After 26 pulsating performances, Eurovision 2023 has come to an end.
Catch up on all of the action from Liverpool in our blog.
Key events
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Live updates
That's where we'll leave it
By Andrew McGarry
What an amazing Contest, once again. Well done to Liverpool as a host city, to the broadcasters, to all the 26 entries - especially Sweden's winner, Loreen and Australia's own Voyager for a brilliant performance.
We hope you enjoyed all the action from the grand final, we've certainly enjoyed bringing it to you.
From Velvet Winter and myself, Andrew McGarry, we bid you adieu from Eurovision for 2023. We'll be back next year to do it all again - will Australia be there? We'll have to wait to find out.
Good morning, everyone!
The emotions of performance
By Andrew McGarry
Loreen is asked whether she felt anything different between her initial performance in the grand final, and her reprise on stage after winning the title again.
She says she can't really think about differences between these two renditions.
"(But) when there is no audience (in rehearsals), I suck!" she says.
"The more people (there) something happens, the energy!"
Should entrants be banned from doing Eurovision more than twice?
By Andrew McGarry
A questioner asks if she believes that it should be two and done for Eurovision entrants.
After checking that this was an actual question, Loreen says "No, I don't know, I might come back (a third time!)"
Plenty of people have competed multiple times for countries - this line is going nowhere. And johnny Logan, Ireland's Mr Eurovision, won twice as a performer AND twice as a songwriter (he was both in 1987 for Hold Me Now).
Bottom line, leave the Eurovision queen alone, we say...
Loreen's press conference begins
By Andrew McGarry
She gets a solid round of applause.
The EBU's Martin Österdahl references the historic nature of the win, including the fact that Loreen is the first female performer to win it twice.
He gives the welcome pack to Swedish broadcaster SVT, who will be organising next year's Contest.
The first question is about her feelings at this point:
"I'm seriously overwhelmed, you will have to ask me that question tomorrow, but this is beautiful," she says.
"I have one feeling overall and it's gratitude."
Asked what her celebration would be - she has one thing.
"I've been longing for a glass of wine - i've been waiting for six months!"
She says things have changed since her first win in 2012.
"(Back then) everything was new, I was very naive.
"I don't know what was happening. Now, it's like coming back to a family."
Loreen has definite ideas about a host city - "It has to be Stockholm, we need to talk!"
A snippet of Voyager energy
By Andrew McGarry
The changing face of the Contest
By Andrew McGarry
Spain, Albania and Portugal fusing traditional European folk music and blending it with modern tastes... THAT IS EUROVISION!
- Jonathan
Props to all three countries for choosing to highlight some national culture and language in their entries.
In a previous era before the televote (prior to 1998), they all would have had a chance of doing reasonably well.
However, this year these entries - including Spain, which had one of the best visual stagings and top vocals in the Contest - all ended up on the right-hand side of the leaderboard in 17th spot or below.
It just shows that it takes something more modern to grab the public's attention these days.
The moment Loreen was crowned 2023 Eurovision winner
By Velvet Winter
Well done to Andrew Lambrou and Cyprus!
By Andrew McGarry
Let's not forget about the second "Aussie" entry in the grand final. Andrew Lambrou's Break a Broken Heart came 12th with 126 points, and finished on the left-hand side of the leaderboard. Bravo Andrew.
Some surprises in the voting
By Andrew McGarry
As ever, the results brought their share of surprises.
France and La Zarra, as third or fourth favourites for much of the week leading into Eurovision, finished with just 104 votes, in 16th place.
Austria's Who the Hell is Edgar, which had been tipped to go big with the televote, managed just 16 votes from the public as Teya and Salena finished with 120 in 15th.
And the hosts the UK were expected to do a little better than 25th place with Mae Muller's I Wrote a Song.
On the plus side, Gustaph's Because of You, Belgium's perfect slice of 90s glory, resonated with the voters and ended up in 7th place with a total of 182.
Props to Noa Kirel and Israel, who maximised their vote to get a spot on the podium in third place, with 362 votes. You can't beat a good dance break, clearly...
You might even say that a number that had about five different songs in three minutes is a .. unicorn.
ICYMI, here's Sweden's winning performance
By Velvet Winter
This is what it means to the fans
By Andrew McGarry
Loreen's winner's press conference is coming up
By Andrew McGarry
We will bring you some of the key lines from that shortly.
Not just about the votes
By Andrew McGarry
While we're at it, for Voyager, it's time to call out what a great Eurovision season they have had.
As soon as they were announced, they went into talk mode about Eurovision, but they were champing at the bit to perform.
So when it came to the pre-Contest parties where the performers play for fans, they came and knocked it out of the park. Their energy was infectious, and the song was a hit.
Since arriving in Liverpool, they've kept it going, producing cover versions of plenty of their opponents songs (in a respectful, fun way), and every outing has been great - including their remix version (check it out on YouTube).
Finally, the rehearsals and final performances for the semifinal and grand final were brilliant, an eye-popping slice of the 80s mixed with some heavy moments to savour.
Bravo to Danny Estrin, Alex Canion, Ash Doodcorte, Simone Dow and Scott Kay for being amazing musical ambassadors.
Third time placing 9th for Australia
By Velvet Winter
How does Voyager's rank in this year's Eurovision compare to previous Australian entrants?
- Megan
Thanks for the question, Megan!
Voyager's placement actually marks that third time Australia has ranked 9th in the contest
Here's how our previous entries have ranked:
2015 - Guy Sebastian: 5th
2016 - Dami Im: 2nd
2017 - Isaiah: 9th
2018 - Jessica Mauboy: 20th
2019 - Kate Miller-Heidke: 9th
2021 - Montaigne: didn't pass semi-finals
2022 - Sheldon Riley: 15th
2023 - Voyager: 9th
Great job done by the hosts
By Andrew McGarry
Big ups to the hosts, Alesha Dixon, Julia Karina, Hannah Waddingham - surely the non-performance star of this year's Eurovision - and Graham Norton.
I think they all need a collective lie down after all that excitement - and the constant Cha Cha Cha chants.
It was a brilliant performance over the semi-finals and final.
And well done to host broadcaster BBC, for working with Ukraine to seamlessly blend the UK, Liverpool in particular and Ukraine. Beautiful job, folks.
Congratulations to Loreen
By Andrew McGarry
I don't know how she has the voice left for the second edition of the song. But she's a pro - to paraphrase an Aussie rules saying, those nails don't get any shorter even when you're tired!
She's calling out "I love you, and thank you" mid song.
Fireworks and confetti rain everywhere!
For the FINAL TIME - Why is Australia in EUROvision?
By Velvet Winter
Despite Australia competing in Eurovision for the last EIGHT years, this question inevitable comes up.
So, for what is hopefully the last time...
In 2014, Eurovision invited Aussie singer Jess Mauboy to perform during the grand finale.
Then in 2015, as a part of Eurovision's 60th birthday celebrations, Australia was invited to compete in the competition.
After this, the European Broadcasting Union struck a deal with SBS to keep Australia in the contest until 2023.
Okay, that's it!
Btw Israel, Morocco - all not European countries, all competed in Eurovision!
Where to next year?
By Andrew McGarry
Will it be Stockholm, Gothenburg or Malmö in 2024?
Here are the final overall scores
By Velvet Winter
Finland had hope for a short time but no one could topple Sweden's Loreen
Loreen speaks
By Andrew McGarry
"This is overwhelming. I'm so happy and so thankful. Thank you for this. This is for you. Thank you."
Now she will do the traditional winner's reprise, singing Tattoo again.
