Kiev will finish reconstruction on its Sports Palace by April 20 -- in plenty of time for the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest, Interfax-Ukraine reported.

ADVERTISEMENT

The commentators' rooms are being rebuilt and the reconstruction of the elevators and air conditioning system will begin shortly, Pavlo Hrytsak, executive producer of Ukraine's Eurovision project, told a news conference in Kiev Sunday.

The installation of equipment will begin and security services will assume their duties April 23.

Svante Stockselius, executive producer of the European Broadcasting Union, the contest's parent organization, denied reports that the May 21 song contest might be moved to another country -- Sweden, for instance.

The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual televised competition between performers representing member nations of the European Broadcasting Union. It has become one of Europe's most watched events, and since starting in 1956 has boosted the careers of ABBA, Celine Dion and Michael Flatley, among others.

The responsibility to organize the 50th Eurovision fell to Ukraine after Ukrainian pop singer Ruslana won the 2004 contest.