Eagle-eyed viewers of Eurovision's first semi-final spotted an interesting Nottinghamshire link just before Moldova took to the stage. Sherwood Forest made an appearance on Eurovision on Tuesday, May 9, when it appeared in Moldova's postcard segment before Pasha Parfeni performed its 2023 entry, Soarele şi Luna.
Liverpool is hosting the competition on behalf of 2022 winners Ukraine with the song "Stefania" performed by the group Kalush Orchestra. And the filmed postcards, used to introduce each act to the Eurovision stage, will this year feature locations from across Ukraine.
The short clips, which have been using drone technology and 360-degree cameras, give the commentators the chance to highlight the competing country and its entrant. They will each feature a Ukrainian location alongside an equivalent in the UK and the participating country.
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Moldova's postcard started off at the Skole Beskids forest in Lviv before moving on to Nottinghamshire's Sherwood Forest. It then ended up seeing Pasha Parfeni plant a tree at the Trebujeni landscape reserve at Orhei National Park, located in the central part of Moldova.
The appearance was spotted by Nottinghamshire locals, as well as viewers from across the globe. Many took to Twitter to share their excitement over the feature.
One user said: "Very happy that the forest of the legend of Robin Hood, aka Sherwood forest, has come out." A second wrote: "Great to see Sherwood Forest in the Moldova postcard." Another added: "Sherwood Forest on #Eurovision2023. We made it lads."
But some were surprised to find out that Sherwood Forest was an actual place and not a fictional creation. One user tweeted: "Not me finding out from a Eurovision postcard that Sherwood Forest is a real place."
They then replied to their own tweet and said: "I thought it was like Camelot or Narnia." Another user wrote: "My American husband just found out that Sherwood forest is a real place. Thanks #Eurovision."
Sherwood Forest is a major Nottinghamshire tourist destination, synonymous with the legend of Robin Hood and his merry men, which attracts hundreds of thousands of people each year. The landmark is also home to the legendary Major Oak, estimated to be around 1,000 years old.
Nottingham has been announced as an official BBC broadcast partner for the Eurovision Song Contest Grand Final, with the event being streamed live from Liverpool Arena on a giant screen measuring 28m squared, with a concert-quality sound system. The Nottingham Castle will become a Eurovision live site on Saturday, May 13, to broadcast the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023.
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