Since 2016, here's what I've paid for accommodation in the host city on the day of each contest, using the exchange rate of the time. I usually book around the November before, all were shared hostels although in Kiev I ended up having a room to myself:
Stockholm 2016: 320 SEK (£25)
Kiev 2017: 200 UAH (£6)
Lisbon 2018: €19.80 (£17.50)
Tel Aviv 2019: 80.5 ILS (£17.50)
Given that virtually every Saturday in May 2020 is currently booked out for all hostels in Rotterdam and most cheap places in Maastricht, I'm guessing many have done an advance free cancellation booking and will alter it when a city/date is chosen. I paid €18.36 for a Rotterdam hostel on a Saturday in May 2016 (about £14 with the pre-Brexit exchange rate) - not expecting anything that low this time, but at least it's a small enough area to have plenty of options around. Or I'll just walk back home to London...
Any news how the EBU visits to Masstricht and Rotterdam went? They've happened haven't they?
NOS are likely to have been trusted to make the decision on their own and then present that for rubber stamping by the EBU. The Political scene in the Netherlands is wholly different from Israel and relations between the Government and PSB much better. The NOS Event producer Sietse Bakker is a former EBU employee too.
In a late night talk show, Sietse Bakker described the stadium of Rotterdam as 'complete'. Maastricht has an '''empty box' that you can set up yourself.''
He also wants the Dutch to recognize themselves in the shows and sets the bar very high.
In a late night talk show, Sietse Bakker described the stadium of Rotterdam as 'complete'. Maastricht has an '''empty box' that you can set up yourself.''
He also wants the Dutch to recognize themselves in the shows and sets the bar very high.
So is he saying that Maastricht's venue is bad in terms of its size?
The main arena in Maastricht only holds around 7/8,000 so it would mean another small scale show similar to Tel Aviv. There’s no way they will turn down Rotterdam and the guaranteed 16,000 capacity that Ahoy offers. Add in how inaccessible Maastricht is and Rotterdam is a no-brainer.
Ahoy has also hosted a fair few live broadcasts in its time. The Junior Eurovision final at one point and the MTV EMA’s at least twice. And that’s even before considering the large number of sporting events the venue is used for, so I would imagine some sort of broadcasting infrastructure is in place.
The main arena in Maastricht only holds around 7/8,000 so it would mean another small scale show similar to Tel Aviv. There’s no way they will turn down Rotterdam and the guaranteed 16,000 capacity that Ahoy offers. Add in how inaccessible Maastricht is and Rotterdam is a no-brainer.
True, I'm hoping that it is Rotterdam as their venue is perfect for large-scale events like Eurovision.
The main arena in Maastricht only holds around 7/8,000 so it would mean another small scale show similar to Tel Aviv. There’s no way they will turn down Rotterdam and the guaranteed 16,000 capacity that Ahoy offers. Add in how inaccessible Maastricht is and Rotterdam is a no-brainer.
Size of venue aside (I agree this will probably win it for Rotterdam), Maastricht is hardly inaccessible with direct and regular train links to Germany, Belgium, Eindhoven and Amsterdam, and their respective airports. If anything the catchment area is larger than Rotterdam which, while closer to Schiphol, is mainly surrounded by water.
As has been pointed out, the Dutch authorities may well not want to share all the incoming tourism with the neighbouring Belgian & German regions - although their woes with overcrowding in some cities are well documented.
