Romania to host Junior Eurovision Song Contest in 2006

Romania has been chosen to host the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in 2006, according to a press release by the country's government-funded broadcaster, TVR. According to the network, the Junior Eurovision will be held in Bucharest in November 2006, where it will be organised in a venue with a capacity of more than 6,000 seats. Romania's successful bid has been confirmed by Svante Stockselius from the European Broadcasting Union.

The three countries shortlisted for the Junior Eurovision 2006 were Romania, Croatia, and the Netherlands. On October 4, however, it was announced that TVR had won the bidding process and the event would be held in Romania. The Junior Eurovision 2006 is the first Eurovision event to be held in Romania, and comes after Romania's best ever result in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005, where it was ranked third.

The event will be co-financed by TVR and the European Broadcasting Union, with approximately 3.4 million Romanian lei (€1 million) being funded by the EBU.

The Junior Eurovision Song Contest was founded in 2003 and is open to constentants from across Europe ranging from eight to fifteen years of age. The 2005 event will be held on November 26 in Hasselt, Belgium, and will be attended by contestants from 17 countries, including Romania.