2007 Eurovision Song Contest project leader at YLE, Olli-Pekka Heinonen, confirmed that the Finnish public broadcaster has received bids from seven cities to host the upcoming contest. From the Finnish capital Helsinki, YLE received bids from two venues.
Heinonen hopes to review these and reach a decision by the end of June, when the broadcaster's suggestion will be submitted to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), where the Reference Group will meet to discuss the proposal before making any formal announcement.
The host city needs to have the infrastructure necessary to house the delegations, journalists and fans who come to the host city of the Eurovision Song Contest. Helsinki can offer over 13,000 hotel beds, far more than any other city in the country.
As well as two bids from venues in Helsinki, YLE has offers from Turku, Espoo, Tampere, Lahti, Lordi's 'birth city' and capital of Lapland Rovaniemi and one from the ski resort Levi .
