Have fan zone fun at Euro 2012

Apart from the soccer match venues, by far the most excitement during this summer’s Euro 2012 tournament will take place in fan zones located in each of the eight host cities in Poland and Ukraine.

The zones will be the places where thousands of fans get entertained from morning to night. In them, gigantic large screens will broadcast all 31 games live, and plenty of food, beverages, souvenirs, and other amenities will keep guests occupied on match and non-match days alike. Europe’s top soccer governing body – UEFA – is allocating up to 1 million euros to each host city for equipment and branding, while taxpayers’ money will cover the remainder of costs in some cities.

The following is a brief description of each fan park in Ukraine:

Kyiv: Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square)

Where else to base the nation’s largest fan zone but on the capital’s main square, where throngs of protesters peacefully helped overturn a fraudulent presidential election in 2004?
The fan zone will run along Khreshchatyk Street between Instytutska and Khmelnytsky streets with a capacity of nearly 70,000, according to Kyiv authorities. Kyiv city manager Oleksandr Popov said the fan zone will be expanded on the final match day to accommodate 92,000 fans.
Restaurant group Kozyrna Karta was selected as the general operator. UEFA is providing 1 million euros for the zone, and the government has awarded 40,000 euros to another company to set up the fan zone.

All 31 matches will be broadcast live on four giant screens.

Entrance will be free and will include entertainment, such as football skill tests, five-a-side pitches, live concerts and DJ sets, as well as a full range of food and drinks.
Hours will be from noon to 1 a.m.

Kiev Post