The UK is going to host the next Eurovision song contest in 2023. The organizers said that amidst the ongoing war situation in Ukraine, it is not possible to host the event there.
Several cities in the UK have shown interest to host the contest. The UK has already hosted Eurovision eight times previously, and it was chosen after Sam Ryder stood second this year in the contest.
Oleh Psiuk, who is the lead singer of 2022 winners Kalush Orchestra, said that he is thankful and wants to express his gratitude to the UK as they are hosting the contest.
Usually, the country that wins hosts the competition the following year. But due to the situation in Ukraine, the show organizers European Broadcasting Union (EBU) after discussing with BBC last month concluded that hosting the contest in Ukraine is not possible.
Psiuk stated that he is sad that Ukraine could not host the contest, but he is happy that the contest will celebrate Ukraine’s beautiful and unique culture.
He also mentioned that he is hopeful that Ukraine wins the next season too so that they can host Eurovision in 2024.
Hosting Eurovision is expensive but UK has a lot of cities with arenas suitable for the event. London, Sheffield, and Manchester have already confirmed their official bid.
The EBU stated that the venue should be able to accommodate 10,000 spectators, and must have hotel accommodations for 2,000 delegates, journalists, and spectators. It should also be close to the reach of an international airport.
The decision as to which UK city will host the event will be decided this week. The EBU and BBC will finalize a lot of things this month for the contest. Tickets will be available a month before the contest.
Since Ukraine was the winner last year, it automatically qualifies for the Grand Finale, along with France, the UK, Germany, Italy, and Spain.
