AwlaVision Song Contest 9

Final date
 Venue
 Presenter(s)
 Broadcaster
 Executive producer
 Opening act
 Interval act
 Entries
 Debuting
 System
 Winner

**AwlaVision Song Contest 9**, often referred to as **ASC#9**, was the ninth edition of AwlaVision Song Contest, held in Antwerp, Belgium. The edition started the 6th August 2016, and ended the 26th August 2016.

30 countries took part in this edition. Israel debuted in this edition. No one withdraw from ASC. Ireland and Moldova returned to the competition. Diogo Piçarra from Portugal won the contest with the song "Dialeto" receiving a total of 199 points, 27 points ahead the runner-up, Greece. Scotland finished in third place with 161 points. The host country, Belgium achieved a 15th place with 41 points. The last place was for Russia, that got only 12 points.

## Organisation

After Belgium's victory in AwlaVision Song Contest 8, VRT, RTBF and  ABU had to decide where to organise the contest this time. The main projects were from Antwerps (*Sportpaleis*), Brusells (*Forest National*), Hasselt (*Ethias Arena*) and Liège (*Country Hall Ethias*). Finally, VRT, RTBF and ABU chose **Antwerp** as the host city of ASC9.

VRT and RTBF decided to use popular and professionals people as presenters. Finally **Natalia Druyts** and **Roberto Bellarosa** were selected.

 Brussels
 Hasselt
 Liège

## Location

###  **Antwerps Sportpaleis**

The  **Antwerps Sportpaleis** also called Sportpaleis Antwerpen, Sportpaleis Merksem or simply the Sportpaleis, is an arena in Antwerp, Belgium. It is a multipurpose hall where concerts, sporting events, festivals and fairs are organised. The arena was built for sport, especially track cycling, but there is now little sport there, an exception being the Diamond Games tennis.

According to Billboard Magazine, the Sportpaleis is the second most visited event hall in the world, second only to Madison Square Garden. The Sportpaleis is known for performances by both Dutch-speaking and international artists. It also hosts the Nekka-Nacht, the Proximus Diamond Games tennis tournament for women and Pop Poll De Luxe, organised by the magazine HUMO.

The main building is 88 metres wide and 132 metres long and has a roof spanning 11.600 m². Under the stands, there is a wooden cycling track 250 meters long and 8 meters wide. The arena is elliptical and has two floors.

The arena can hold 23,000 people after expansions in 2012 and 2013.

### **Antwerp**

**Antwerp** is a city in Belgium, the capital of Antwerp province in the region of Flanders. With a population of 510,610, it is the most populous city proper in Belgium. Its metropolitan area houses around 1,200,000 people, which is second behind Brussels.

Antwerp is on the River Scheldt, linked to the North Sea by the Westerschelde estuary. The Port of Antwerp is one of the biggest in the world, ranking second in Europe and within the top 20 globally. Antwerp has long been an important city in the Low Countries, both economically and culturally, especially before the Spanish Fury (1576) in the Dutch Revolt. The inhabitants of Antwerp are nicknamed Sinjoren, after the Spanish honorific señor or French seigneur, "lord", referring to the Spanish noblemen who ruled the city in the 17th century. The city also hosted the 1920 Summer Olympics.

This is the first time in the contest that AwlaVision Song Contest is held in Belgium.

### **Debuting countries**

Bellow a list of all debuting countries:

* Israel

### **Returning countries**

Bellow a list of all returning countries:

* Ireland
* Moldova

## See also

* AwlaVision Song Contest
* AwlaVision Song Contest 1
* AwlaVision Song Contest 2
* AwlaVision Song Contest 3
* AwlaVision Song Contest 4
* AwlaVision Song Contest 5
* AwlaVision Song Contest 6
* AwlaVision Song Contest 7
* AwlaVision Song Contest 8