St. Petersburg

The 2008 Laureus World Sports Awards takes place in one of the most historic places in the world, St Petersburg. The city, with its spectacular backdrop of palaces, waterways and famous landmarks, promises to be an unforgettable venue for this celebrated event. The Awards Ceremony will be staged at the newly-opened Mariinsky Concert Hall, the home of Maestro Valery Gergiev and his world-renowned Mariinsky Orchestra.

Valentina Matvienko, the Governor of St Petersburg said: "We are delighted that St Petersburg has been chosen to host the 2008 Laureus World Sports Awards. Sport is close to the hearts of millions of Petersburgers and we look forward to staging this major sport event in our city.

"St Petersburg is a city that harmoniously combines historic traditions and modern European values. Active construction of sport facilities and creation of well-developed infrastructure, make St Petersburg the ideal venue for sports events of global significance. I am sure this ceremony will be a night to remember in the city."