President Volodymyr Zelensky has been blocked from making a public address at tomorrow’s Eurovision grand final.
After two semi-final events earlier this week, the conclusion of the annual song contest will be held in Liverpool on Saturday (13 May).
The British city is holding the ceremony on behalf of last year’s winning country, Ukraine, due to the ongoing war with Russia.
Despite this, the Ukrainian president will not be granted airtime at the final, because the organising committee wish to retain the programme’s non-political basis.
“The Eurovision Song Contest is an international entertainment show and governed by strict rules and principles which have been established since its creation,” a statement from the organisers, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), said.
“As part of these, one of the cornerstones of the contest is the non-political nature of the event. This principle prohibits the possibility of making political or similar statements as part of the contest.”
Though commenting that Zelensky’s request to address the audience was made with “laudable intentions”, the EBU confirmed that it “regrettably cannot be granted as it would be against the rules of the event”.
Last year’s winners, Kalush Orchestra, will perform at the final, along with 10 other Ukrainian artists throughout the night.
Due to the country’s invasion of Ukraine, Russia has been banned from competing at Eurovision since 2022 – an absence that has had a knock-on effect for at least three other nations who won’t be participating this year.
Ahead of Saturday’s final, which will see 26 acts perform, Eurovision fans have been enjoying the talents of host Hannah Waddingham.
During her first appearance as presenter, the Ted Lasso actor’s vocal skills “stole the show” for some, before she impressed viewers with her ability to speak in fluent French.
Following on from Sam Ryder’s silver medal performance last year, Mae Muller will represent the UK at the grand final with her pop track “I Wrote a Song”. Find out all you need to know about her here.
