Junior Eurovision 2020: Is Krakow the next host city?

Junior Eurovision 2020: Is Krakow the next host city?
Wednesday, 26 February 2020

  • According to unofficial information in local media reports, Junior Eurovision  2020 is more likely to take place in Krakow. According to same reports the local authorities and TVP officials have gone far in talks for the next edition of the competition. 

    After Poland’s consecutive victory in Junior Eurovision 2019, it seems as if the competition will remain on home soil for one more year. According to local media reports,   Krakow’s Major Jacek Majchrowski is already in talks with TVP president Jacek Kurski. However there was no discussion about how much money from the municipal budget would be spent for the event.

    The TVP chairman  Jacek Kurski revealed on TVP on Saturday when asked by presenter Tomasz Kammel about the stage of talks, he answered briefly:

    They have come very far.

    Officially, the European Broadcasting Union has not yet decided who will organize Eurovision Junior this year. And it hasn’ t been his recent statement on TVP only, but since last year during the JESC 2019 press conference with EBU , Kurski didn’t hide his thoughts of Poland hosting again the competition epsecially in case of a win.

    Krakow’s “Tauron Arena” the potential venue?

    Taking in mind all indications , Krakow could be be the next Junior Eurovision 2020 host city. Further more Krakow’s Councilor of Culture , Rafał Piaskowski stated to Wyborcza.pl

    Indeed, there has been a conversation between the Chairman of TVP and Major Jacek Majchrowski and everything seems to indicate that in November 2020 TVP will again be the organizer of Junior Eurovision.

    And goes on saying:

    I can confirm that the president of Tauron Arena has reserved dates for the organization of the event, and that in the coming days there will be a meeting to specify the details. Following this meeting, the city will negotiate with the organizer to determine the possible forms of cooperation.

    TauronArena

    Krakow’s initial budget reservations 

    The decision of Krakow city to consent to host Junior Eurovision  is surprising, taking in minde how skeptical the authorities were at the beginning of January. Major Jacek Majchrowski issued a negative opinion for such a project to the city’s councilors, explaining, among others, that “costs incurred by the local government in organizing the event are disproportionate to the expected profits”.

    The councilors finally adopted a resolution addressed to the Mayor, although even then there was no shortage of votes as to whether Krakow needs to spend money on the 180-minute television show that can work as a promotional event for the city. Eurovision Junior audience last year had 11 million viewers. More than half of the audience was sitting in front of TV sets in Poland.

    Majchrowski’s spokeswoman Monika Chylaszek stated  in January

     Our consent depends on the terms of the contract and the promotional equivalent that Krakow would receive in return – explained .

    As it turns out today, there was no conversation about money between President Majchrowski and Kurski. Officials do not know how much money Krakow will have to spend on organizing the event. However, taking in mind the amount of subsidies that the television received from the government, TVP counts on Krakow for the next Junior Eurvision Song Contest.

    Smaller budget, larger events

    If we follow last year’s contribution to Eurovision Junior of the city of Gliwice, which organized the event, it can be concluded that the local government will have to cover about PLN 3 million in expenses. Last year Major Majchrowski and Jacek Kurski also talked about such a amount without agreeing on the numbers. That’s a lot, considering Krakow’s budget that has been depleted this year, also for promotion – this budget is around 20 percent lower than last year.It is also not known how much of the money spent on Eurovision Junior will pay back. Both Gliwice and Polish Television have not yet presented similar data.

    Therefore with the EBU remaining silent about the next host city we will have to wait if the inidications that we are heading to Krakow next year will be confirmed by finalized facts.

    Poland In Junior Eurovision 

     Poland’s first participation at the competition was in  2003, while she was absent the years 2005 – 2015. The country’s worst result came in 2004 when it finished 17th and. Its best have came the last two years with two victories in a row!  Roksana Węgiel won the 2018 competition in Minsk, Belarus with her entry  Anyone I Want To Be while last year the country won the contest for seocnd consecutive year on home soil , in Gliwice- Silesia with Viki Gabor and her song Superhero.

    Source: Wyborcza.pl