In this article, you will find all the essential travel information about Eurovision 2017 in Kyiv, Ukraine.
Soon one of the most watched and popular shows in the world will be held in Kyiv and it is an exciting opportunity to come to the Ukrainian capital. Kyiv is a great destination with plenty of exciting things to offer. But to discover all the wonders of the city you have to know how to enjoy it properly. Here’s my guide for your hassle-free stay in Kyiv.
The Eurovision Song Contest 2017 will be held on 9, 11 and 13 May
Reasons to visit Kyiv
(Eurovision 2017 in Kyiv)
Kyiv is a great city full of interesting things, nice people and vibrant city life.
For the reasons to visit Kyiv I invite you to read the article I wrote for Lonely Planet:
Getting to Kyiv
(Eurovision 2017 in Kyiv)
Before enjoying the city you have to get there first. I’ve got you covered there. Here are my articles about:
Accommodation in Kyiv
(Eurovision 2017 in Kyiv)
After getting to the city first thing needed is a decent place to stay.
My advice here would always be using booking platforms like booking.com or hotels.com for finding an accommodation.
I wouldn’t advise you to go to the private flats and search through Ukrainian flat databases.
Why? Booking platforms are much more relatable and there is a feedback of people who stayed there previously.
So choosing the ideal accommodation in Kyiv for Eurovision would mean:
- going to the booking platform
- checking all the reviews with pros and cons
- actual booking
Be warned that majority of Kyiv accommodation have increased the price of stay for the period of Eurovision. So watch out for overpriced accommodation and always go with relatable places.
Kyiv accommodation scene is quite similar to the one in Europe. There are hotels, there are hostels. But Kyiv specifics also includes the private flats listed in the booking services. They are not necessarily worse than anything else, however, there will be no reception and in the case of complaints, you will have to deal privately with the Ukrainian owner. But that is just for your information. We hope no problems will arise.
Getting around Kyiv
(Eurovision 2017 in Kyiv)
To fully enjoy the Kyiv experience you would have to navigate around the city.
Kyiv is not a small town – actually it is one of the largest cities in Europe with 3,5 million inhabitants
There are two options to get around the Ukrainian capital: taxis and public transport
Taxis in Kyiv
Top Advice on Taxis: always (I really mean it!) use the official taxi companies when dealing with taxis.
Taxi business in Ukraine is far from ideal and there are many “lone wolf” taxis roaming the streets of Kyiv and looking for a foreigner to scam. The problem is not a dramatic one and equals the same taxi problem in Prague and other European cities.
So here you have it again: always use the official taxi companies.
List of taxi services of Kyiv that can be used fairly safe (without being scammed) includes:
- Uber which operates in Kyiv since 2016
- Uklon is an online taxi service with English menu. Price to central Kyiv is around 260 UAH (9,12 EUR)
- There is a list of English-speaking taxis HERE and you can choose from those as well
- Express Taxi and Optimalne Taxi are also two relatively ok taxi firms for Kyiv (although it all always depends)
Public transport in Kyiv
(Eurovision 2017 in Kyiv)
I have a separate Kyiv Public Transport Guide: Essentials and you can check it out for every detail of using it to navigate around Kyiv.
Also, be sure to check the Kyiv Metro Map Guide: travel tips
Eurovision venues and how to get there
Main venue of the Eurovision Song Contest 2107
The main venue where the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 will be held is an International Exhibition Center.
Its address: 15 Brovarskoy Ave.
It is situated on Livoberezhna metro station and can easily be reached from the city center.
EuroClub
EuroClub is a venue for different Eurovision-themed parties. Admission is allowed only with valid Passes.
The Passes can be bought via official website however currently (25.04.17) the ticket sale is suspended.
The price of the Pass is
- 40 EUR (if you buy before 1 May 2017)
- 60 EUR (if you buy after 1 May 2017)
Eurovision Village
Eurovision village is a public space for live broadcasting of Eurovision concerts as well as an entertainment zone for various mass Eurovision-themed events. Basically, it is a public zone to have fun, so-called fan zone as during the football contests.
It will be organized on the main Khreschatyk street
Check out my other articles about Kyiv:
Thank you for reading!
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Pavlo is an experienced travel writer published by CNN, BBC, The Guardian, The Independent, The Irish Times, Time Out, DK Eyewitness and Lonely Planet. He’s been writing about Poland for 9+ years.