At least four British cities have expressed interest in hosting next year’s Eurovision Song Contest, while Ukraine insists it still wants to host the event.
This followed yesterday’s statement from the European Broadcasting Union that this year’s winning Ukraine, which it would normally host next year, could not compete due to the war.
After EBU spoke to the BBC about hosting the event in the UK (second place this year), four cities have so far expressed a desire to host it. These are Glasgow, Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool.
In addition to participating in the tender process, any city wishing to host the event must meet certain criteria:
- A venue with a capacity of 10,000 spectators
- Easy access to the international airport
- Just stay in the hotel for at least 2000 delegates, journalists and spectators.
Despite the EBU’s statement, Ukraine insists it should host next year’s competition and calls for negotiations to continue.
In a statement to Telegram, the country’s culture minister said: “Ukraine does not agree with the nature of such a decision when we face the matter without considering other options.
“But we firmly believe that we have every reason to hold further talks to find a common solution that satisfies all parties.
“We honestly won Eurovision and met all the conditions within the approval process in Ukraine: we gave answers and guarantees on safety standards and possible venues for the competition.”
“Hosting Eurovision 2023 in Ukraine is a strong signal to the whole world that you are now supporting Ukraine.
“We ask for this casual decision, because we believe that we will be able to fulfill all the obligations that we have repeatedly affirmed before the European Broadcasting Union.
“Therefore, we call for further negotiations on Eurovision’s resilience in 2023 in Ukraine.
Ukrainian competitor Kalush Orchestra won last month in Turin with an impressive 631 points and then auctioned the winning cup to raise money for the Ukrainian army.
UK entry Sam Ryder finished second, giving the UK the best finish in the competition in decades.
The UK finally won in 1997 when rock band Katrina and the Waves performed “Love Shine a Light”. The country hosted the event the following year in Birmingham, central England.
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Source: Deadline
Elizabeth Cabrera is an author and journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a talent for staying up-to-date on the latest news and trends, Elizabeth is dedicated to delivering informative and engaging articles that keep readers informed on the latest developments.
