Will Luxembourg be able to host the Eurovision Song Contest?
After a 30-year period of absence from the European competition, Luxembourg has announced a triumphant return. The Grand Duchy has won the Eurovision Song Contest 5 times in the first 30 years of the song competition's existence but has since taken a pause due to the cost of the event.
Now experts are trying to figure out whether the country if it wins, will be able to host the show on its territory, as the requirements and rules have changed drastically over the past third of the century.
The first requirement for the venue is the proximity of an international airport. From there, the venue must be no more than an hour and a half by transport. Luxembourg is fine with this request. The country itself is not large, and Findel will do perfectly well as a starting point for visitors.
The second requirement is more difficult to fulfill. The country must have an indoor concert hall or stadium that can accommodate from 8 to 10 thousand spectators. Of course, it has to be air-conditioned and have not only a stage and auditorium but also a press room and a backstage area. In Luxembourg, there are currently three venues that could accommodate all the guests, but each of them does not match in at least one of the three parameters.
And the third condition is accommodation. On the days of the competition, a minimum of 2,000 hotel rooms are required to accommodate the participants, staff and guests of the show. In theory, the Grand Duchy is able to provide enough rooms. However, it would be ideal if there were no other events during the Eurovision Song Contest that would attract tourists.
However, the main condition that could derail efforts to build an ideal venue for the contest is money. The financial cost of the Eurovision Song Contest is measured in millions of euros. More precisely, even tens of millions. According to preliminary estimates, holding the contest will cost 20-30 million. With all its wealth and strong economy, Luxembourg is unlikely to simply take a few suitcases out of its pocket and spend them on one-off entertainment.
It follows that it is quite likely that the Grand Duchy, like many other countries, if they had the chance, would refuse to host the Eurovision Song Contest on its territory and give the opportunity to another state.
