The decision about the host city was open till the very last minute, SVT says. They received proposals from Stockholm and Malmö. "It was not really an easy decision," Martin Österdahl, Executive Producer of the 2013 contest says.
"We chose Malmö because there is a very good infrastructure and we have good experience of holding Melodifestivalen [the Swedish national selection] and the Eurovision Song Contest there," he explains. "The choice of Malmö is based on an overall assessment of the environment in which we think is best for the format of the Eurovision Song Contest, both in terms of TV shows and on the preparations."
"We are very pleased to have a Host City already at this stage. It shows the deep commitment SVT and the whole of Sweden have to host a great Eurovision Song Contest in 2013," says Jon Ola Sand, Executive Supervisor on behalf of the EBU. "We're confident Malmö will be a great host for next year's edition of Europe's favourite TV show."
The agreement means that SVT is responsible for all aspects related to TV shows and Malmö will support you with a comprehensive hosting service, logistics and events for the international press, the visiting fans and the participating delegations.
"Now the work starts on one of the biggest music shows in Europe to create an amazing event. We are obviously extremely proud and happy today," says Ilmar Reepalu, Mayor of Malmö.
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Malmö is the third largest city in Sweden and one of the largest ones in Scandinavia with a metro population of 664,000 people. It has easy access to Denmark via the Øresund bridge which is the longest combined road and rail bridge in Europe.
Malmö has already hosted the contest once, back in 1992 after the Swedish pop-star Carola won the contest in 1991 with Fångad Av En Stormvind.
Malmö Arena
Malmö Arena where the contest will be held is a relatively new arena, inaugurated in 2008. It has a capacity of up to 15,500 for concerts but for the Eurovision Song Contest, the capacity will most likely be lower.
The semi-finals of the Swedish national selection for Europe's favourite TV show have been held there since 2009. Malmö Arena is very similar to Hartwall Arena in Helsinki where the Eurovision Song Contest was held in 2007.
The arena is yet to be formally confirmed by the Reference Group of the Eurovision Song Contest.
