From the competing countries to shock changes, here’s everything you need to know about the 2023 contest.
Music
From the competing countries to the celebrity hosts.
Securing its place in the history books, Eurovision Song Contest 2022 didn’t disappoint. Not only did Sam Ryder end the UK’s long record of disappointment, finishing in second place, but voters named Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra the overall winner in a symbolic display of solidarity amid the conflict with Russia. However, due to the ongoing war, it was decided that Eurovision 2023 will be hosted by the UK instead of Ukraine. Find everything you need to know about this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, below.
On Feb. 22, it was announced that Alesha Dixon, Graham Norton, Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham, and Ukrainian singer Julia Sanina will co-host this year’s event.
The Emmy award-winning Waddingham described her forthcoming hosting duties as a “great privilege,” while Sanina said she is “so excited to showcase Ukrainian culture and creativity, and to help put on a show to make my country proud.”
The Eurovision 2023 semi-finals will air on BBC One on May 9 and May 11, while the all-important grand final will take place on Saturday, May 13.
Although several cities like Glasgow, Leeds, Birmingham, and Newcastle were in the running, the BBC and European Broadcasting Union eventually chose Liverpool as the host city of the 67th Eurovision Song Contest.
Reacting to the announcement, 2022 winners Kalush Orchestra expressed their excitement. “We are very pleased that next year’s Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Liverpool,” the Ukrainian group said in a statement. “Though we haven’t had the privilege of visiting yet, the musical heritage of the city is known all over the world.
