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Eurovision 2016 Tele2 Arena Stockholm
STOCKHOLM 2016

Is this the Arena for Eurovision 2016?

The Swedish broadcaster and producer of Eurovision Song Contest 2016 has already had informal discussions with Stockholm to host the event next year. Gothenburg is open. Malmö is out

Shortly after Måns won in Vienna, Sveriges Television (SVT) already began preparing next years Eurovision Song Contest. According to the Swedish newspaper Expressen, SVT has had informal discussions with Stockholm, but haven't contacted Malmö or Gothenborg.

Representatives from Stockholm have had meetings today, Tuesday with the three possible venues in Stockholm: Tele2 Arena, Friends Arena and Globen Arena, in order to bid for hosting Eurovision 2016.

»We have had informal conversations with SVT to check the interest. All the arenas and the city of Stockholm will have a little meeting and go through the situation, what can be done at the different venues and how the schedule looks like. Then we will sit down with SVT and discuss. We did a pretty good job last time (2013), and we still have all the documentation that we will fresh up and use when we meet SVT« says Olle Zetterberg from the Stockholm Business Region, representing Stockholm in the bidding phase.

Malmö is out

Malmö has already jumped out of the bidding race, because the event in 2013 was to expensive for the city. The tourism director of Malmö, Johan Hermansson, can't say anything about it now, according to Expressen: »I won't say anything about that now. But in my heart, i know that we did a nice and good job last time«.

Gothenburg has not been contacted by SVT

The arena in Gothenburg "Scandinavium", could also be a possible venue for the 61st Eurovision, but the city has not been contacted by SVT yet. The press manager at at Göteborg & Co, Stefan Gadd, have said that the bidding race will be between Stockholm and Gothenburg.

Stockholm and Tele2 Arena

Sources at the Swedish newspaper Expressen, claims that SVT already has made the choice: They want to hold Eurovision Song Contest 2016 in Tele2 Arena in Stockholm. Tele2 Arena opened back in August 2013, and was the former "Stockholmsarenan", and is mostly used for concerts and football matches. The arena has a capacity of up to 30,000 spectators for football matches, and up to 40,000 for concerts. And it is owned by the City of Stockholm.

But SVT won't comment on the rumors: »It has to be quick. We have just had soundings. We have called some different people and some different cities. But I do not want to comment on that«, says SVT's head of entertainment to Expressen.

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