The Eurovision Song Contest is now upon us and fans of the annual event will be delighted to learn that the BBC coverage for it will be bigger than ever before.
Twelve months have now passed since Kalush Orchestra claimed victory for Ukraine in Turin, beating the UK's Sam Ryder into second, after receiving the lion share of the public vote. However, months later it was decided by the European Broadcasting Union that Ukraine weren't in a position to stage Eurovision this year and the UK instead picked up the baton.
Liverpool was then chosen as host city, with both the EBU, BBC and the local authority vowing to make the event a celebration of both British and Ukrainian culture. This is reflected in the Eurovision hosts, the entertainment for both the Eurovision semi finals and grand finale and the events happening in and around Liverpool during the week.
READ MORE: Eurovision semi final 1 running order and countries as Sweden and Finland compete
For those lucky enough to get tickets for any of the performances at the M&S Bank Arena, the action gets going with the Eurovision semi final 1 preview on Monday and for those who missed out, the good news is that the BBC have got you covered, with the semis being given a prime slot on BBC One for the first time ever, before the final airs on Saturday, May 13.
When is Eurovision on TV?
Eurovision semi finals
Tuesday, May 9 - 8pm (BBC One)
Semi final one will feature the two favourites to win this year - Sweden and Finland, as well as Ireland who will be hoping to qualify after a string of bad results. Other ones to look out for include Israel and show opener Norway.
Thursday, May 11 - 8pm (BBC One)
The second semi features quite possibly the zaniest of this year's entries - Austria's Who Hell the Hell is Edgar, about writer Edgar Allan Poe and Belgium, one of the emerging 'underdogs' for 2023.
Eurovision final
Saturday, May 13 - 8pm (BBC One)
The qualifiers from the semi will join Ukraine and the Big 5 - UK, France, Spain, Germany and Italy for the grand finale, with this year's final made up up of 26 countries - with 10 qualifying from semi final 1 and 10 from Eurovision semi final 2.
Eurovision Welcomes The World - Monday, May 8 (BBC One)
Rylan and Liverpool born actress Sunetra Sarker host the special show as they kick off the week of the Eurovision Song Contest.
They will introduce coverage of the Turquoise Carpet Opening Ceremony plus highlights of The National Lottery’s Big Eurovision Welcome – a one of a kind outdoor event to mark the start of Liverpool’s big Eurovision week a night earlier.
Eurovision: Everyone’s A Winner - Friday, May 12
From Liverpool's world-famous waterfront, Fleur East presents a special Top 20 Eurovision Countdown - songs that missed out on the big prize but still went on to become monster hits, including Sam Ryder's own Space Man.
*Sign up to get the latest TV and showbiz news straight to your inbox with the Chronicle TV and celebs newsletter. If you can't see the form below, click HERE
READ NEXT:
