In 2023 it will be up to the UK and the BBC to host the best Ukraine-inspired Eurovision Song Contest the world has ever seen, and it will happen on British soil, because Ukraine is in an ongoing war with Russia.
7 “potential” British host cities
Today, the BBC, the British National Broadcaster, revealed a shortlist of 7 “potential” British cities that want to host the contest of 2023 and meet the first requirements. These cities were revealed this morning (August 12th 2022) during the BBC Radio 2 show “Good Morning”.
No less than 20 British cities
At first a grand total of no less than 20 British cities expressed their interest in hosting the upcoming song contest, but only 7 of them made it through the first round of approval. And no, the capital of the United Kingdom, London, is not on there.
The 7 British cities that are still in the race to host the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 are:
- Birmingham
- Glasgow
- Liverpool
- Leeds
- Newcastle
- Manchester
- Sheffield
The EBU and the BBC evaluate all the bids
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), together with the BBC, will evaluate all the city bids when it comes down to their proposals. In the process, the 7 shortlisted cities will have the chance to develop and assess their bids.
Statement of the EBU
In a statement the BBC said, regarding the host city selection, that the shortlist that was made public today was only the first step in the selection process. Important in this first stage was already “how the cities that handed in their bid would reflect Ukrainian culture, music, and communities”, since Ukraine is the winner of this year’s contest, and this matter should be a big part of the upcoming contest.
Seven shortlisted cities remain
At the moment, there are seven shortlisted cities that made it to the second round, based on their ability to meet a set of minimum requirements, when it comes down to their capacity, capability, and experience to host a mega event like the Eurovision Song Contest.
A two part process
The selection of the host city of the upcoming contest is a two part process. In the second stage the remaining cities will be asked to develop their bids in more detail. The final decision will be madeby the BBC and the EBU, with the host city being announced this Fall.
The final decision
The final decision is made based on which city or region scores the highest based on agreed evaluation criteria assessed by the BBC. The criteria are, among others: A suitable venue and sufficient space to host the contest, the commitment of the city or region to host this grand event, the financial contribution, the strength of all there is to offer on a cultural bases, and the willingness to embed Ukrainian culture in the show and all its side-projects. There also criteria that are financial, such as: Providing value to all parties involved and supporting the creative economy in the UK.
Further requirements
There are also further requirements when it comes down to the facilities of a host city, such as:
- An indoor venue that can host around 10,000 audience members.
- An international airport nearby.
- Hotel capacity; there must be up to 2,000 rooms available for delegations, artists, reporters, and officials.
- A solid transport system in the city.
- The needed infrastructure and venues to host things like the Eurovision Village, press centre, and the Turquoise Carpet.
ESCplus International
Needless to say that once we have more news about the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest, we will inform you on ESCplus International! Stay tuned!