Liverpool to host Eurovision 2023
October 7, 2022
The city in northwest England will stage next year's competition instead of Ukraine, home to 2022 Eurovision winner Kalush Orchestra, due to security concerns amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Liverpool's winning bid was announced on Friday by Graham Norton, the television presenter and comedian who does the Eurovision commentary for the BBC. After several cities signaled their desire to host the event, it had been down to Liverpool and Glasgow, Scotland, as the final two candidates.
The 67th Eurovision Song Contest will be held on May 13, 2023, organizers confirmed.
Full of camp, uptempo pop songs, and ballads, the contest has become a beloved tradition not only for European countries but also countries as far away as Australia, which are sometimes invited to take part.
Famous past winners include Celine Dion, who sang for Switzerland, and Swedish pop group ABBA.
'A Ukrainian flavor' in England
The 2022 competition was held in Turin, Italy, as traditionally the winning nation from the previous year's tournament serves as host. Each entry is voted on by both music experts and the public. Ukrainian band Kalush Orchestra went home with the most votes for their song "Stefania," which blended hip-hop with elements of folk music.
However, it was determined by event organizers as well as Ukrainian officials that given Russia's invasion, an event of such a size and following could not safely be held in Ukraine. As Britain's Sam Ryder came in second place, it was determined that a UK city would serve as host instead.
British organizers have promised that pan-continental festival will still be a celebration focused on Ukrainian culture and creativity.
"Playing in the same place that The Beatles started out will be a moment we'll never forget!'' Kalush Orchestra said, as the previous year's winners are traditionally given another chance to perform. "Although we are sad that next year's competition cannot take place in our homeland, we know that the people of Liverpool will be warm hosts and the organizers will be able to add a real Ukrainian flavor to Eurovision 2023."
es/sms (AP, Reuters)