Tel Aviv Will Host Eurovision 2019

The 64th Eurovision Song CONTEST will be taking place at the Expo Tel Aviv (International Convention Center) in Israel on Tuesday 14, Thursday 16 and Saturday 18 May 2019.

The decision was taken by the Eurovision Song CONTEST Reference Group (the board for the contest) after Israeli public broadcaster KAN were asked to present at least two potential candidate cities.

In addition, the dates for the 2019 CONTEST have also been revealed. The Semi-Finals will take place in Tel Aviv on the 14th and 16th of May and the Grand Final will take place on 18th May.

Jon Ola Sand, the EBU's Executive Supervisor for the Eurovision Song Contest, said: "We'd like to thank all the Israeli cities who bid to host the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest, and KAN who conducted an expert and thorough assessment to help us make the final decision. All the bids were exemplary but in the end we decided that Tel Aviv provides the best overall setup for the world's largest live music event. We are excited to bring the CONTEST to a brand new city and are looking forward to working together with KAN to make 2019's Eurovision Song CONTEST the most spectacular one yet."

Tel Aviv presented a very creative and compelling bid across all required areas. It was chosen following a strong city bid process which also saw Jerusalem and Eilat compete to host the world's most hotly anticipated musical event, which reaches around 200 million viewers worldwide.

Israel's second largest city is widely known as Israel's self-defined non-stop city, located on the Mediterranean coast with a population of over 400,000 people. Tel Aviv will be hosting the Eurovision Song CONTEST for the first time and the event will be held at the EXPO Tel Aviv (International Convention Center).

Frank-Dieter Freiling, Chairman of the Eurovision Song CONTEST Reference Group said: "We look forward to working with KAN to bring the CONTEST to Tel Aviv for the first time. We are expecting to receive guarantees from the Prime Minister this week in regards to the security and freedom of movement of anyone coming to the event. These guarantees are imperative in order for us to move forward with the planning of the event to ensure the safety of visitors and upholding the Eurovision Song CONTEST values of diversity and inclusivity."

The 2018 Eurovision Song Contest, hosted in Lisbon, Portugal, saw Netta Barzilai crowned the winner with Toy; the Billboard chart-topping dance track written by Doron Medalie and Stav Beger. Netta's victory means Israel will host the CONTEST for a third time having previously staged the Eurovision Song CONTEST in Jerusalem in 1979 and 1999. Israel has participated 42 times since its first appearance in 1973.

The 1st Semi-Final of the 2019 Eurovision Song CONTEST will be held on 14 May, followed by the 2nd Semi-Final on 16 May and the Grand Final will take place on 18 May. Tickets will be available by the end of the year; stay tuned for updates!

Photo Credit: Eurovision Song CONTEST Tel Aviv 2019 © EBU

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