Eurovision 2019

Russia want to win it. The EBU almost certainly do not want Russia to win.

Under what grounds exactly? Have they came out and said anything publicly or any press releases?

Project Fear really should have employed BM11.

Of course not but privately the EBU will be thinking 'please god not Russia'. Every other country is geopolitcal a more suitable host.

Bog roll more like

Absolute nonsense. What have got against Russia wanting to win it?

It would potentially put a number of countries in a difficult situation since the Russian state-sponsored chemical weapons killing, and attempted murders, in Salisbury... The first use of chemical weapons in Europe since WWII...

Plus all the US election and UK Brexit referendum meddling stuff, and the background sponsorship of social disruption via Social Media.

Russia in 2019 is seen very differently to Russia in 2009.

Of course, by letting the Russians enter the contest, the EBU has to accept that they can win it and host it. But I suspect they would be very happy if someone else did, causing far fewer headaches within the organisation.

Not going to be a cheap trip...

Prices for the Eurovision 2019 tickets have been revealed by broadcaster KAN. Tickets for the final show will be priced from 1150 to 2000 NIS, and it is possible to purchase rehearsal tickets from 350 NIS. Tickets will be sold via the official tickets provider Leaan.

1500 Green Room VIP tickets will also be available for each show and purchases will get a chance to watch the contest alongside delegations and hosts, accompanied by food and drinks and will receive branded Eurovision merchandise.

In addition, as part of the sale, 500 tickets for the rehearsal will be allocated to the soldiers.

Final:
• Golden Ring - 1,500 NIS = 366 EUR
• Prime Site - 1,700 NIS = 415 EUR
• Level 2 seats 1,350 NIS = 329 EUR
• Hall seats - 1,150 NIS = 281 EUR
• Green Room (VIP) - 2,000 NIS = 488 EUR

Semifinals:
• Golden Ring - 1,150 NIS = 281 EUR
• Prime Site - 1,250 NIS = 305 EUR
• Level 2 seats - 1,000 NIS = 244 EUR
• Hall seats - 750 NIS = 183 EUR
• Green Room (VIP) - 1,000 NIS = 244 EUR

Final Rehearsals:
• Golden Ring - 1,150 NIS = 280 EUR
• Prime Site - 1,250 NIS = 305 EUR
• Level 2 seats - 1,000 NIS = 244 EUR
• Halls seats - 500 NIS = 122 EUR

Semifinal rehearsals:
• Golden Ring - 900 NIS = 220 EUR
• Prime Site - 1,000 NIS = 244 EUR
• Level 2 - 750 NIS = 183 EUR
• Hall seats - 350 NIS = 85 EUR

According to Haaretz, KAN stresses that the cost of tickets to the Eurovision Song Contest was set high because the state does not support it financially, and that revenues from the sale of the tickets should cover albeit a very small, but still a part of the cost of production of the event.

Event page: http://esckaz.com/2019/event.htm#en_tickets

In contrast, last year's show in Lisbon was €120 for a standing live Grand Final ticket (almost €250 less than this year) and two years ago in Kiev the sales were so low they were selling them at heavy discounts on the official site a few days before the contest.

I'll still be trying to buy one whenever they go on sale - my flights to Tel-Aviv and accomodation have been booked since last year - but despite the high prices and distance from most of Europe, the small amount of seats available may still make it a challenge...

There's already been an announcement from the EBU to ignore today's news:

https://eurovision.tv/tickets/

The local organisers always seem to misjudge the pricing of tickets. In Kiev the plan was to not offer any fan club tickets and to charge top price for everything. In end they were talked out of it. Equally in Lisbon the original plan was for the top price for the final tickets to be similar to what KAN want to charge. In both cases the EBU intervened and managed to reduce the pricing and ensure that pricing was more affordable. The EBU’s philosophy is that prices should be relative to what was charged the previous year, not relative to the local market.

Whilst the prices outlined above are quite shocking I can just about see them not budging for the final, people are ultimately prepared to pay anything to be in the audience for the final. The prices for the semi-finals and jury finals are madness. From experience these shows almost never sell out, even in Eurovision mad Stockholm the auditorium was mostly empty for the jury semi-finals.

But not to different to 2018.

Rightly or wrongly when it comes to these events visitors and viewers can separate the state from the event.

Yes, the EBU are thankfully crying fake news. Hopefully that's the case - I accept that the security budget in particular is going to be mahoosive this year with it being in Israel anyway, not to mention the the epic failure of Lisbon's security last year. I don't mind paying a small premium for that but given how low the prices were for the jury shows in Lisbon, that's a ripoff.

I accept also the broadcast shows will be a bit more pricey due to being such a small venue this year. I just hope we don't have the Viagogo madness of last year.