A leading Eurovision super fan has backed Newcastle's bid to host the Eurovision Song Contest, branding the city a 'suitable' candidate to take on the world famous event.
There was excitement for local Eurovision fans on Tuesday morning when it was confirmed that city officials were 'exploring a bid' to stage next year's competition, following the announcement that 2022 winning country Ukraine won't be doing the honours.
Coun Alex Hay, Newcastle City Council's cabinet member responsible for tourism, said: “Newcastle is a welcoming, well-connected and ambitious city with a proven track record of staging world class events.
Obviously it would be wonderful to host Eurovision and we believe that Newcastle would be a perfect host city. We are looking forward to hearing more about the bidding process and are already working with partners to explore the opportunity.”
READ MORE: Why Newcastle would be the perfect fit for Eurovision
"There has been no confirmation of which venue would be chosen to stage Eurovision in Newcastle, though the 11,000-capacity Utilita Arena would seem the obvious choice."
Newcastle's credentials as a potential host city have been put under the microscope by Pablo Santos, an expert on Eurovision World, the leading site for all things Eurovision. As well as referencing the arena, he wrote: "On top of that, the Newcastle International Airport is one of the main airports in the country handling over five million passengers per year and with over 90 destinations worldwide. Its transportation service is also quite complete and efficient."
Sadly for Newcastle, it hasn't so much carried much favour with fans on Eurovision World. Of the 7,502 votes cast at the time of writing, it had only gathered 2%, with Glasgow leading the way on 2,104 (28%) ahead of London.
READ NEXT:
* Newcastle Loves 2022 shortlists revealed - vote for your winners
*Sneak peak inside iconic Newcastle pub as it gets ready to relaunch
* Maura Higgins tipped for Love Island return as she 'goes quiet'
*Jacques' family make Love Island plea over 'hidden' diagnosis *
