The Head of the Tamar Regional Council has stated that it will bid to host the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 at Masada.
Dov Litvinoff the Head of the Tamar Regional Council in Eastern Israel has confirmed today that they will be submitting a bid to host the Eurovision Song Contest 2019. Mr Litvinoff has revealed that the regions bid to host the contest will be centered on Masada, an ancient fortress that overlooks the Dead Sea.
Masada is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the biggest tourist attractions in Israel. The site was first constructed by Herod the Great between 37 and 31 BCE, and was rediscovered during the mid 1800s. Speaking about its suitability as a venue for the competition Mr Litvnoff explained;
We did huge things at Masada, such as David Guetta’s show, the Israeli Opera, etc. The Nature’s Cultural Hall can accommodate more than 20,000 people. It is natural that we will compete to host the event,
Adding;
With Masada’s setting, and the subject of saving the Dead Sea that can make international headlines- this is not only just a place, but also a message, and it’s one of the most beautiful places we have in Israel, if not Jerusalem – then Massada,
Skepticism has been raised as to the viability of the bid. However the Head of the Regional Council explained;
We have 4,000 hotel rooms close to us at the Dead Sea, there are 500 more in the area, and even if more are needed, Jerusalem is within an hour’s drive and we will take care for the public transportation and buses. Also the roofing of the compound should not be a problem. So in short- We’re ready, and we hope for being taken into considerations too.
Last week the European Broadcasting Union confirmed that “a handover from RTP (Portugal’s EBU member) took place and a timetable of key milestones was agreed.” Furthermore, planning for next years event has already begun with the host city and the dates for Eurovision 2019 due to be announced “by September.”
Source: Ynet
