Liverpool will host next year’s Eurovision Song Contest, after beating fellow shortlisted city, Glasgow. The ‘World Capital of Pop’ will host the 67th edition of the contest on behalf of this year’s winning nation, Ukraine.
The first semi-final will take place on the 9th of May, and the second on the 11th of May. The Grand Final will take place on the 13th of May. The contest will be held in Liverpool Arena next to the River Mersey.
The BBC, together with the European Broadcasting Union will organise the contest in consultation with UA:PBC, Ukraine’s public broadcaster.
Eurovision Song Contest Executive Supervisor Martin Österdahl welcomed the news:
‘Liverpool is the ideal place to host the 67th Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of Ukraine.
The city is synonymous with music and Liverpool Arena exceeds all the requirements needed to stage a global event of this scale. We have been very impressed with the passion the city has shown in embracing the Contest and their inclusive ideas for placing last year’s winners, Ukraine, front and centre when thousands of fans visit next May.
This will be the first Eurovision Song Contest to be held in the UK in 25 years and, as we work with our Host Broadcaster, the BBC, to celebrate Ukraine’s victory, this unique production promises to be a very special one indeed.’
A Collaborative Contest
The official Eurovision logo generally features the flag of the host city. This time around, it will feature Ukraine’s flag as a symbol of the collaboration between two nations. Liverpool will also be celebrating the 65th anniversary of twinning with the Ukrainian city of Odesa.
Mykola Chernotytskyi, Head of the Managing Board of UA:PBC, Ukraine’s public broadcaster said:
‘It is symbolic that the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Liverpool, a twin city of Odesa. The organisation of a contest of this level sets super demanding requirements. I am confident that the city recognised as the capital of pop music will meet them in the best way and will deliver the celebration of music that will amaze both delegations and fans of Eurovision.’
This marks the 9th edition of Eurovision that will be held in the United Kingdom. The most recent was back in 1998 which was held in Birmingham. It is also the fifth time the UK has stepped in to host when the winning broadcaster could not (1960, 1968, 1972, 1974 and 2023).