Baku, Fineko/abc.az. Azerbaijan, the winner of the 56th European contest Eurovision Song 2011, has not yet started preparing for holding the 57th Eurovision Song Contest in Baku.

The country’s government informs that the decision on the preparations for Eurovision 2012 has not been taken yet.

"So, all statements about the venue of the contest are nothing more than personal opinions of individual citizens," a government source said.

Under such conditions, the public debate about the hall for Eurovision 2012 turns into something like a sweepstake - bets can be accepted in favor of a particular object.

Actually the country has 2 places for the competition - the country’s largest stadium named after Tofig Bahramov for about 37,000 seats and the Heydar Aliyev Palace.

The stadium can easily be adapted for Eurovision 2012, as was done in Dusseldorf. Nearby is the metro station and transport interchange. The Heydar Aliyev Palace accommodates only 2,500 spectators, but most suited for concerts. It is located in downtown Baku.

 All the other "pretenders" are weak. The capacity of the Sport-Concert Complex n.a. Heydar Aliyev is theoretically up to 12,000, but it is not suited for mass concerts. There is no subway station near it. The Heydar Aliyev Centre being constructed since 10 September 2007 cannot be considered as a venue for the contest because of other destination of the centre, a conference hall of which is intended only for 1,284 spectators.

Theoretically, the country can "try" for a year to design and build the 60,000 seat Olympic Stadium on Boyuk Shore, but its weakness will be lack of nearby subway, despite the closeness to the airport. It is also theoretically possible to build for a year a special concert complex venue on Fizuli Street, where the ground has been already cleared for the Winter Garden (its construction was planned as far back as in the Soviet Union times). The benefits of this place, despite its very substantial cost, would be contest holding in the very centre of Baku and the presence of at once 2 subway lines.

19.05.2011 11:14