News - Athens 2006: Olympic Indoor Arena to host | Eurovision Song Contest News - 2010 Oslo, Norway 

The Olympic Indoor Arena, part of the OAKA complex, will host the 51st Eurovision Song Contest. The Greek newspaper Eleftherotypia and oikotimes.com already suggested it before, it was oikotimes.com that managed to get confirmation from both ERT as well as the European Broadcasting Union. An official statement of host broadcaster ERT and the EBU can be expected shortly.

The elegant sport of Gymnastics (Artistic & Trampoline) and the fast paced Basketball games (finals) took place in the Olympic Indoor Hall, at the Athens Olympic Sports Complex, located at Maroussi, a northern Athens suburb.During Games-time, seating capacity will reach 19,250 for Basketball and 17,500 for Artistic gymnastics and Trampoline (source: athens2004.com). The Indoor Arena can host up to 20,000 people, although the final amount of available seats depends on stage structure and camera positions. ERT's second man, George Chouliares, said to Eleftherotypia that the budget for next year's Eurovision Song Contest is expected to reach EUR 15 million. The first talks with a production company already took place.