Just after midnight Saturday evening we’ll know in which country the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest will take place, but we can already add the dates to our calendar. The two semi-finals will take place on the 22nd and 24th and the final to follow Saturday the 26th of May.
The dates were announced at EBU and host broadcaster NDR’s press conference today in Düsseldorf and according to EBU then the date of the final have been cleared with any major sports event going on at the same time. Changes can still be made should the new host country have any particular good reason for it. The two biggest TV events to be held in May will not clash this year as the Champions League final in football is scheduled for the 19th of May and the Eurovision Song Contest final the week after.
The past two years EBU have had to change the dates due to football events. The first date for the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest final clashed with the Champions League final and was changed as this would give problems for TV stations obligated to broadcast both events and of course a significant drop in viewing figures. The year after they did make sure to check with the Champions League final, but they didn’t feel so sure about Germany winning that they had checked with the German football Cup final. That resulted in EBU once again changing the dates.
Time will tell if the dates for the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest final will stand, but for now it is scheduled to have the three live shows on Tuesday the 22nd, Thursday the 24th and Saturday the 26th of May. If the tradition with starting on the Sunday two weeks before is maintained it will all kick off on Sunday the 13th of May 2012.
In a few days we will know the host country and maybe also the host city.
