Eurovision 2023 host city down to two contenders

Final decision will be announced later this year

The UK cities being considered to host Eurovision 2023 have been whittled down to two.

In August, Zoe Ball and Scott Mills announced the shortlist of cities that were in contention to host the event.

These cities, which were selected from 20 bids, were announced as Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield.

Mills said these cities were deemed to have the “capability and capacity” to host the event, stating they proved they had the “passion” involved to celebrate Eurovision.

Representatives for each city went through to a second and final stage that required them to “give a bit more detail” about what they would do if they were successful in their bids.

Following this stage, it has now been announced that Eurovision 2023 will be held in either Glasgow or Liverpool. The final decision will be announced later this year.

The Eurovision contest was last hosted in the UK in 1997, the eighth time the event had visited British soil.

It was announced in July that the UK would host the event in Ukraine’s honour, with Martin Österdahl, the Eurovision executive supervisor, stating: “We’re exceptionally grateful that the BBC has accepted to stage the Eurovision Song Contest in the UK in 2023.

Kalush Orchestra won the contest for Ukraine in May after receiving overwhelming support in the public vote. The UK’s entry, Sam Ryder, came in second place.

Shortly after the country’s victory, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said in a Facebook post: “Our courage impresses the world, our music conquers Europe! Next year Ukraine will host Eurovision! For the third time in its history. And I believe – not for the last time.”

Since then, though, Eurovision’s governing board the Reference Group concluded that “given the current circumstances, the security and operational guarantees required for a broadcaster to host, organise and produce the Eurovision Song Contest under the ESC Rules cannot be fulfilled”.