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Copenhagen, Herning or Horsens. Who will host Eurovision 2014?

20 August 2013 at 14:49 CEST

As the summer draws to a close, many people are speculating about where the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest will held. Although no announcement has been made yet, why not take a look at our recap of candidate cities and venues below:

The three cities vying to host Europe's favourite TV show are:

  • Copenhagen
  • Herning
  • Horsens

Copenhagen

Copenhagen originally put forward three proposals for venues to host next year's Eurovision Song Contest but the venue from 2001, Parken, subsequently withdrew its application.

However Copenhagen's tourist organisation, Wonderful Copenhagen, put forward two other venues encouraging DR to think outside the box: "We have laid out a few different proposals. We have thought a lot about making the event unique. It should not just be another Eurovision Song Contest", says organisation director Lars Bernhard Jørgensen.

DR Byen

Home to Denmark's state broadcaster, Danmarks Radio (DR), who will also produce next year's show, DR Byen is equipped with all the latest broadcasting technologies and TV know-how. However, it does not have a hall large enough to accommodate a competition on the scale of the Eurovision Song Contest. Wonderful Copenhagen has therefore come up with a plan to erect a massive tent in front of DR Byen. Time will tell if this solution is as practical as it may sound.

B&W-Hallerne

Located in the Refshaleøen area of Amager in Copenhagen, this old industrial complex has become a "playground for the culture and experiences industry". With its huge indoor spaces Wonderful Copenhagen claims that the venue can be tailormade to suit the needs of DR and the EBU. According to the organisation use could be made of its "raw and industrial look".

Boxen - Herning

Herning hosted this year's edition of Dansk Melodi Grand Prix, the Danish national selection, in its new Boxen Arena with room for up to 15,000 people in the audience, making it slightly larger than the Malmö Arena where this year's contest was held. However, hotel capacity may be an issue but the city has received the offer of help from neighbouring municipalities, most notably Denmark's second city Århus so it remains to be seen whether the city can fulfil all the criteria as set out by DR and the EBU.

Fængslet - Horsens

Horsens' bid is by far the most unusual, wanting to hold the contest in the courtyard of a decomissioned prison block. The city claims there is space for 13,000 standing guests here and they plan to cover the courtyard in order to make it an indoor venue. Other details regarding hotel capacity in the city have not been revealed at the time of writing.

When deciding on a host city, DR will need to obtain final approval from the EBU Reference Group before an announcement is made.

Stay tuned to Eurovision.tv for more news about the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest, which will be held on the 6th, 8th and 10th of May in Denmark.