Aalborg drops out of Eurovision host race

eurovision 2014Aalborg has pulled out of the race to host the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest, leaving Copenhagen as firm favorites. There are now four cities still in the running: Herning, Horsens, Fredericia and Copenhagen.

Danish broadcaster DR reported that the city decided to withdraw its bid following a municipal councilors’ meeting. The committee voted against bidding as they felt Aalborg does not have enough hotel rooms to host such an event. To meet the criteria, any host city must have 3,000 hotel rooms.

Given that a city must have 3,000 hotel rooms, Copenhagen is viewed as the firm favorite to be selected. It is not expected that any of the three remaining bidding cities will be able to provide sufficient rooms to host the event.

Furthermore, the Danish capital boasts a large international airport that offers flights to most European capitals and other cities on the continent. The city welcomes thousands of tourists each year, and has an excellent transport network and a wide range of accommodation. In addition, it has been the host of the contest on two previous occasions.

If Copenhagen is chosen to host the event, the likely venue would be the Parken Stadium, where the Danish national football play their homes games. The city’s two other venues in contention to host the event would be the Bella Centre and The Forum, although both might be too small.