Yes it’s true Stockholm’s bid to host the forthcoming 2016 Eurovision Song Contest includes 3 potential venues. Let’s check out the story so far..

Swedish newspaper Expressen ran a story today reported that only 3 cities along with their 3 respective venues were eligible to host the forthcoming 2016 Eurovision Song Contest: Stockholm with the Globen Arena, Goteborg with the Scandinavium and Linköping with the Saab Arena.

The Swedish newspaper ruled out 2 of Stockholm’s potential venues the Tele 2 Arena and the Friends Arena due to the fact that both arenas already booked, ie hosting soccer matches. Expressen also reported that Malmö had withdrawn from the race. ESCToday contacted the Malmö Arena today and found out that Malmö is still very much in the race.

Amid the mediatic frenzy and speculation on which venue as in and out of the race, ESCToday decided to contact the alleged venues in Stockholm (Ericsson Globen, Tele 2 Arena and the Friends Arena) and Malmö in order to shed more light to the matter and find out more information regarding the 2016 Host City Race.

ESCToday contacted the Globen Arena Complex in Stockholm regarding this issue. Globen Arena told ESCToday:

We are currently in the initial stage of talks with SVT regarding the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest. It is yet early to evaluate and make a decision. We are bidding with 2 venues the Ericsson Globen Arena and the Tele 2 Arena. We are working in close coordination with the City of Stockholm.

Hence it is  yet not ruled out  that the Tele 2 Arena is out of the race.

Hereafter ESCToday contacted the Friends Arena in Stockholm in order to shed more light on the matter. Friends Arena told ESCToday:

The city of Stockholm is bidding with 3 potential multi- purpose venues (the Globen Arena, the Tele 2 Arena and the Friends Arena)  in order to host the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest. It is yet early to make a deliberation as we are in the initial stage of  talks. The city of Stockholm will decide which venue will host the event  if Stockholm is to win the bid.

Thus Friends Arena is also still in the race. But what about the soccer matches scheduled to be held at the Friends Arena and Tele 2 Arena in Stockholm? Both venues have contracts with Swedish soccer clubs: AIK, Durgården and Hammarby.

It is still early days yet to evaluate if these venues are eligible or not to host the event as they are both in the initial stage of talks and negotiations, even though they both have soccer matches scheduled.

In the scenario if Stockholm is to win the bid to host the event, the City of Stockholm will be responsible to select the venue out of the 3 potential bidding venues. If the selected venue is pre-booked with scheduled events, these events could be either moved to another venue or rescheduled. SVT requires the venue to be free 4-6 weeks prior to the event in order to carry out all the required preparations in order to organize the event.

In the past the Espirit Arena in Dusseldorf had soccer engagements before the contest and moved them to another venue. Last year, this year’s Eurovision venue Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna was fully booked during the Eurovision timeframe, but the venue rescheduled the pre-booked events and concerts or moved them to other venues in order to host the Eurovision Song Contest.

SVT is currently in talks with the various cities and potential venues. In 3 weeks from now all interested bidding cities and venues will have to submit their respective applications to the Swedish broadcaster, hereafter SVT will study and evaluate all bidding applications. The Swedish broadcaster is expected to make an announcement regarding the 2016 Eurovision host city by mid-July/early August.

So far Stockholm is bidding to host the Eurovision with 3 potential venues; the Friends Arena, the Tele 2 Arena and the Ericsson Globen Arena, Sandviken with the Göransson Arena, Goteborg with Scandinavium, Linköping with the SAAB Arena and Malmö with the Malmö Arena.

The preliminary dates for the 2016 Eurvovision Song Contest have been set on 10, 12 and 14 May.

Stay tuned to ESCToday for the latest news on the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest!