Thousands of fans have already headed to Liverpool ahead of the Eurovision Song Contest's grand final this weekend.
Last year, Liverpool announced as the host city of Eurovision for 2023, after winners Ukraine could not hold the competition for safety and security reasons due to the ongoing invasion by Russia. So far, Liverpool has hosted The Blue and Yellow Submarine Parade, the EuroVillage has opened its gates, the Eurovision 2023 Welcome Party has been thrown and more.
And tonight, the first televised semi-final kicks off and the M&S Bank Arena will be buzzing with Eurovision superfans from the city, Ukraine and beyond. But despite the celebrations only kicking off last Friday, we've seen Eurovision fever transform Liverpool in so many ways.
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In the build up, we saw installations and decorations start to take place, celebrating the competition and most importantly, last year's reigning champions Ukraine. From vibrant photo opportunities to sharing moving stories and photos from Ukraine, it's been great to see everyone unite for the event.
As the Eurovision buzz continues to grow - we've taken a look at a number of ways Liverpool has transformed for this year's Eurovision Song Contest. This list isn't intended to be comprehensive, but if you spot anything we should include in the city let us know on social media.
The EuroVillage at the Pier Head
The official EuroVillage fan zone kicked off on Friday and has since welcomed thousands of fans from all over Europe to enjoy the world's biggest event in music. Playing host to chart toppers, local heroes, performers from this year's contest and more, the area is lined with food and drink stalls - and there is also a Discover Ukraine section that is a must visit.
The Soloveiko Songbirds
The Soloveiko Songbird (nightingale in English) is the national bird of Ukraine and is said to be a 'symbol of song and happiness.' There are 12, large-scale, light-up nightingales located around the city that make a beautiful trail, with fans invited to listen as they share their stories and songs of their homeland.
With Fire And Rage
Liverpool is hosting this year's Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of Ukraine and the city is also sharing moving photos and stories from the war. You can spot these stories across the city, but Ukrainian producer and cultural activist Veronika Skilarova, 55 and British director and writer Zoe Lafferty, 36, are also the brains behind With Fire And Rage, a Liverpool walking tour promoting the powerful stories of Ukraine’s artists ahead of the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest.
The Nelson Monument
Surrounded by thousands of sandbags to replicate the way statues in Ukraine are being protected from bombardment, the Nelson Monument, located in Exchange Flags, is hosting Protect the Beats. Within the structure are screens premiering a new short documentary which highlights how live music and performance continued throughout last year, showing in one piece the protection of both physical and musical culture
The M&S Bank Arena
This year's Eurovision Song Contest is being held in The M&S Bank Arena which has been transformed inside and out for the occasion. Outside, ticket-holders can see BBC Eurovision logos and banners across the site - whereas inside the stage, contestant area and more is decorated in yellow, pink and blue.
Floral Installations
The streets of Liverpool ONE are blooming with flowers in vibrant shades of sunny yellow and sapphire blue in honour of Ukraine. Created by Aintree florist Carmel Kenyon in preparation for the big competition, the Ukraine-inspired displays can be found on Peter's Lane, Paradise Street and College Lane.
EuroClub
Liverpool's Camp and Furnace was chosen as this year's EuroClub - and the world's biggest Eurovision fan club is set to host Liverpool's official Eurovision party in the Baltic Triangle. The OGAE (Organisation Générale des Amateurs de l'Eurovision) is made up of 42 fan clubs from across the world and through the week we can expect special events and gatherings which will celebrate the competing nations
Ukrainian peace garden at the Baltic Green
The Ukranian peace garden, designed by landscapers Gardens by Peter Lloyd, is located on the Baltic Green in the Baltic Triangle and includes sensory planting, footpath materials, and other features common in Ukraine in order to create a place for quiet contemplation. Liverpool's Ukrainian community helped with the design in order to ensure that it feels authentic and the site includes allotment beds with seasonal vegetable and concrete chess tables.
Local shop fronts
Local shop fronts have also been getting in the Eurovision spirit. Across the city, you can see brilliant window displays and Eurovision and Ukraine themed items on offer.
Photo opportunities
There are many brilliant photo opportunities to be had across Liverpool this week. Amongst them are the Eurovision heart arches at the waterfront, the colourful stairs leading up to Lime Street, the Floating Earth at the Albert Dock, the Glitterball Heart at the Town Hall, installations at the museums - such as the musical stairs - and inside the Eurovillage, there's also a bus stop now decorated in a Eurovision theme.
Merseyrail Trains
Commuters across the city can now get onboard the Merseyrail trains that are sporting Eurovision logos and colours - but that's not the only change. The instantly recognisable voices of Graham Norton and Rylan will be heard over Merseyrail trains during the Eurovision 2023 and more importantly you will be able to hear music from Ukrainian buskers who have lost their audience due to the ongoing war.
EuroLearn Pysanka eggs in L1
In recent weeks, Liverpool One unveiled its EuroLearn art installations as part of the wider Eurovision Song Contest celebrations. Seven larger-than-life eggs have been placed around the Liverpool One area to represent each city region and an additional egg to represent Ukraine:
Airports
Liverpool John Lennon Airport and Manchester Airport are also celebrating all things Eurovision. If you're stepping of a plane to head to a live show or party in the city, you can spot the Eurovision slogan 'United By Music" and colourful banners all around.
'Bootle's own Eurovision'
It's not just the city-centre that are getting involved - over the weekend, Bootle hosted its own Eurovision event, with powerful performances stunning shoppers at its shopping centre.
People had gathered in Mons Square for a celebration of Ukrainian culture and whilst the event is now over, we're sure other areas across Merseyside will also be celebrating the occasion this week.
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