Eurovision 2023 hosting: Cardiff is vying to host the next contest

Eurovision 2023 hosting: Cardiff is vying to host the next contest
Tuesday, 21 June 2022

  • Cardiff joins the list of cities in the UK that are interested in hosting the 67th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. 

    Following the EBU's decision Ukraine not to host next year's contest and after starting talks with UK's BBC, cites across the country as queing up to express their interest in hosting the next Eurovision Song Contest. 

    Wales's capital city is the next city to express interest in hosting the next contest. Local politicians are making calls for a bid to host the next competition, among which the Council's leader and the head of the Welsh conservatives. 

     

    EBU's requirements for hosting Eurovision 

    In order for a city to host the Eurovision SOng Contest in 2022 it must meet a specific number of  requirements. Namely the host city must have: 

    • An international airport no more than 90 minutes from the city.

    • Over 2,000 hotel rooms in the area close to the event.

    • An infrastructure (stadium/venue/centre) capable of hosting a large-scale live broadcast with the minimum requirements listed below.

    In addtion the infrastructure should:

    • Be indoors with air-conditioning and have a well defined perimeter;

    • 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);

    • 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);

    • 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;

    • 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.

     

    Cardiff as a potential Eurovision 2023 host city

    Principality Stadium May 3, 2016.jpg

    Cardiff is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingdom.At the 2011 census, the unitary authority area population was put at 346,090,and the wider urban area at 479,000.

     

    Potential Venue: Cardiff International Arena (currently known as the Motorpoint Arena Cardiff for sponsorship reasons and formerly known as Cardiff International Arena & Convention Centre) is an indoor exhibition centre and events arena located in Cardiff, Wales, and was opened on 10 September 1993.

    The Main Arena offers 4,500 square metres of exhibition space, and is very versatile, for the number of different events that take place at the Arena. Full capacity can reach 7,500, in a standing layout and 5,000, for a fully seated event.There are over 30 additional areas, including a conference suite (groups of up to 460) and four executive boardrooms.

    However the largest arena the city has is the Millennium Stadium known since 2016 as the Principality Stadium for sponsorship reasons and is the national stadium of Wales.The Millennium Stadium opened in June 1999. With a total seating capacity of 73,931, it is the largest stadium in Wales and the fourth largest (and second largest outside London) in the United Kingdom by total capacity. The all-seater stadium  features a retractable roof, only the second stadium of its type in Europe, and the largest football stadium in the world with this feature, by capacity.

     

    Trasnportation: Domestic and international air links to Cardiff and South & West Wales are provided from Cardiff Airport (CWL), the only international airport in Wales. The airport lies in the village of Rhoose, 10 miles (16 km) west of the city. There are regular bus services linking the airport with Cardiff Central bus station, and a train service from Rhoose Cardiff International Airport railway station to Cardiff Central.

    Cardiff has a comprehensive bus network while Cardiff Central railway station is the largest railway station in Wales, with nine platforms.

     

    Accommodation: n 2011 it ranked sixth in the world in a National Geographic magazine list of alternative tourist destinations.It is the most popular destination in Wales with 21.3 million visitors in 2017. Thus, the available hotel room and other types of accommodation is extensive welcoing domestic and international visitors througout the year. 

     

    The decision on the Eurovision 2023 host city is expected to come officially out sometime between August and October. 

     

    News Source: : escXtra

    Cover photo: Time out/ Image: wikipedia

     

     

     

     

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