The UK city that will host Eurovision 2023 has been announced.
In August, Zoe Ball and Scott Mills announced the shortlist of cities that were in contention to host the event.
These were Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield.
Mills said these cities were deemed to have the “capability and capacity” to host the event, stating they proved they had the “passion” involved to celebrate Eurovision.
Representatives for each city went through to a second and final stage that required them to “give a bit more detail” about what they would do if they were successful in their bids.
Following this stage, it was announced last month that Eurovision 2023 would be held in either Glasgow or Liverpool.
During Friday 7 October’s episode of The One Show, it was announced that the song contest will be hosted in Liverpool.
It was stated in July that the UK would host the event in Ukraine’s honour, with Martin Österdahl, the Eurovision executive supervisor, stating: “We’re exceptionally grateful that the BBC has accepted to stage the Eurovision Song Contest in the UK in 2023.
Kalush Orchestra won the contest for Ukraine in May after receiving overwhelming support in the public vote. The UK’s entry, Sam Ryder, came in second place.
Shortly after the country’s victory, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said in a Facebook post: “Our courage impresses the world, our music conquers Europe! Next year Ukraine will host Eurovision! For the third time in its history. And I believe – not for the last time.”
Since then, though, Eurovision’s governing board the Reference Group concluded that “given the current circumstances, the security and operational guarantees required for a broadcaster to host, organise and produce the Eurovision Song Contest under the ESC Rules cannot be fulfilled”.
The Eurovision contest was last hosted in the UK in 1997, which was the eighth time the event had visited British soil.
