Manchester has bid to host next year's Eurovision song contest 2023. The European Broadcast Union (EBU) and the BBC said last month (July) that the UK will host the contest due to the ongoing war in Ukraine.
A winning bid is excellent for the host city as though it is a big challenge, the city gets put upon the world stage showcasing what it can do for tourists. As a world class music city, Manchester was one of the first cities to apply to host Eurovision.
Every year, the international song competition is televised with the EBU choosing acts to represent their country. Eurovision songs must be original, no longer than three minutes, lead vocals must be performed live and no more than six performers can take to the stage for each performance.
READ MORE: The UK cities bidding to host Eurovision in 2023 and where contest has been held before
There is also strict criteria on cities that apply to host Eurovision. Being close to an airport and having enough hotel capacity for thousands of fans is a requirement for potential host cities.
How to apply to be a host city
A local authority that is interested starts by simply emailing an email address which is esc.hostcity@bbc.co.uk. It's free to enter a bid but it is up to the individual city if it incurs costs as a result of the bid.
To be considered, potential candidates need to meet a set of minimum standards that demonstrate they have the capacity, capability and experience to host an event of Eurovision's magnificent scale and complexity. There are two rounds of applications and once they're received cities will be shortlisted.
Who decides who will be the host city?
The EBU and the BBC will decide who is eligible to host Eurovision 2023. The UK government may be consulted however the ultimate decision lies with both of these organisations.
The EBU has organised Eurovision annually since 1956 and represents public service media in 56 countries in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The BBC has staged the event more so than any other broadcaster with showings in London in 1960, 1963, 1968 and 1977, Edinburgh in 1972, Brighton in 1974, Harrogate in 1982 and Birmingham in 1998.
How do they decide what city will host Eurovision?
The final decision will be dependent on a city or region’s capacity and capability in meeting the BBC’s and the EBU’s requirements. Last year, the criteria were that the city must have a venue that could accommodate at least 10,000 spectators that is within easy reach of an international airport with ample hotel accommodation.
There also needs to be a press centre to accommodate journalists and broadcasters. Throughout the decision making process, the EBU and BBC will visit the candidate cities inspecting venues, hotels and infrastructure.
What happens after the host city has been decided?
Once decided, a time will be agreed by the EBU, BBC and winning city and branding, slogans and show details will be created over the next sixth months.
Every annual contest is held in unique circumstances so exact timings may differ but songs publicly released before September 1 are not eligible for the following year's competition. After this time it is known as "Eurovision season".
The contest format then comprises of three live shows: the first semi-final on Tuesday evening, the second semi-final on Thursday evening and then the glittering grand finale in a giant Saturday night spectacular show.
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