Eurovision 2017: EBU officials visit Kyiv; update on preparations

by Sanjay (Sergio) Jiandani 763 views

A special delegation from the EBU travelled to the 2017 Eurovision host city Kyiv earlier this week in order to hold meetings with NTU (Ukrainian national broadcaster) and the City of Kyiv officials and check out the preparations for the forthcoming 2017 Eurovision Song Contest.

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Beautiful Kyiv (photo credit: Stijn Smulders -EBU)

Both the City of Kyiv and NTU are working earnestly and round the clock in their quest to showcase and organize an extraordinary contest come May. Kyiv is all set to welcome delegations, journalists and fans when the Eurovision bandgwagon lands in the majestic Ukrainian capital next spring.

EBU’s delegation consisting of  Mr. Jon Ola Sand (the Executive Supervisor of the Eurovision Song Contest) and Dr. Frank-Dieter Freiling (Chairman of the Reference Group) met up with NTU’s Ms. Victoria Romanova (Deputy General Director NTU), Mr. Zurab Alsania (CEO NTU) and Mr. Oleksandr Kharebin in order to discuss the ongoing preparations and organization of the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest in Kyiv.

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Mr. Jon Ola Sand (the Executive Supervisor of the Eurovision Song Contest) and Dr. Frank-Dieter Freiling (Chairman of the Reference Group) at the meeting in Kyiv (photo credit: Stijn Smulders -EBU)

The venues for the Euroclub, Eurovision Village and Opening Ceremony are yet to be confirmed. So far the only confirmed venue is the Eurovision venue,the International Exhibition Centre. The other key venues revealed by the media last month for the Euroclub, Eurovision Village and the Opening Ceremony are only the proposed locations and are yet to be finalised and confirmed.

NTU and the City of Kyiv officials are still discussing the various available options, locations and venues for the key Eurovision hot-spots and events.

Jon Ola Sand comments:

We are still discussing many options and it is too early to confirm some of other locations in the city.

Financial issues and the setting up of the Eurovision 2017 core team were also discussed during the meeting. The EBU emphasised the importance of involving Ukrainian talent as well as European expertise.

Jon Ola Sand comments:

It is challenging for every broadcaster as we have so much work to do in a limited time.

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NTU’S officials Mr. Zurab Alsania, Ms. Victoria Romanova and Mr. Oleksandr Kharebin during the meeting (photo credit: Stijn Smulders -EBU)

Mr. Jon Ola Sand has visited Kyiv many times and is confident that the city will organize an extraordinary contest. He assures those who will visit Kyiv next May will be pleasantly surprised as the Ukrainian capital city has a lot to offer.

Watch EBU’s visit to Kyiv and Mr. Jon Ola Sand’s update

Reference Group Meeting in Kyiv in November

The EBU’s Reference Group (the governing body of the Eurovision Song Contest) will be visiting Kyiv to oversee the preparations for the upcoming contest and meet up with NTU, Kyiv City and the 2017 Eurovision Committee officials. More details regarding the contest and organization are expected to be revealed hereafter. The content of the show, proposed venues for the key ESC hotposts, organization of the event, ticket sales etc will all be discussed next month.

Eurovision 2017 Ticket Sales

Regarding ticket sales Mr. Jon Ola Sand said that tickets could go on sale earliest by Christmas but as there is much work to be done and many factors to confirm yet, we could see tickets going on sale sometime between Christmas and mid January.

Mr. Jon Ola Sand comments on tickets:

Since it is not a ready concert hall or ready venue we need to have the stage design in place before we know what kind of tickets we can sell.

The 2017 Eurovision Song Contest is scheduled to be held on 9, 11 and 13 May at the International Exhibition Centre in Kyiv, Ukraine.