The two finalists to host Eurovision 2023 has been announced by the BBC. The cities of Glasgow and Liverpool are in the running for potentially hosting the song context near year in place of Ukraine.
The news means that the cities of Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Newcastle and Sheffield are out of the running. A spokesperson for the BBC confirmed that further discussions would now take place with officials from both Glasgow and Liverpool, with a final decision made "within weeks".
Before the shortlist of seven was even revealed, bookies and fans put Glasgow as the runaway favourite to host Eurovision 2023. Sally Nugent sent Eurovision fans into a frenzy during BBC Breakfast on Tuesday morning, when she teased that an update was imminent on which UK city with get to host the contest next year.
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Last year, Ukraine's entry - Kalush Orchestra, triumphed at the 2022 competition in Turin, Italy. But the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) which produces the annual event, decided the show could not be held in the country following Russia's invasion.
The BBC stated in July of this year that the UK will hold the contest due to the ongoing war in Ukraine. The selected city will be crowned host of the 67th Eurovision Song Contest after the UK was given the chance to host the event for the ninth time - more than any other country, after Sam Ryder came second in the competition.
18 UK cities showed interest in hosting the world's biggest live music event including Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow, Sheffield and London. But at the start of August, it was announced Cardiff had pulled out the race however due to "feasibility" concerns.
Though hosting the Eurovision 2023 song contest would be a big challenge, the winning city gets an opportunity to grace the world stage and showcase what it can do for tourists. There is strict criteria for cities to satisfy however such as the venue being close to an airport, having enough hotels nearby, abundant seating capacity and press conference facilities.
Last year, the broadcasting bodies insisted that the arena must accommodate at least 10,000 spectators to be suitable. During the decision making process, the European Broadcast Union (EBU) and BBC have been visiting the potential cities to inspect venues, hotels and infrastructure.
The United Kingdom hasn't hosted Eurovision for 24 years, with the last occasion being Birmingham 1998, when late Eurovision icon Terry Wogan and ex Gladiators presenter Ulrika Jonsson took the reins, following Katrina and the Waves victory for the home nation a year earlier with their anthemic track Love Shine A Light.
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