Eurovision Season 2019: The Internationalist Eurovision Blog Guide to Tel Aviv
We are just over a month away from Eurovision fever reaching its peak on the night of the first Semi Final on a May Tuesday night in Tel Aviv. With this in mind, we thought it would be a good idea to offer the blog's guide on Tel Aviv and some of the exciting things that those making the pilgrimage can expect to get up to whilst out in Israel. We have squeezed everything into a weekend but people can obviously take the recommendations on our post and fit them to their own time-frames in Tel Aviv.
The first thing it is important to note is the currency exchange-rate. 1 Euro equals approximately 4 Shekels whilst 1 Pound is closer to 5. This should leave a good round number to approximate when calculating prices. Please also note that from Friday afternoons to Saturday evenings, public transport normally grounds to a halt in Israel owing to Sabbath. It is believed that some form of public transport will exist for fans during the contest but I have yet to find any specific plans to combat it that have been announced by the Israeli organisers.
Most people travelling to the contest will probably arrive into Ben Gurion International Airport. From there, the best way to get into the city on public transportation is probably by train. Tickets cost 13 Shekels for a single journey and travel to all four of Tel Aviv's main stations (Tel Aviv HaHagana (12 minutes travel), Tel Aviv HaShalom (13 minutes), Tel Aviv Merkaz/Savidor (18 minutes), Tel Aviv University (25 minutes)). The train heads along the eastern side of Tel Aviv and you can choose your station based on the location of your accommodation. Depending on how far away it is, you may need to get a bus or taxi onwards but station staff should be able to assist.
In respect of people having different dietary requirements, needs and desires, I am going to spend the rest of this post exploring the places that might be of cultural interest to Eurovision fans and not as much talking about places to eat. The internet is a wonderful thing however and with Tel Aviv being a very European city, it shouldn't be too difficult to find whatever you are looking for by typing the right things into your various search engines.
The first place to recommend is the neighborhood of Jaffa in the southern part of Tel Aviv. Jaffa is the original settlement upon which Tel Aviv would later expand. It is one of the world's oldest ports and is a classic, beautiful ancient city with architecture that will be in stark contrast to the modern nature of Tel Aviv's skyline. Today, the area is the city's Arab centre, which will not only give you a flavour of the Middle-East more generally but also the conflicting identities and realities that make up Israel as it is today. For those who have left room in their suitcases and who so wish, there is also a flea market.
Being in this part of town is also very convenient for those of you hoping to take in this year's Eurovision Village. The Eurovision Village is the city's answer to a fan-zone and this year's edition promises to be an absolute treat. It will be held in Charles Clore Park, a large outdoor park along the coastline, promising fantastic views out to the sea. It is obviously worth picking your time to come carefully. I have chosen to put it here in my guide order because of its proximity to other things but it's worth considering that people will be able to take in a beautiful sunset along the Mediterranean as the party properly kicks off in the Eurovision Village. By party, I mean the seven stages with live performances from Israeli musicians and DJs, a sports centre, yoga, Israeli food, various Eurovision-themed stalls and inevitably the odd performance from one of the Eurovision acts.
Moving east from Charles Clore Park, you can walk towards the grand street that is Rothschild Boulevard. This street has many different significances. It was actually supposed to be called Rehov HaAm ("Street of the people") before residents requested it to be renamed in honor of Baron Edmond James de Rothschild who gave a lot of money towards the Israeli independence movement. It is therefore apt that on this street is the city's Independence Hall where the Israeli declaration of independence was signed on May 14th 1948. Many of the other buildings on this street are built in the Bauhaus style of architecture owing to the period in the 1930s when many of these buildings were constructed, coinciding with the influx of German-Jewish architects who had come to escape the Nazi regime. Walking along this street will also bring you to the heart of Tel Aviv's financial district.
