The singer Loreen brought the ESC to Sweden. Now it is clear in which city the competition will take place.
Malmö in southern Sweden is hosting the Eurovision Song Contest next year. This was announced by the Swedish broadcaster SVT. The final of the international music competition will take place on May 11th in the Malmö Arena, the two semi-finals on May 7th and 9th.
The singer Loreen won this year’s ESC in Liverpool, UK, with her song “Tattoo” for Sweden. That is why the Scandinavian EU country will be able to host the music competition next year for the seventh time. For Loreen it was the second ESC victory after 2012 when she triumphed in the Azerbaijani capital Baku with “Euphoria”.
Four Swedish cities had expressed their interest in hosting the music competition in May 2024: the capital Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö and the small town of Örnsköldsvik. Swedish media reported on Friday that Gothenburg and Örnsköldsvik had already received cancellations from the organizers – so there was a showdown between Stockholm and Malmö. However, the argument against Stockholm was that the Avicii Arena there will be extensively renovated in 2024.
Interesting facts about Malmo
Malmö is the third largest city in Sweden and is located in the very south of the country. It has hosted the ESC twice, first in 1992 and then again in 2013 after Loreen’s first success. Malmö has been highlighted in Sweden as a potential host who can make for a big celebration while keeping costs down.
“Malmö is a creative city with a rich cultural life that can create a music festival for the whole of Europe in a sustainable way,” said SVT boss Hanna Stjärne. This is particularly true from an economic point of view, since the arena, the communication and the logistics are already in place.
The fact that the southern Swedish city is hosting the ESC 2024 should also bring joy to neighboring Denmark: Malmö can be reached in a good three-quarters of an hour by train from the nearby Danish capital Copenhagen.
50th anniversary
Pop nation Sweden has won the Eurovision Song Contest seven times so far. The first Swedish success was exactly 50 years ago in the coming year: the legendary pop group Abba beat the European competition in 1974 in Brighton, England, with “Waterloo”. The success suddenly made Abba internationally known – a world career followed.
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
