Eurovision 2023 is just a few months away, and with tickets finally on sale, the countdown has begun.
While the UK entry for the long-running competition has yet to be confirmed, many other information have been revealed, including the announcement of presenters Alesha Dixon, Graham Norton, and Hannah Waddingham as the hosts of Eurovision 2023’s Grand Final in the UK.
Last year’s winner, Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra, was unable to host, therefore the UK was given the honour, with Sam Ryder coming in second.
Tickets will go on sale in just a few days, so here’s everything you need to know…
When is Eurovision 2023?
The grand final of Eurovision 2023 will be held on Saturday, May 13, with the semi-finals taking place on Tuesday, May 9 and Thursday, May 11.
The grand final will be held in the 11,000-capacity Liverpool Arena, which has previously hosted concerts by the 1975 and Lewis Capaldi.
When do tickets go on sale?
Tickets for the nine live concerts that comprise the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 will go on sale from 12:00 (midday) GMT (13:00 CET) on Tuesday, March 7.
The six previews and three aired events allow fans to experience the thrill of Eurovision as Liverpool Arena transforms into one of the world’s largest TV studios.
How can you buy tickets?
Regardless of where you book from, tickets will only be available for purchase at www.ticketmaster.co.uk, and you may only purchase tickets for one performance at a time. Tickets for the Semi-Finals and Grand Finals are priced similarly to past Eurovision Song Contests, ranging from £30 to £290 for the Semi-Finals and £80 to £380 for the Grand Finals.
To purchase tickets, you must have a Ticketmaster UK account, which fans are advised to establish before Tuesday.
The shows set to go on sale are:
- Semi Final 1: Evening Preview on Monday 8th May at 8pm. A full run through of the Semi-Final 1 show featuring all countries participating including France, Germany and Italy, as well as all opening and interval acts for this show.
- Semi Final 1: Afternoon Preview on Tuesday 9th May at 1:30pm. A final full preview of the Semi-Final 1 show featuring all of the countries participating in this semi-final. France, Germany and Italy will not perform in this show but pre-recorded footage of their performances will be played to the audience in the arena. Some performers may not be in full make up during their live performance.
- Semi Final 1: Live Show on Tuesday 9th May at 8pm. The live show! Broadcast live around the world, this is where the countries find out who has made it to the Grand Final based on the audience votes. Note, pre-recorded footage of performances from France, Germany and Italy will be played to the audience in the arena and at home.
- Semi Final 2: Evening Preview on Wednesday 10th May at 8pm. A full run through of the Semi-Final 2 show featuring all countries participating in this semi-final (including Spain, Ukraine and UK) as well as all opening and interval acts from this show.
- Semi Final 2: Afternoon Preview on Thursday 11th May at 1:30pm. A final full preview of the Semi-Final 2 live show featuring all of the countries participating in this semi-final. Spain, Ukraine and the UK will not perform during this show but pre-recorded footage of their performances will be played to the audience in the arena. Some performers may not be in full make up during their live performance.
- Semi Final 2: Live Show on Thursday 11th May at 8pm. The live show! Broadcast live around the world, this is where the countries find out who has made it to the Grand Final based on the audience votes. Note, a pre-recorded extract of performances from Spain, Ukraine and the UK will be played to the audience in the arena and at home.
- Grand Final: Evening Preview on Friday 12th May at 8pm. A full run through of the Grand-Final live show featuring all 26 countries participating in as well as all opening and interval acts. This is the show where the international juries will cast their votes, ready for them to be announced in the final! After the performances have finished, a simulated voting sequence will take place. Using randomly generated voting data as an opportunity for the presenters and technical teams around the world to rehearse the voting process. The audience are welcome to stay and watch as this takes place.
- Grand Final: Afternoon Preview on Saturday 13th May at 1pm. The final full run through of the Grand-Final live show featuring all 26 countries participating as well as all opening and interval acts. After the performances have finished, a simulated voting sequence will take place. Using randomly generated voting data as an opportunity for the presenters and technical teams around the world to rehearse the voting process. The audience are welcome to stay and watch as this takes place.
- Grand Final: Live Show on Saturday 13th May at 8pm. THE BIG ONE! Broadcast live around the world to 160 million people, this is where we find out who has won the Eurovision Song Contest 2023.
How much do tickets cost?
Afternoon Preview tickets range from £30 to £80 for Semi Finals 1 and 2, and from £80 to £190 for the Grand Final.
Evening Preview tickets range from £60 to £210 for Semi Finals 1 and 2, and from £100 to £280 for the Grand Final.
Tickets for the Live Televised Performances range in price from £90 to £290 for Semi Finals 1 and 2, and from £160 to £380 for the Grand Final.
Ticket buyers can only buy one show at a time, and for the three live broadcast shows, they can only buy a maximum of four tickets in one order.
There is a limit of six tickets per order for the six preview shows.
This year’s competition will include 37 countries, with six of them automatically qualifying for the final.
These six include Ukraine, last year’s winner, as well as the ‘Big 5’ – the contest’s principal financiers – France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
The other countries will fight for a spot in the grand final in the semi-finals, with the top 10 from each semi-final qualifying.
The semi-finals will be broadcast on BBC One for the first time, with the outcomes determined solely by televote – though the UK will be allowed to voting in the second semi-final on May 11.
The final will be decided by a combination of jury and televote votes, which will determine who will be the host country in 2024.
The Eurovision Song Contest airs May 13 on BBC One.
Source My Celebrity Life.