With the Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool only a few months away, here’s everything you need to know about the contest.
While the UK’s participation in the long-running tournament has yet to be confirmed, many other aspects have.
We now know who will host the show in Liverpool, with a mix of Ukrainian stars and UK household names presiding over the glamorous bash and giving the good – and bad – news to those artists hoping for a few ‘douze points’.
Ukraine won the competition last year with Kalush Orchestra but was unable to host this year due to the Russian invasion.
When the United Kingdom finished second in the European event with singer Sam Ryder, it assumed responsibility for organising the event before Liverpool was announced as the host city.
Here’s all you need to know about Eurovision 2023’s date, venue, and how to buy tickets.
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.
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.
Where will Eurovision 2023 take place?
The Eurovision Song Contest 2023 will be held at the Liverpool Arena, which has a capacity of 11,000 people.
Past performers at the huge arena have included the 1975, Lewis Capaldi, and comedian Peter Kay.
Who are the 2023 Eurovision presenters?
The UK Grand Final of Eurovision 2023 will be hosted by Alesha Dixon, Graham Norton, and Hannah Waddingham.
Julia Sanina, a Ukrainian singer, songwriter, and Hardkiss band frontwoman, joins the popular British and Irish TV celebrities.
Mel Giedroyc will also be in the commentary box alongside Graham, offering insight into the programme and the performances while Graham is hosting – while Scott Mills and Rylan Clark will provide analysis for the semi-finals.
Timur Miroshnychenko, a Ukrainian broadcaster who went viral last year for commenting on the competition from an underground bunker as Russia began its invasion of the nation, will serve as the Eurovision Correspondent in Liverpool.
He will also co-host the contest’s red carpet opening ceremony with Sam Quek, with the event being televised live online on Sunday, May 7.
When will tickets go on sale?
Eurovision tickets are not yet on sale, and no information on how to purchase them has been given.
Sign up for the official Eurovision newsletter to be the first to know when they become available.
The good news is that fans will be able to get tickets for a total of nine concerts, including the grand final, first semi-final, and jury show.
What do we know about the UK entry?
The UK has yet to publish its act for Liverpool, though it is expected to do so shortly, in early March.
Once again, the music and performer are being chosen internally in collaboration with Tap Music, who were responsible for Sam Ryder’s submission last year.
The possibility of singer Rina Sawayama waving the UK flag in Liverpool has grown, with Ladbrokes providing odds of just 3/1 on her being picked as this year’s performance – although nothing has been confirmed.
We’ll find out soon enough, one way or another…
The Eurovision Song Contest airs May 13 on BBC One.
Source My Celebrity Life.