London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Sep 21, 2026

Eurovision 2023: Liverpool beats Glasgow to be song contest host city

Eurovision 2023: Liverpool beats Glasgow to be song contest host city

Liverpool has been chosen to host the first Eurovision Song Contest to be held in the UK for 25 years.

The home of The Beatles, Frankie Goes to Hollywood and The Wombats will stage the spectacular event on 13 May after beating off competition from Glasgow.

The show is coming to the UK after this year's winner, Ukraine, was unable to take up hosting duties due to the war.

In a message to Ukraine, Liverpool's mayor said the event, at the M&S Bank Arena, would "do you proud".

Joanne Anderson said the city "faced strong competition from Glasgow" but she was "over the moon".

"This is a massive event and the eyes of the world will be on us in May, especially those of our friends in Ukraine," she said.

"Now begins months of work to put on the best party ever. Ukraine - you have my promise we will do you proud."

Claire McColgan, director of the city council's Culture Liverpool, told BBC News: "It feels like the whole city kind of jumped in the air at exactly the same time tonight."

UK Prime Minister Liz Truss said Liverpool would "put on an unforgettable show which celebrates the rich culture and creativity of Ukraine".

Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan added: "The city loves music and knows how to throw a party, so I've no doubt it will host a spectacular experience for the thousands in attendance and millions watching at home on the BBC."

Merseyside pop star Sonia, who came second for the UK at Eurovision in 1993, agreed. She told the BBC's One Show: "Scousers know how to party and we're going to have the biggest party ever."




Some fans watched the announcement on screens at Liverpool's famous Masquerade drag bar, where DJ Candi Take-It celebrated by playing Sir Cliff Richard's 1968 Eurovision classic Congratulations.

"Anything that brings investment into the city has got to be good, hasn't it?" she said afterwards.

"We're only hosting Eurovision to support Ukraine, aren't we, because we didn't win it [this year]. The UK has decided to do that, and I'm glad that Liverpool won it, and sorry for Glasgow. Sort of!"

Friday's announcement came after a hotly-contested bidding process, which saw 20 possible host cities cut to a final two.

Glasgow had been the bookies' favourite, but Liverpool can now expect thousands of visitors and a slice of the global spotlight in May. Around 160 million TV viewers around the world watched this year's show live.

The UK's Sam Ryder came second in this year's contest behind the Ukrainian winners


The UK has hosted Eurovision eight times in the past, most recently in Birmingham in 1998. But 2023 will be the first time the contest has been in Liverpool.

A winning country normally hosts the following year's contest, but Essex singer Sam Ryder's second-placed finish this May led the UK to be asked to step in because of the war in Ukraine.

Last year's winners Kalush Orchestra will be on stage in Liverpool next year, and said on Friday: "Playing in the same place that The Beatles started out will be a moment we'll never forget.

"Although we are sad that next year's competition cannot take place in our homeland, we know that the people of Liverpool will be warm hosts and the organisers will be able to add a real Ukrainian flavour to Eurovision 2023 in this city."

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon congratulated Liverpool, but said she was "gutted" for Glasgow.


Why was Liverpool chosen?


Eurovision executive supervisor Martin Osterdahl said the city was "synonymous with music", and that Liverpool's arena "exceeds all the requirements needed to stage a global event of this scale".

He added: "We have been very impressed with the passion the city has shown in embracing the contest and their inclusive ideas for placing last year's winners, Ukraine, front and centre when thousands of fans visit next May."

The BBC said both Liverpool and Glasgow had provided "incredibly strong bids".

The broadcaster added: "Liverpool has a fantastic venue, a beautiful backdrop of a city with a rich history of music, and a cultural offer that puts Ukraine at the heart of next year's song contest."


What has Liverpool got planned?


Ticket details for the show have not yet been released. In fact, there won't just be one show - there will be nine.

As well as the live final on Saturday 13 May, fans will be able to watch a "jury show" on the Friday, which the international juries base their votes on, and a "family show" on Saturday afternoon, which is effectively a final rehearsal.

