The Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 will take place in Liverpool Arena next to the River Mersey on Saturday, May 13.
The Semi-Finals will take place before this on Tuesday, May 9, and Thursday, May 11.
The United Kingdom is hosting EUROVISION on behalf of Ukraine in 2023
Here’s a recap of everything that’s happened since the Kalush Orchestra lifted the Eurovision trophy back in May 2022.
The 67th Contest, organized by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the BBC on behalf of 2022 winners Ukraine, will be held at Liverpool Arena on May 9, 11 & 13, 2023.
Of the 37 nations taking part, 31 will compete in 2 Semi-Finals with 10 successful acts from each Semi-Final joining 4 (France, Germany, Italy, and Spain) of the Big 5, with hosts the United Kingdom and Ukraine in the Grand Final.
The BBC agreed to stage the 2023 event on behalf of Ukrainian broadcaster UA:PBC following their win at this year’s Contest in Turin with Kalush Orchestra’s “Stefania.”
Eurovision has officially begun as the first semi-final in Liverpool is completed.
Two days after the dramatic first semi-final, the second knock out stage of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest comes live from Liverpool on Thursday evening.
Sixteen countries will compete for 10 places in Saturday night’s grand Finale.
Just a week after the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla, Spot is on in Liverpool.
King Charles IIIand The Queen Consort visited the venue in Liverpool on Tuesday and unveiled the event’s set. They also met singerMae Muller who is on home turf at the Eurovision Song Contest, representing the United Kingdom in Liverpool with her pop hit “I Wrote A Song.”
BBC Director General Tim Davie said: “It is an honor that His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen Consort have come here today to reveal the fantastic staging for our Eurovision Song Contest programming.”
The King and Queen Consort also pushed a button to officially light up the arena for the first time. The venue has been fitted with more than 2,000 specialist lighting fixtures with a pink, blue, and yellow color scheme to match this year’s Eurovision logo. The cabling for the lighting, sound, and video could reach 8 miles if rolled out.
160 million viewers will be watching the final around the world,while around 6,000 fans will be in the arena for each of the shows.Tickets have sold out, but there will be a Eurovision Village fan zone for thousands to watch the event on big screens, and a 2-week cultural festival in the city will also run alongside the competition.
The BBC, together with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), will organize the contest in consultation with UA:PBC, Ukraine’s public broadcaster, and last year’s winners of the contest.
The Grand Final for this year’s contest, hosted in Liverpool on behalf of 2022 winners Ukraine, will open with last year’s winners Kalush Orchestra and a powerful performance titled “Voices of a New Generation.” During the Eurovision Flag Parade of all 26 Grand Finalists, viewers will be treated to a unique performance by some iconic past Ukrainian Eurovision contestants.
For the first interval performance, the United Kingdom’s very own spaceman Sam Ryder will return to the Eurovision stage before being followed by “The Liverpool Songbook” – a celebration of the host city’s incredible contribution to the world of pop music.
The BBC has brought together 6 iconic past Eurovision acts – Italy’s Mahmood, Israel’s Netta, Iceland’s Daði Freyr, Sweden’s Cornelia Jakobs, Duncan Laurence from the Netherlands, plus Liverpool’s very own Sonia, celebrating 30 years since she came second at Eurovision.
Martin Green, BBC’s Managing Director of the Eurovision Song Contest, added: “We are incredibly proud to be hosting the Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of Ukraine and welcoming delegations from 37 countries to Liverpool. The BBC is committed to making the event a true reflection of Ukrainian culture and showcasing British creativity to a global audience.”
In the Second Semi-Final on Thursday, May 11, the theme “Music Unites Generations” explores the connection between generations of Ukrainians and the music they love.
United by Music
The slogan is “United by Music” and demonstrates the unique partnership between the United Kingdom, Ukraine, and host city Liverpool to bring the Eurovision Song Contest to audiences across the globe and to shine a light on the incredible power of music to bring communities together. It also reflects the very origins of the contest, developed to bring Europe closer together through a shared television experience across different countries.
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