Eurovision 2020: Maastricht officially applies to host the contest

by Sanjay (Sergio) Jiandani 3,308 views

The City of Maastricht, the province of Limburg and the MECC Maastricht have officially applied to host the 2020 Eurovision Song Contest in the Netherlands next year.

The City of Maastricht and Limburg are all set to bring the Eurovision bandwagon home along with all its glam, glitz and glitter.

The three bodies (City of Maastricht, Province of Limburg and MECC Maastricht) have sent a joint letter to NPO/NOS/ AVROTROS in order to officicially apply for hosting the 2020 Eurovision Song Contest.

The letter reads:

The city of Maastricht is convinced that the organization of the contest in 2020 offers a unique opportunity to give the the Netherlands extra exposure.

Moreover, the contest will have a connecting role in society, because it creates great enthusiasm among all Dutch people regardless of origin, religion and age.

It is for these reasons that Maastricht wants to contribute to a successful organization. That is why we ask you to designate Maastricht as a candidate city for holding the Eurovision Song Contest 2020.

What we can offer you is of course an event location suitable for the song contest; MECC Maastricht.

The MECC has sufficient experience thanks to mega events such as the world’s largest and most prestigious art fair TEFAF, European top conferences, concerts of the “greats of the earth” and international sporting events (such as the Davis Cup and the European Handball Championship).

The range of hotel accommodations in the Maastricht region is large (more than 5,500 rooms) and meets the highest international standards.

In addition, our city has several facilities for side events, such as a brand new pop venue with a capacity of 1,500 visitors and a specially designed festival meadow.

What we also have to offer you is a historic downtown with an incomparable atmosphere and an attractive range of facilities. It will certainly appeal to the many international visitors and TV viewers.

See, among other things, the summer concerts broadcast by André Rieu on the Vrijthof, which are visited by more than 100,000 fans every year. In the Atlas of Dutch Municipalities, Maastricht is therefore called the second cultural city of our country.

All the more so because the city lies at the intersection of two world cultures: the Latin and the Germanic. The hospitality of Maastricht is famous.

Perhaps even more important is the European DNA of our city. It is the birthplace of the European Union and the euro, both laid down in the Maastricht Treaty.

A striking detail is that the countries that were at the cradle of the Eurovision Song Contest were also at the basis of European integration and the Maastricht Treaty. Maastricht marks its status as the most European city in the Netherlands in a different way.

It is the center city of the Euregio Meuse-Rhine; an area with four million inhabitants, 250,000 companies, three languages ​​and an excellent infrastructure. The latter includes five airports and two international HSL stations.

Maastricht is just a two to four hour train ride from Paris, London, Amsterdam, Cologne, Frankfurt, Luxembourg and Brussels.

As you can see, Maastricht, the capital of the Province of Limburg, is extremely suitable in terms of facilities, attractiveness and international status.

Rotterdam, Amsterdam and Maastricht seem to be the front-runners in the 2020 Eurovision host city bidding race, all offering strong bids.

About Maastricht

Maastricht

Maastricht is the capital of Limburg and is located in the south east of the Netherlands. The city is a 90 minutes ride from Brussels and Cologne. It has a small aiport (Maastricht Aachen Airport) operating flights to a few international destinations.

The city has a population of circa 12o,000 and sits of the crossroads of three countries: the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.

The Treaty of Maastricht was signed on 7 February 1992 in Maastricht, serving to officially establish the European Union.

Maastricht is bidding to host the 2020 Eurovision Song Contest at the MECC Maastricht.

About MECC Maastricht

MECC Maastricht (Photo credit: MECC Maastricht)

The MECC Maastricht is located in the center of the city, a 5 minute walk from Maastricht-Randwyck train station and a stone’s throw away from Maastricht Central Station. The venue is easily reachable from various Dutch and European airports: Amsterdam Schiphol International Airport, Eindhoven Airport, Cologne-Bonn Airport, Dusseldorf Airport, Brussels Charleroi Airport,  Brussels Zaventem Airport.

Which city will host  2020 ESC?

Earlier this week the three public broadcasters NPO, NOS and AVROTROS officially opened the 2020 ESC Host City Bid submission window.

Circa 10 Dutch cities in the Netherlands are vying to host the 2020 Eurovision Song Contest.

Map of the Netherlands

So far Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Arnhem, Zwolle, Utrecht, Maastricht, The Hague, Leeuwarden, Enschede and Den Bosch have shown interest in hosting the 2020 Eurovision Song Contest. Will they all make it to the final cut and comply with the EBU’s hosting requirements?

The EBU and the three Dutch public broadcasters  are yet to determine the dates for Eurovision 2020. The Netherlands will have the honour to host ESC 2020 next year thanks to Duncan Laurence’s magnificent victory in Tel Aviv earlier this month.