Next year’s Eurovision Song Contest will be held in the UK after it was decided that it’s not safe for the event to be held in Ukraine, which should have hosted the competition.
As the runner up this year, the UK has been invited to hold the 67th Eurovision, but it hasn’t yet been decided which city will host it.
BBC Director General Tim Davie tweeted: “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 is committed to making the event a true reflection of Ukrainian culture alongside showcasing the diversity of British music and creativity.”
He said the BBC, which is the national broadcaster of the event in the UK, has started the process to find a host city, but this will take several months.
Bidding is expected to be competitive, with several mayors, councillors and MPs already informally expressing an intention to bid, including representatives from: Aberdeen, Belfast, Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Newcastle, Nottingham, Sheffield and Wolverhampton.
Last year, the host city criteria was based on providing a venue able to accommodate at least 10,000 spectators (as well as a press centre), that should be within easy reach of an international airport and with ample hotel accommodation.
Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra won this year’s Eurovision, making Ukraine the automatic host for Eurovision 2023, but the European Broadcasting Union announced that Russia’s invasion presented too great a security risk for the event to be held there.
The UK was this year’s runner up, with a performance by TikTok star Sam Ryder.
