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Castelli H1 1920 x 116
Castelli H1 1920 x 116
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Rome fails in bid to host Eurovision 2022

Italian capital fails to make Eurovision shortlist after Måneskin win.

Rome has not been included in the shortlist of five Italian cities bidding to host next year's Eurovision Song Contest, organisers announced today.

The shortlist includes Milan, Bologna, Rimini, Pesaro and Turin, all of which are vying to be chosen as the host city for the 66th edition of the Eurovision next year.

The song contest is being held in Italy for the first time in three decades after Rome band Måneskin won the title in May with the song Zitti e buoni.

Within hours of the band's triumph, several Italian cities put themselves forward as suitable candidates, with Rome mayor Virginia Raggi vaunting the capital as "perfect stage to relaunch the challenge."

However the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and Italian state broadcaster RAI obviously do not agree, meaning Måneskin will not have the honour of performing in their home city.

It is not known yet why exactly Rome failed the make the shortlist however candidate cities are expected to meet a range of clearly stated requirements.

These include having an international airport within 90 minutes of the city and more than 2,000 hotel rooms in the vicinity of the venue, which must be covered, equipped with air conditioning and have a capacity of 8,000 - 10,000 spectators.

A total of 11 towns and cities launched formal bids, including Rome, with the winner expected to be announced by RAI within the next few days.

Milan and Turin are considered favourites in the race, based on the Eurovision requirements as well as the presence of RAI television studios in both cities.

The 1991 edition of the Eurovision was held in Rome's Cinecittà Film Studios while the only other time that Italy hosted the contest, after Gigliola Cinquetti won in 1964, was at the Centro RAI in Naples.

Turin was already identified as a potential Eurovision venue in 2017 by RAI ahead of Italy's entry that year, bookies' favourite Francesco Gabbani, who failed to win in the end.

Milan is also seen as a strong candidate, given its experience of hosting the Expo in 2015.

The winner should be known by the end of August or in the first days of September.

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Marymount - International School Rome
Marymount - International School Rome
Marymount - International School Rome
Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia
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