Eurovision Song Contest 2011 in Düsseldorf

NDR decides on Düsseldorf and the ESPRIT Arena / Elbers, the Lord Mayor: "We will be good hosts!"

DUESSELDORF, Germany, October 14, 2010 - The 56th Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Düsseldorf in 2011. This
was announced on 12th October, by Norddeutsche Rundfunk (NDR - the North
German Broadcasting Corporation). The contest will be held in the ESPRIT
Arena on 14th May. The two semi-finals are planned on 10th May and 12th May
likewise in the ESPRIT Arena.

"All Düsseldorf is looking forward to this international mega event
enormously. We are very proud to play the host city for Germany. I extend a
heart-felt welcome to all the participants and guests of the Eurovision Song
Contest from all over Europe. We will be good hosts," in the words of Lord
Mayor Dirk Elbers.

Düsseldorf is the ideal venue for this contest. Around 24,000 spectators
will experience the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 in the ESPRIT Arena. This
means the NDR has decided on a venue that is best suited for the high
requirements made. The ESPRIT Arena will be made available to the organisers
for six weeks. The three second-division football games of Fortuna Düsseldorf
that were originally planned in the arena will be held in the Paul-Janes
Stadium at Flinger Broich for this period.

"We submitted a first-class candidature - with a first-class venue in a
first-class city. As a congress and fair location, Düsseldorf stands for
internationality and cosmopolitanism. Long years of experience in executing
major events and an excellent infrastructure guarantee quality, with which
our city will do justice to this outstanding challenge. The people in charge
of the television broadcast were able to convince themselves on the spot that
they will find perfect conditions here," notes Lord Mayor Elbers. He goes on
to express his gratitude to everyone involved in the candidature: "It is a
fine matter that so many in the city have helped to bring this event to
Düsseldorf".

Now the Eurovision Song Contest is coming to Düsseldorf for the
second time within a year. The inhabitants of the state capital have already
been part of this year's show in Oslo. Under the motto "Share the moment,"
thousands of Düsseldorfers danced the ESC flash mob on the Burgplatz before
the backdrop of the evening Rhine promenade and together experienced the
Eurovision Moment. Düsseldorf thus ranks amongst the ten cities throughout
Europe, in which the flash mob has been performed.

You will find the video to the flash mob under:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsuPqiCjyag

(Section Düsseldorf: 03:00 to 03:21 minutes)

Background:

The 2011 Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Germany. The finale is
planned for 14th May, the two semi-finals for 10th and 12th May. In these two
semi-finals, ten countries will be competing each time for the finale by
televoting and the decisions of the jury. Committed for the finale are
Germany as host country as well as France, Great Britain and Spain. It is
planned that this year's winner, Lena Meyer-Landrut (19), will also appear
next year. There was a total of 39 countries competing at the 2010 ESC in
Norway. The 2010 ESC was broadcast to 46 countries. Some 160 million TV
viewers in 150 countries watched the ESC, and of them 14.7 million in
Germany. Up till then, only Nicole had managed to gain a German victory in
the Grand Prix in Harrogate, England in 1982. Munich was thereupon
designated the ESC host city in 1983.

    Contact:

    Kai Schumacher
    Telefon: 02118993131
    E-Mail: kai.schumacher@duesseldorf.de

Contact: Kai Schumacher. Telefon: +49(0)2118993131, E-Mail: kai.schumacher at duesseldorf.de