Rachael Hughes
Liverpool has officially won the bid to host the 2023 Eurovision song contest on behalf of 2022’s winners, Ukraine.
Back in May 2022, more than 160 million tuned in to watch Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra win the Eurovision song contest, which took place in Turin. Unfortunately, due to the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, stated that the country would be unable to host Eurovision. Handing the torch over to the UK, who took second place with Sam Ryder’s ‘Space Man’.
https://twitter.com/Eurovision/status/1578449983568838676
Cities throughout the UK proposed bids to host the Eurovision. The European Broadcast Union and the BBC narrowed the competition down from 20 cities to Glasgow and Liverpool, before revealing that Liverpool had won the bid.
It’s no secret that Liverpool will be a world-class host, with a rich musical and cultural history. The M&S Bank Arena with an 11,000-capacity will unite Eurovision fans from all over the world for two semi-finals before the final on Saturday 13th May 2023.
Liverpool also holds a special relationship with its twin Ukrainian city Odesa, with the Mayor of Odesa Gennadiy Trukhanov stating that “Your city [Liverpool] embodies the colourfulness and brightness of entire Europe. You definitely know how to make the world dance and sing along with you.”
https://twitter.com/lpoolcouncil/status/1574832597452165138
It is a bittersweet win, as the Director of Culture Liverpool Claire McColgan CBE pointed out. Whilst Liverpool begins to prepare for the event, efforts have been made to acknowledge that Liverpool is hosting on behalf of Ukraine.
The ‘Team Liverpool’ approach will see the participation of Ukrainian creatives such as street artists, a Liverpool/Ukraine community education programme and fashion designers. Also Liverpool has commissioned a series of statues and monuments dressed vinoks to appear across the city. Vinoks are traditional Ukrainian headdresses that have become a symbol of resistance in the war against Russia.
This approach has proved a huge success for both the judges and residents. The Mayor of Liverpool Joanne Anderson emphasised this rhetoric, promising Ukraine that “we will do you proud!”
More than ever, unity and solidarity underpin the Eurovision song contest 2023.
Featured image courtesy of Neil Martin via Pexels. Image license found here. No changes were made to this image.
