Editing Eurovision Song Contest 2003 (section)

== Location ==
[[File:Olimpiskā Skonto halle.jpg|thumb|230px|left|Skonto Hall, Riga – host venue of the 2003 contest.]]
On 22 August 2002, Latvian public broadcaster {{lang|lv|[[Latvijas Televīzija]]|i=unset}} (LTV) announced that it had chosen the [[Skonto Hall]] in [[Riga]] as the host venue for the 2003 contest.

Latvia won the [[Eurovision Song Contest 2002]] on 25 May 2002 in [[Tallinn]], Estonia, with the song “[[I Wanna (Marie N song)|I Wanna]]” performed by [[Marie N]]. This was Latvia's first victory in the contest, which also carried the right for LTV to organise the 2003 contest. LTV initially had budgetary concerns with staging the contest. The chairman of the National Radio and Television Council Ojārs Rubenis stated that if the government presented no budget guarantees, the council, which owns shares in LTV, would vote against organising the contest. Rubenis elaborated that LTV was prepared to cover the creative side and broadcasting of the contest, but additional funds would be needed for infrastructure, hotels and other financial issues.

The [[Government of Latvia]] allotted [[Euro|€]]5.3 million for the event with a further €1.1 million being provided by the Riga City Council – covering the anticipated organisational costs for the contest.<ref>{{cite web|title=Vēstulē noliedz Eirovīzijas finansu problēmas|url=http://www.delfi.lv/news/national/politics/vestule-noliedz-eirovizijas-finansu-problemas.d?id=4700906|publisher=[[Delfi (web portal)|Delfi]]|date=31 January 2003|access-date=27 October 2013|language=lv|archive-date=27 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200927002250/https://www.delfi.lv/news/national/politics/vestule-noliedz-eirovizijas-finansu-problemas.d?id=4700906|url-status=live}}</ref> A task force that included members from LTV, the National Radio and Television Council, and state secretaries was formed to explicitly work on organisation of the contest and report on the estimated expenses.

=== Bidding phase ===
{{location map+ |Latvia |float=right|width=300 |caption=Locations of the candidate cities: the chosen host city is marked in blue, while the eliminated cities are marked in red. |places=
<small>{{location map~ |Latvia |lat=56.966667 |long=23.75 |label=[[Jūrmala]]|mark=Red pog.svg|marksize=7|position=left }}</small>
{{location map~ |Latvia |lat=56.948889 |long=24.106389 |label=<u>'''[[Riga]]'''</u>|mark=Blue pog.svg|marksize=7 }}
<small>{{location map~ |Latvia |lat=57.3833 |long=21.5500|label=[[Ventspils]]|mark=Red pog.svg|marksize=7 }}</small>
}}

Three cities were considered as host city of the contest: [[Riga]], [[Ventspils]], and [[Jūrmala]].<ref name=EUR20031>{{cite web|title=Dzintaru koncertzāles pārbūve Eirovīzijas rīkošanai izmaksātu trīs miljonus latu|url=http://www.tvnet.lv/izklaide/notikumi/47667-dzintaru_koncertzales_parbuve_eirovizijas_span_classhiliterikosanaispan_izmaksatu_tris_miljonus_latu|publisher=TVNET|date=6 June 2002|access-date=27 October 2013|language=lv|archive-date=29 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029185628/http://www.tvnet.lv/izklaide/notikumi/47667-dzintaru_koncertzales_parbuve_eirovizijas_span_classhiliterikosanaispan_izmaksatu_tris_miljonus_latu|url-status=live}}</ref> LTV requested proposals from the three cities concerning how they plan to organise the contest. Riga City Council offered the [[Mežaparks Open-air Stage]], [[Skonto Hall]], and the Ķīpsala International Exhibition Centre as potential venues for hosting the contest. Ventspils bid to host the contest in the [[Ventspils Olympic Center Basketball Hall|halls of the Ventspils Olympic Center]] with a pledge of support from city mayor [[Aivars Lembergs]], who added that Ventspils could also provide two cruise ferries that could be used to accommodate up to 8,000 guests.<ref>{{cite web|first=Vēsma|last=Lēvalde|title=Ventspils dome vēlas Eirovīzijas rīkošanu Ventspilī (papildināts)|url=http://www.db.lv/citas-zinas/ventspils-dome-velas-eirovizijas-rikosanu-ventspili-papildinats-197167|publisher=db.lv|date=3 June 2002|access-date=27 October 2013|language=lv|archive-date=3 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181103210340/http://www.db.lv/citas-zinas/ventspils-dome-velas-eirovizijas-rikosanu-ventspili-papildinats-197167|url-status=live}}</ref> Jūrmala City Council offered the Dzintari Concert Hall with plans to expand and upgrade the facility and surrounding infrastructure.<ref name=EUR20031/>

LTV's organisational task force later decided to proceed with the bids from Riga and Ventspils, eliminating Jūrmala and the Mežaparks Open-air Stage in Riga. On 15 June 2002, the [[European Broadcasting Union]] (EBU) Reference Group decided in conjunction with the organisational task force in Latvia that Riga would host the 2003 contest with the venue option between the Skonto Hall and Ķīpsala International Exhibition Centre being decided upon by LTV.<ref>{{cite web|title=Eirovīzija izmaksās 4,7 vai 5,5 miljonus latu|url=http://financenet.tvnet.lv/zinas/115462-eirovizija_izmaksas_47_vai_55_miljonus_latu|publisher=TVNET|date=2 July 2002|access-date=27 October 2013|language=lv|archive-date=3 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161103220908/http://financenet.tvnet.lv/zinas/115462-eirovizija_izmaksas_47_vai_55_miljonus_latu|url-status=live}}</ref> LTV ultimately chose the Skonto Hall as the venue to stage the contest.

'''Key'''
<!-- DO NOT remove the dagger symbol, as it is being used due to the [[WP:ACCESS]] policy. Removal of it will be deemed as disruptive vandalism. -->
{{Color box|#CEDFF2|{{dagger}}&nbsp;|border=darkgray}} Host venue
{{Color box|#F2E0CE|‡|border=darkgray}} Shortlisted
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
! scope="col" | City
! scope="col" | Venue
|-
! scope="row" | [[Jūrmala]]
| Dzintari Concert Hall
|-
! scope="row" style="background:#CEDFF2; font-weight:bold;" rowspan="3" | [[Riga]]
| [[Mežaparks Open-air Stage]]
|- style="background:#CEDFF2;"
| '''[[Skonto Hall]]''' {{dagger}}
|- style="background:#F2E0CE;"
| Ķīpsala International Exhibition Centre ‡
|-
! scope="row" | [[Ventspils]]
| [[Ventspils Olympic Center Basketball Hall|Ventspils Olympic Center halls]]
|}