Back in August, it was announced that 7 cities (Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, and Sheffield) had been shortlisted as candidate Host Cities.
Following a detailed assessment process these seven cities have been reduced to two. Further discussions will now take place with officials from Glasgow and Liverpool and a final decision will be made within weeks.
Martin Österdahl, Executive Supervisor for the Eurovision Song Contest, thanked the competing cities:
‘The EBU (European Broadcasting Union) would like to warmly thank all the 7 British cities that put so much effort and enthusiasm into their bids to host next year’s Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of Ukraine. We very much appreciate their cooperation and the quality and creativity of all the bids received.
The Eurovision Song Contest is the most complex TV production in the world with very specific logistical requirements to accommodate around 40 delegations and thousands of crew, volunteers, press and fans.
We’re confident our final two cities are the best placed to meet this challenge and look forward to continuing our discussions to choose the one which will stage the world’s largest music event next May.’
Phil Harrold, the chair of the BBC’s Host City Selection Committee, added:
‘Thanks to all 7 cities across the UK who have demonstrated the enthusiasm and passion for Eurovision that exists right across the UK. We were incredibly impressed by the quality and creativity of all the city bids, in what was a highly competitive field. The Eurovision Song Contest is a very complex event and Liverpool and Glasgow have the strongest overall offer; we will continue our discussions with them to determine the eventual host city.
We are determined to make the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest one that both reflects the winning position of Ukraine and is also an event that all of the UK can participate in.’
The final decision on the Host City of the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest will be decided by the BBC in conjunction with the European Broadcasting Union.
A Tale of Two Cities
Glasgow – Gaun yersel!
Glasgow, the biggest city in Scotland, has an epic history and architectural heritage that spans from the medieval to the modern.
In 2008, Glasgow was named the United Kingdom’s first UNESCO City of Music, thanks to its heritage and contemporary vibrant and varied music scene that hosts nearly over 130 music events every week, more than any other Scottish city. And let’s not forget the city’s OVO Hydro arena appears in the Netflix film Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga.
The Eurovision connections don’t end there either! Glasgow girl Lulu won the 1969 Contest with Boom Bang-a-Bang.
Read more about Glasgow.
Liverpool – That’s boss!
Liverpool is a city that dances to its own beat – and 50 years after The Beatles exploded onto the world stage, it’s still making all the right noises.
Thoughts immediately jump to the ‘Fab Four’, but Liverpool’s diverse musical heritage goes back hundreds of years thanks to the city’s development as one of the world’s most important ports.
A UNESCO Music City for good reason, Merseyside’s contribution to the world of pop has been extensive, with notable acts including: Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Orchestral Manoeuvres in The Dark, The Mighty WAH!, Echo & The Bunnymen, Dead or Alive, The Lightning Seeds, Space, Mel C, Atomic Kitten, and, of course, Eurovision Song Contest 1993 runner-up… Sonia!
Read more about Liverpool.
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