Eurovision 2023 will be held in the United Kingdom
The host country of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 will be the United Kingdom. The city and dates have not yet been revealed
Portugal - Israel - Netherlands - Italy... The United Kingdom!
The British broadcaster BBC, the Ukrainian broadcaster UA:PBC, and the EBU (European Broadcasting Union) have just agreed that the 67th edition of our beloved contest will be held in the United Kingdom.
The announcement comes after EBU opted out Ukraine as host country for the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 for safety and security reasons. As a result of discussions, the BBC, as runner up in the 2022 Contest, was invited by the EBU to host Eurovision 2023.
The British host city has not been revealed yet, but will be chosen in the coming months following a bidding process to be launched this week.
The contest will take place in May 2023. The exact dates will be announced in due course.
Ninth time the UK hosts
It will be the ninth time the contest is held in the United Kingdom. The Brits have already hosted Eurovision eight times, mainly in the '60s and '70s:
- 1960: London (Royal Festival Hall)
- 1963: London (BBC Television Centre)
- 1968: London (Royal Albert Hall)
- 1972: Edinburgh (Usher Hall)
- 1974: Brighton (The Dome)
- 1977: London (Wembley Conference Centre)
- 1982: Harrogate (Harrogate Conference Centre)
- 1998: Birmingham (National Indoor Arena)
....and now again:
Tim Davie, Director-General of the BBC says:
– It is a matter of great regret that our colleagues and friends in Ukraine are not able to host the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest. Being asked to host the largest and most complex music competition in the world is a great privilege.
– The BBC will now begin the process of finding a Host City to partner with us on delivering one of the most exciting events to come to the UK in 2023.
Ukraine: We are grateful to BBC
The winning country of Eurovision 2022, Ukraine, will be celebrated and represented throughout the events of Eurovision 2023.
Ukraine will be automatically qualified for the Grand Final of Eurovision 2023 as the winner of Eurovision 2022.
Representatives from the Ukrainian broadcaster UA:PBC will work with the BBC to develop and implement Ukrainian elements into next year’s shows.
Mykola Chernotytskyi from UA:PBC says:
– The 2023 Eurovision Song Contest will not be in Ukraine, but in support of Ukraine. We are grateful to our BBC partners for showing solidarity with us. I am confident that together we will be able to add Ukrainian spirit to this event, and once again unite the whole of Europe around our common values of peace, support, celebrating diversity and talent.
Tim Davie from the BBC adds:
– The BBC is committed to making the event a true reflection of Ukrainian culture, alongside showcasing the diversity of British music and creativity.
Participants
37 countries will participate at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023:
Tickets
Tickets usually go out early the same year or late in the year before the contest. We expect the tickets for Eurovision Song Contest 2023 to go on sale in late 2022.
The start of ticket sales depends on several factors: Firstly, the host city and arena must be chosen. Secondly, selection of the ticket agency. Thirdly, a floor plan of seats/stands in the arena once stage design, green room and camera placement have roughly been decided.
