BBC’S EUROVISION ELATION
With the announcement that the 67th Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Liverpool, the BBC has revealed that the Grand Final of the contest will be held on Saturday, May 13 2023.
The UK is hosting the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of Ukraine, who won the competition this year.
Following interest from 20 cities across all four nations of the UK, seven cities were initially shortlisted to host the competition next year.
To cities remained in the running to host the contest: Glasgow and Liverpool. A detailed assessment of the two cities resulted the BBC and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) agreeing that Liverpool will be the host city.
Liverpool has a fantastic venue, a beautiful backdrop of a city with a rich history of music, and a cultural offer that puts Ukraine at the heart of next year’s Song Contest. The team at the Liverpool City Council and the Liverpool City Region will be fantastic partners for the BBC in delivering the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest.
The BBC is also announced that the Grand Final of the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest will be held at the Liverpool Arena.
For audiences in the UK, for the first time the two semi-finals on Tuesday May 9 and Thursday May 11 and the Grand Final will all be broadcast live on BBC One and BBC iplayer.
The EBU released the official logo for the 2023 Song Contest, which contains the Ukrainian flag within the heart.
Kate Phillips, BBC’S Director Unscripted Content says: “We are delighted to be working with Liverpool to host the Eurovision Song Contest next year, on behalf of Ukraine. Liverpool, and the BBC, will do everything to ensure that this special occasion, fully reflects Ukrainian culture, music and communities. I’m also thrilled that both semi-finals and the Grand Final will be shown to UK audiences live on BBC One.”
Phil Harrold, chair of the BBC’S Host City Selection Committee says: “We had incredible bids from across the UK. To win under such tough competition shows just how strong Liverpool’s bid is. I want to thank all the cities that bid to host the Song Contest, on behalf of Ukraine. While there could only be one host, the quality of the bids shows just how much the UK has to offer. “