A Eurovision superfan has already begun preparations for the competition.
Karl Emmerson, who lives in the L8 area of Liverpool, has decorated the front window of his partner’s hair salon in celebration of the Eurovision Song Contest coming to the city next year.
The 56-year-old Alder Hey nurse transformed the opening of Spellbound Hair Salon, located behind Primark in the City Centre, into a piece which is based on artist Keith Haring. The artwork references iconic parts of Liverpool - the Liver Building - and includes a portrait of Sam Ryder, the UK’s 2022 Eurovision singer. To keep in line with the festive season it is completed with drawings of Holly and Ivy.
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The artist told the ECHO : “Liverpool has a long-standing reputation for giving a warm welcome and I think the city will pull out all the stops to honour both our nations in view of the difficult situation the people of Ukraine are currently facing.
“We already have established links with Liverpool being twinned with Odessa and it's an amazing opportunity to show what is great about our countries and how music can build a bridge, reaching out and giving joy and comfort during hard times.”
Karl, who has been watching the competition for “as long as I can remember”, was “elated” when Liverpool was announced as the host city for the 2023 show. Weeks prior to the announcement he had a “knot” in his stomach.
He said: “I love the excitement and anticipation of the show especially the performances and the constant surprises of some of the performances. The acts are so innovative, groundbreaking and inventive.”
Some of the former Liverpool John Moores University student’s memories include watching the show with his mum, especially when it was presented by Katie Boyle “and her precise pronunciations.”
He added: “I love a lot of the earlier entries like Sandie Shaw, but entries such as Bucks Fizz and Gina G remind me of happy times when optimism was at the forefront."
Karl hopes to manage to secure tickets once they are released but if all else fails, he plans to still “soak up the atmosphere with good company as always”. He added: “I’m quite scared to think of how much the tickets will cost, but I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.”
For now, Karl is excited about “the whole vibe” the Eurovision Song Contest will bring next May. He said: “The city will put on an amazing show to be proud of and it will represent Liverpool and Ukraine to the best of our ability.”
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