Southport Visiter

Town is the place to be for a Eurovision party

- BY ANDREW BROWN

SOUTHPORT will be the place to party when the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest takes place this May.

Southport BID and the Southport business community have lined up lots of exciting events for people of all ages to enjoy including a Southport Calling festival in the town centre.

Southport Calling, which will take place on the Lord Street Bandstand on May 13, will be a fun-filled celebratio­n of the best and brightest musical talent from the local community.

This will include dance groups, live bands, string musicians, and performanc­es from the Sing For Southport competitio­n finalists.

The event will be hosted by the team at Sandground­er Radio.

Southport Calling with start at noon with a focus on family fun.

There will be performanc­es from Birkdale Orpheus Society,

Holy Trinity Primary School, and an amazing list of local dance groups.

The Sing for Southport competitio­n will start from 2pm, with talented vocalists performing to compete for the top prize.

From 4pm, Southport Strings Ensemble will take the event through to evening, which will then feature a line-up of live bands performing until late.

Lots of local businesses are also joining in the fun with a Eurovision Party at Southport Bijou Cinema, Eurovision Bloopers at Southport Market, Abba Disco Bingo at The Grand and The Bold Hotel, and Eurovision parties at venues including Southport Pleasurela­nd, The Windmill, Royales, The Southport Coaster, and The Guelder Rose.

The Atkinson will be hosting a number of activities and events, including a Eurovision

Craft Workshop and the 80s Mania show.

As part of EuroFestiv­al, works from Ukrainian photograph­ers Sasha Kurmaz and Viktor Maruahchen­ko will be also displayed on The Atkinson’s façade from May until June.

More details on activities, events, and where to watch the big show are here: http:// southportb­id.com/eventseuro­vision/

The Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 will take place in the Liverpool Arena on Saturday, May 13 May with semi-finals on Tuesday, May 9 and Thursday, May 11.

The contest was due to take place in Ukraine but has come to Liverpool due to the ongoing invasion by Russia.

Southport BID CEO Rachel Fitzgerald said: “The eyes of the world will be on Southport when this year’s Eurovision Song Contest takes place.

“Southport BID is delighted to be staging a special Southport Calling event in Southport town centre throughout the day on Saturday, May 13, in the lead-up to the big final.

“We have been speaking extensivel­y with local businesses and are delighted that so many are getting involved with staging special Eurovision themed events for people to enjoy.

“They really will be showing off the very best of what Southport as a destinatio­n has to offer.”

More informatio­n on the Sing for Southport competitio­n will be revealed in the coming days.

Keep up with details of Eurovision events in Southport through the Southport BID website and follow Southport BID on Facebook and Instagram.

 ?? ?? The Bandstand on Lord Street in Southport
The Bandstand on Lord Street in Southport
 ?? ?? Rachel Fitzgerald, chief executive of Southport BID
Rachel Fitzgerald, chief executive of Southport BID

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