Eurovision 2025: Zurich interested in hosting next year's contest
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Zurich joins the list of cities that are interested in hosting the 69th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest next year in Swtizerland.
Following the victorious participation of NEMO with the song 'The Code' which bring next year's contest on Swiss soil, the Swiss cities are queuing up and eyeing to host Eurovision 2025.
Of course which will be the next Eurovision host city depends on multi parameters that have to do with EBU's conditions and requirements but also with the availiable bugdet the cities have in their disposal to covert such a demanding event.
EBU's geneal requirements for hosting Eurovision
In order for a city to host the Eurovision Song Contest it must meet a specific number of requirements. Namely the host city must have:
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An international airport no more than 90 minutes from the city.
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Over 2,000 hotel rooms in the area close to the event.
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An infrastructure (stadium/venue/centre) capable of hosting a large-scale live broadcast with the minimum requirements listed below.
In addtion the infrastructure should:
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Be indoors with air-conditioning and have a well defined perimeter;
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Have an audience capacity in the main hall of around 8,000 – 10,000 during the event (which corresponds to 70% of maximum capacity of that venue for regular concerts, taking into consideration the specific stage and production needs of the Eurovision Song Contest);
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Have a main hall with the capacity to house the set and all other requirements needed to produce a high level broadcast production (this includes good specifications of load capacity in the roof, clearance to low beams, easy load in access, etc);
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Have ample space within easy access of the main hall to support additional production needs, such as: a press centre, delegation spaces, dressing rooms, artist facilities, staff facilities, hospitality, audience facilities, etc;
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Be available exclusively for 6 weeks before the event, 2 weeks during the show (which will take place in May) and a week after the end of the event for dismantling.
Zurich
Zürich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zürich. It is located in north-central Switzerland,at the northwestern tip of Lake Zürich. As of January 2023 the municipality had 443,037 inhabitants,the urban area 1.315 million (2009),and the Zürich metropolitan area 1.83 million (2011).
The official language of Zürich is German, but the main spoken language is Zürich German, the local variant of the Alemannic Swiss German dialect.Many museums and art galleries can be found in the city, including the Swiss National Museum and Kunsthaus.
As one of Switzerland's primary financial centres, Zürich is home to many financial institutions and banking companies
Venues
The Hallenstadion is a multi-purpose facility in the Oerlikon quarter of northern Zürich. It has a capacity of about 15.000 spectators for concerts. Designed by Bruno Giacometti, it opened on November 4, 1939, and was renovated in 2004–05.
The Hallenstadion was home to the ZSC Lions of the National League (NL) from 1950 to 2022.The Lions moved out of the Hallenstadion at the end of the 2021/22 season to a new 12,000-seat arena a few kilometers away in the Altstetten area. Construction for the new Swiss Life Arena officially began on 6 March 2019 and was completed towards the end of 2022, with the ZSC Lions playing their first game in the new arena on 18 October 2022.
Transportation
Zurich Airport is located less than 10 km (6.2 mi) northeast of the city in Kloten. Zurich Airport has its own railway station, which is located underground. It is directly connected to Zürich and most of the major Swiss cities. Zurich Airport is served by more than 60 passenger airlines from around the world. It is also served by one cargo airline and is a hub for Swiss International Air Lines
Zürich is a hub for railways, roads, and air traffic. Both Zurich Airport and Zürich's main railway station are the largest and busiest in the country. Public transport is extremely popular in Zürich, and its inhabitants use public transport in large numbers. About 70% of the visitors to the city use the tram or bus, and about half of the journeys within the municipality take place on public transport.
Accomodation
The city has a wide capacity of hotel rooms which apart from the regular touristic industry on spot, the location is a crossroad for multi cultural, educational and financial events and activities .
Officials' statements:
Philipp Musshafen ( AG Hallenstadion CEO) says:
The ESC is the largest music event in the world. 180 million viewers! We were told to reserve six to eight weeks from around the beginning of April to mid-May 2025. With a possible, still unofficial date for the final on May 10th.
Balz Hosly ( AG Hallenstadion Chairman) says:
If we win the contract, we hope that the concert organizers and the companies that would like to hold their meetings with us will understand. We would of course support you in finding an alternative, preferably with us on another date or possibly in another hall.
Switzerland won the Eurovision Song Contest for a third time, having won the 1956 and 1988 editions of the competition.
News Sourcre: ESCToday/ NZZ.CH
Images: WIkipedia - Cover photo: express.co.uk
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AUTHORS
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Angelos D.
Loyal follower of the Eurovision Song Contest since 1987, I've made the competition one of the stories of my life. After attending as accredited press the event for 12 consecutive years along with the 2017-2023 JESC editions, I also enjoy the last two years sharing more Eurovision music through the Eurofans radio's project.
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