Eurovision 2017: which Ukrainian city will it be?

Kiev, Odessa and Dnipropetrovsk are the three cities still in the running to host the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest, which will take place in Ukraine after singer Jamala took home the trophy in Stockholm this year.

Kharkiv, Lviv and Kherson were also among the top six finalists to host the competition, but were knocked out of the running after a month-long “Battle of the Cities”, which saw the finalists promote themselves as the clear choice of host city.

Over the next few weeks, members of a committee from the European Broadcasting Union visit Kiev, Odessa and Dnipropetrovsk to inspect their infrastructure and evaluate whether they are suitable to host Eurovision.

The winning city is due to be decided on Ukrainian Independence Day, which takes place on 24 August.

Ukrainian singer Jamala won the Eurovision Song Contest this year, scoring 534 points with the song 1944. The title refers to the forced deportation of Crimean Tatars from Crimea in that year, while Jamala is herself of Crimean Tatar descent. The lyrics of 1944 do not touch on current tensions surrounding Crimea, but the song was the subject of some controversy, sparking accusations of political subtext.

Source: Ukraine Today