Last week it was revealed that the BBC was in talks with the European Broadcasting Union "to potentially host the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest" in the UK as 2022 winners, Ukraine, may not be able to host due to the ongoing conflict with Russia.
Now, the Principality Stadium, fresh from hosting two nights with the Stereophonics, Tom Jones and more Welsh music acts, read our review here, have said they would 'relish' the opportunity to host the annual singing competition. The stadium said it would be the cherry on top of the past 20 years during which the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, U2 and many more top music acts have performed.
A spokesperson for the venue, which can hold 74,500 people said today: "We would relish the opportunity to host the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 here at Principality Stadium, Cardiff. We have a 20-year history of successfully hosting the biggest music artists and sporting events in the world; and to add Eurovision, the world's biggest and much-loved music competition to the list, would be the cherry on top of the last two decades."
Read more : 17 reasons why Wales should definitely host Eurovision
"We are a nation of singers, 'the land of song', and there's no better sound than a packed Principality Stadium. Given our history and experience as a muti-event arena, we're confident we could deliver an outstanding event, and, if the UK is a consideration for 2023, we would welcome the opportunity to discuss this in detail."
In an announcement shared on Friday, EBU revealed that due to the ongoing war since the Russian invasion of this year's winning country - Ukraine, it was decided that the contest could not be held in the country. In the statement, they wrote: "The EBU would like to thank UA:PBC for their wholehearted cooperation and commitment in exploring all scenarios in the weeks since Kalush Orchestra's win on 14 May in Turin and share their sadness and disappointment that next year's Contest cannot be held in Ukraine. "As a result of this decision, in accordance with the rules and to ensure the continuity of the event, the EBU will now begin discussions with the BBC, as this year's runner-up, to potentially host the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest in the United Kingdom."
This year's runner-up, Sam Ryder, stormed to the top of the Eurovision leaderboard at one point during the 2022 competition with his song, Space Man, which was co-written by Welsh-based singer, Amy Wadge who is based near Pontypridd when she's not flying around the globe working with the likes of Diana Ross, Alicia Keys and more.
