500 journalists, and the host city should be within easy reach of an international airport. In addition, the location must also have hotel accommodation available for at least 2,000 delegates, journalists and spectators. For these reasons, the contest is typically, but not always, held in a national or regional capital city. In recent years, bid processes have become a common occurrence, with a number of cities in the host country applying to host the contest. Ahead of the 2017 contest, held in Ukraine, a debate featuring representatives from six potential host cities was broadcast live via radio and television, with contributions from media, music and the Eurovision fandom on which city would be the most suitable host.
  The contest has been hosted in a variety of different venues, from small theatres and television studios in the early days of the contest, to large stadiums in the present day. The largest venue to host the contest was Parken Stadium in Copenhagen, which held the 2001 contest and was attended by almost 38,000 spectators. The smallest contest host in its history is Millstreet, a small town in County Cork, Ireland with a population of only 1,500 at the time of the contest; the Green Glens Arena, the venue for the 1993 contest, is however capable of hosting up to 8,000 spectators.
  The hotel and press facilities in the vicinity of the venue, and in particular the accommodation costs for the visiting delegations, journalists and fans, are typically an important consideration when choosing a host city. The contest organisers and city officials have in the past had to negotiate rates with hotel owners ahead of the contest; in 2005, contest organisers ahead of the contest in Kiev had asked the Ukrainian government to put a block on bookings to be used for contest delegations due to the limited hotel space available at the time, which adversely affected tour operators and tourists.
  The contest is considered to be a unique opportunity for promoting the host country as a tourist destination; ahead of the 2005 contest in Kiev, Ukraine, visa restrictions were lifted for European Union member countries and Switzerland through the summer of 2005 in a bid to encourage travel to Ukraine.
caption: The stage of the 2014 contest, held in Copenhagen, Denmark
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