For those of you hoping to take the opportunity of being out in Israel to experience some of the Jewish culture and history, the Museum of Jewish Diaspora in Northern Tel Aviv is a much. As noted earlier in the post, getting up there might be slightly difficult with potential public transport concerns in place. However, a 15 minute taxi journey should not set you back too much and would be totally worth it. The museum is only open until 15:00 on Saturdays so you might want to pencil this in as something to do on Sunday morning before heading home. The museum is centered around Jewish identity and what that has meant for a peoples who haven't had a homeland for centuries. I have no issue with whatever views people might take in the Israel vs. Palestine argument however if they are going to have view which might be at all strong, it is important to fully understand and respect both sides of the argument. This museum represents a good opportunity to gain that understanding.
Of course, if you are going to go to a city on the seafront for Eurovision, you want to get a bit of beach in as part of your Eurovision experience. Unlike most other European cities in these sorts of locations. There are actually a range of different choices for beach to go to based on what you're hoping to get out of your beach experience. This link (https://www.secrettelaviv.com/magazine/blog/useful-info/best-beaches-in-israel) is the best quick guide to each beach and what you can expect to get from each of them. I highly recommend giving it a read before you just head west to the coast and expect to truck up on whatever patch of sand happens to be there!
Finally, it is worth noting for those of you attending the contest that the Final kicks off at 10 pm local time. That means you need to find something to do before heading over to the arena and I like to think that this is where the Eurocafe at Ha-Oman 17 comes into play. The Eurocafe represents another area for fans to interact and celebrate but it does so indoors with much more of a typical party vibe and atmosphere. It is also very likely that with the public transport situation as it is, this could be used as one of the locations from which fans are transported to the arena (but don't quote me on that as I don't know for certain). Anyway, you will be able to get hyped up for the contest, maybe dance to some of the classic Eurovision hits and then head on over to watch this year's spectacle at the Expo.
So that's your guide from me. I will unfortunately not be making the journey this year but I am very jealous of those of you who are heading out there. I hope you have a wonderful time not only within the Eurovision bubble but also exploring the marvel of the city that is Tel Aviv. Please let us know if any of this was helpful and let us know what you get up to whilst you're out there. Please also subscribe to the blog using the link above so you can be kept up to date on all the Internationalist views coming from us on this blog!
The first thing it is important to note is the currency exchange-rate. 1 Euro equals approximately 4 Shekels whilst 1 Pound is closer to 5. This should leave a good round number to approximate when calculating prices. Please also note that from Friday afternoons to Saturday evenings, public transport normally grounds to a halt in Israel owing to Sabbath. It is believed that some form of public transport will exist for fans during the contest but I have yet to find any specific plans to combat it that have been announced by the Israeli organisers.
Most people travelling to the contest will probably arrive into Ben Gurion International Airport. From there, the best way to get into the city on public transportation is probably by train. Tickets cost 13 Shekels for a single journey and travel to all four of Tel Aviv's main stations (Tel Aviv HaHagana (12 minutes travel), Tel Aviv HaShalom (13 minutes), Tel Aviv Merkaz/Savidor (18 minutes), Tel Aviv University (25 minutes)). The train heads along the eastern side of Tel Aviv and you can choose your station based on the location of your accommodation. Depending on how far away it is, you may need to get a bus or taxi onwards but station staff should be able to assist.
In respect of people having different dietary requirements, needs and desires, I am going to spend the rest of this post exploring the places that might be of cultural interest to Eurovision fans and not as much talking about places to eat. The internet is a wonderful thing however and with Tel Aviv being a very European city, it shouldn't be too difficult to find whatever you are looking for by typing the right things into your various search engines.
The first place to recommend is the neighborhood of Jaffa in the southern part of Tel Aviv. Jaffa is the original settlement upon which Tel Aviv would later expand. It is one of the world's oldest ports and is a classic, beautiful ancient city with architecture that will be in stark contrast to the modern nature of Tel Aviv's skyline. Today, the area is the city's Arab centre, which will not only give you a flavour of the Middle-East more generally but also the conflicting identities and realities that make up Israel as it is today. For those who have left room in their suitcases and who so wish, there is also a flea market.
