Eurovision boss Martin Österdahl wants Liverpool to…

Eurovision boss Martin Österdahl wants Liverpool to 'host every year'

The Eurovision Song Contest's directing supervisor, Martin Österdahl has praised Liverpool for doing a "spectacular" job in hosting the contest.

He told the ECHO he and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) were blown away by Liverpool's dedication to the show and that it has set a precedent for years to come.

Celebrations kicked off two weeks ago which saw thousands of fans head to the city. It's been classed as one of the most exciting and packed contests ever due to the nonstop programme of activities and events put into place by the council and surrounding communities.

Martin said: "I have to say, since the first moment I set foot in this city, I thought this was going to be a phenomenal Eurovision Song Contest host city. It's great to see it has become that. Everyone from the city administration and local communities and small businesses embracing the contest fully is wonderful to see."

Liverpool competed with several other cities across the UK for the role of host, fending off bids from the likes of Manchester, Glasgow and London.

Martin added: "We need to look at a lot of requirements for hosting an event of this size. It's quite massive [when it comes to logistics] but the soft factors include a city that's really engaged, enthusiastic, engaged, has the experience and expertise but also the passion to make the most of it and I think Liverpool has that."

The Culture Liverpool team launched the first-ever EuroFestival this year; a two-week programme celebrating Eurovision and shining a light on Ukrainian art, music, culture and heritage for fans across Europe to enjoy.

Martin said: "We should just move here and do this here every year. Just keep everything up and we'll come back. There are a lot of things we've learnt and seen this year that we will take with us if we do go elsewhere.

Commending Liverpool's unity and collaboration with Ukraine, he added: "I think Liverpool and the BBC have done a phenomenal job with it. This is a special edition, it's completely unique and we've never seen a contest like this before and I don't think anyone is going to miss the message. Walking around Liverpool you see tributes to Ukraine everywhere.

"You have to remember the Eurovision Song Contest has not been in the UK for 25 years and it has changed a lot in that time. When we first moved around and spoke to a lot of different cities, they still didn't understand but after Liverpool, they will know.

"I think there's a special shift in the UK. What I've seen in the past couple of years, the contest is growing phenomenally, the fan base is growing, the viewers are increasing, and we're getting more partnerships. Across the board, Eurovision is expanding in the big markets."

This year saw a drastic shift in how the voting results were delivered. As a trial run during rehearsals, all of the acts gathered on stage to discover whether or not they would qualify instead of being surrounded by their delegation in the green room.

The change was widely regarded as negative with the EBU reverting instantly after receiving the message from those who were in attendance. Martin said: "Every year we try and work on the creative development of the show and bring something new to them while staying true to tradition.

"Producers wanted to something new with the Semi-Final reveal, we tried it out, we saw it, didn't like it, and we changed our mind." Quizzed on whether or not Martin had any personal ideas he wanted to test, he added: "Oh yeah, there are plenty of ideas still out there but yeah, you'll have to keep watching."

Martin praised Liverpool's dedication to the contest, and its collaborative efforts with Ukraine, and declared the Eurovision 2023 as one that will be remembered for years. He said: "I think it will be remembered as something unique, incredibly generous, emotional, welcoming, well executed, professional and spectacular."

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