The European Broadcasting Union has offically announced that the third Eurovision Dance Contest will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan this year. The contest will be held at the Haydar Aliyev Sports and Concerts Complex in September 2009.
The Heydar Aliyev Sprts and Concerts Complex was built after the founding of the Azerbaijan Republic. It’s expected that over eight thousand people will attend the show in the venue itself. The broadcasting rights have been given to İçtimai TV, who broadcasts the Eurovision Song Contest to Azerbaijan, is also an Azerbaijani member of the European Broadcasting Union. The first two editions of the show were hosted successfully by the BBC in 2007 and 2008. Azerbaijan’s public service broadcaster, İçtimai Television, then won the EBU tender to serve as host broadcaster for the 2009 edition.
"The EBU is very pleased with the level of commitment, professionalism and high spirit expressed by Ictimai, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Azerbaijani DanceSport Federation in the negotiations following Ictimai’s bid to become host broadcaster," says Bjørn Erichsen, Director of Eurovision TV. "We truly look forward to this production by one of the EBU’s newest Members."
The Eurovision Dance Contest is the newest edition to European Broadcasting Union family. The competing EBU member countries will each be represented by a couple dancing a freestyle choreography inspired by the country they represent, and the European audience at home will cast their vote by televoting and text voting to determine this year’s winner of the Eurovision Dance Contest title.
Marçin and Edita won Eurovision Dance Contest, which was held in Glasgow, last year.