Being in this part of town is also very convenient for those of you hoping to take in this year's Eurovision Village. The Eurovision Village is the city's answer to a fan-zone and this year's edition promises to be an absolute treat. It will be held in Charles Clore Park, a large outdoor park along the coastline, promising fantastic views out to the sea. It is obviously worth picking your time to come carefully. I have chosen to put it here in my guide order because of its proximity to other things but it's worth considering that people will be able to take in a beautiful sunset along the Mediterranean as the party properly kicks off in the Eurovision Village. By party, I mean the seven stages with live performances from Israeli musicians and DJs, a sports centre, yoga, Israeli food, various Eurovision-themed stalls and inevitably the odd performance from one of the Eurovision acts.
Moving east from Charles Clore Park, you can walk towards the grand street that is Rothschild Boulevard. This street has many different significances. It was actually supposed to be called Rehov HaAm ("Street of the people") before residents requested it to be renamed in honor of Baron Edmond James de Rothschild who gave a lot of money towards the Israeli independence movement. It is therefore apt that on this street is the city's Independence Hall where the Israeli declaration of independence was signed on May 14th 1948. Many of the other buildings on this street are built in the Bauhaus style of architecture owing to the period in the 1930s when many of these buildings were constructed, coinciding with the influx of German-Jewish architects who had come to escape the Nazi regime. Walking along this street will also bring you to the heart of Tel Aviv's financial district.
For those of you hoping to take the opportunity of being out in Israel to experience some of the Jewish culture and history, the Museum of Jewish Diaspora in Northern Tel Aviv is a much. As noted earlier in the post, getting up there might be slightly difficult with potential public transport concerns in place. However, a 15 minute taxi journey should not set you back too much and would be totally worth it. The museum is only open until 15:00 on Saturdays so you might want to pencil this in as something to do on Sunday morning before heading home. The museum is centered around Jewish identity and what that has meant for a peoples who haven't had a homeland for centuries. I have no issue with whatever views people might take in the Israel vs. Palestine argument however if they are going to have view which might be at all strong, it is important to fully understand and respect both sides of the argument. This museum represents a good opportunity to gain that understanding.
Of course, if you are going to go to a city on the seafront for Eurovision, you want to get a bit of beach in as part of your Eurovision experience. Unlike most other European cities in these sorts of locations. There are actually a range of different choices for beach to go to based on what you're hoping to get out of your beach experience. This link (https://www.secrettelaviv.com/magazine/blog/useful-info/best-beaches-in-israel) is the best quick guide to each beach and what you can expect to get from each of them. I highly recommend giving it a read before you just head west to the coast and expect to truck up on whatever patch of sand happens to be there!
Finally, it is worth noting for those of you attending the contest that the Final kicks off at 10 pm local time. That means you need to find something to do before heading over to the arena and I like to think that this is where the Eurocafe at Ha-Oman 17 comes into play. The Eurocafe represents another area for fans to interact and celebrate but it does so indoors with much more of a typical party vibe and atmosphere. It is also very likely that with the public transport situation as it is, this could be used as one of the locations from which fans are transported to the arena (but don't quote me on that as I don't know for certain). Anyway, you will be able to get hyped up for the contest, maybe dance to some of the classic Eurovision hits and then head on over to watch this year's spectacle at the Expo.
So that's your guide from me. I will unfortunately not be making the journey this year but I am very jealous of those of you who are heading out there. I hope you have a wonderful time not only within the Eurovision bubble but also exploring the marvel of the city that is Tel Aviv. Please let us know if any of this was helpful and let us know what you get up to whilst you're out there. Please also subscribe to the blog using the link above so you can be kept up to date on all the Internationalist views coming from us on this blog!
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