With only one month to go until the the first delegations will be arriving in Kyiv and the press centre will be opening its doors for the journalists, the organisation of the 2005 Eurovision Song Contest is getting under pressure to solve the problems they are still facing.
Still no contract for preparations Palats Sportu
Although a rent contract between the NTU and the Palats Sportu has been signed on 22nd March, there still is no contract for the preparation of the venue for holding the contest. This week, the managers of the Palats Sportu claimed that NTU is postponing the signing of the agreement. “NTU considers such claims to be offensive“, reacted the Executive Producer of the upoming contest, Pavel Grytsak.
NTU will only sign the contract after the Palats Sportu will have submitted the official justification of the work costs. The discussions between NTU and the Palats Sportu might come to an end tomorrow as the Palats Sportu is planning to submit an improved list of costs. The Palats Sportu management said they already started reconstruction works without contract, to be sure that everything will be finished in a month.
Tickets: demand higher than offer
According to NTU President Taras Stetskiv, the interest in the Eurovision Song Contest is extremely high. The number of ticket applications for the final of the 2005 Eurovision Song Contest is even five times higher than the number of available seats in the Palats Sportu.
The organisers are hoping that the live broadcast of the final on Kyiv's Independence Square will partly solve the problem. Taras Stetskiv informed that the preparations are under way for the Eurovision Song Contest, “but we are really pressed for time”.
Press centre to be ready by 5th May
NTU is expecting around 1500 journalists to cover the Eurovision Song Contest in Kyiv. Therefor a press centre will be set up near the Palats Sportu. “The press centre will be ready by 5th May”, Stetskiv promises. “Although they began to asphalt the area only a few days ago.”
On 11th May, the press centre will be opening its doors. The day after, the first countries will start rehearsing their act for the 2005 Eurovision Song Contest in the Palats Sportu of Kyiv.
NOTE: Esctoday.com is aware of the problems that many people had in their attempts to obtain tickets for the semifinal and final of the 2005 Eurovision Song Contest. We are currently investigating the issue and are awaiting a statement of NTU.