Then there will be two semi-finals on the preceding Tuesday and Thursday - and jury and family shows for each.

There will also be a programme of cultural events running alongside Eurovision itself - including artist exchanges and co-production between Liverpool and its sister city Odesa.

Ukrainian fashion, street art, orchestral musicians and painted eggs are among those plans - as is a trail of 20 life-sized cut-outs of Sonia, which people will be challenged to follow around the city.


What is the venue like?


The show will be held at Liverpool's M&S Bank Arena


The 11,000-capacity arena is on a former dock on the banks of the River Mersey - next to the vibrant Albert Dock, and along from the historic "Three Graces" (the Liver Building, Cunard Building and Port of Liverpool Building) on the waterfront.

In short, it will look great on TV.

It's next to a convention centre and an exhibition centre, which will be handy for hosting things like the press centre and other facilities, and has a couple of hotels on site.

It's also a short walk to the city centre's other hotels and rail links, and eight miles from John Lennon Airport.

The city's rich musical history already attracts hundreds of thousands of music tourists every year, and the arena's past major events have included the MTV Europe Music Awards in 2008.

The venue is likely to have to postpone some concerts that are already in the schedule for next April and May, though, because it will be needed for preparations for six to eight weeks ahead of the song contest.

Although there is no confirmation yet of which shows will be moved, events currently in the diary include Sir Elton John on 22 and 23 April and Andre Rieu on 12 May. Olly Murs has just announced a show there on 6 May - but that may now be rearranged too.

After the announcement, Booking.com said 99% of hotels were booked up for 13 May, with the cheapest remaining room priced at £639.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
British Museum Faces Questions Over Peter Thiel’s Private Bayeux Tapestry Viewing
Earl Spencer Memoir Excerpts Renew Public Debate Over Diana’s Death
Liberal Democrats Gather in Brighton for Autumn Conference
Mothercare Shares Plunge as Middle East Store Closures Threaten Long-Term Solvency
Kent Police Treat Folkestone Hotel Fire as Suspicious
Caribbean Governments Advance Reparations Campaign Seeking Engagement With Britain
Scottish Labour Leader Backs Rosebank and Jackdaw North Sea Projects
FCA Urges Young Adults to Trace £1.5 Billion in Unclaimed Child Trust Funds
UK Competition Regulator Opens Inquiry Into McCormick-Unilever Foods Deal
Public Inquiry Into Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys Mental Health Failings Set to Begin
Nigel Farage Looks to US Immigration Enforcement Model for UK Border Policy
Chiltern Railways Moves Into Public Ownership
Security Review Raises Concerns Over Sensitive UK Police Data Stored on Microsoft Cloud
Burnham Government Warns of Difficult Autumn Budget as Fiscal Headroom Narrows
Bank of England Holds Rates at 3.75% as Inflation Rises to 3.1%
Ed Sheeran Tour Faces Backlash After Macklemore Is Removed Over Pro-Palestinian Remarks
Vandalism of Traffic Cameras Intensifies Across Parts of England
Nearly 300 Evacuated as Fire Hits Grand Burstin Hotel in Folkestone
King Charles Warns AI Executives About Risks From Uncontrolled Technology
Church of England Apologises for Role in Historical Forced Adoption Practices
UK Debate Over Online Speech Intensifies After Arrest Figures Draw Scrutiny
Oxfordshire Village Holds Symbolic Independence Vote Over Asylum Accommodation Plan
Nigel Farage and Richard Tice Sue National Crime Agency Over Alleged Banking Data Leaks
Apple Introduces Stricter Age Checks for UK Accounts
BBC Cash Reserves Fall 66% to £125 Million as Broadcaster Restructures
McLaren Announces £500 Million UK Investment and Plans 1,000 Jobs
Green Party Wins Historic Gorton and Denton By-Election as Labour Falls to Third
Burnham Government Prepares October Budget Under Growing Fiscal Pressure
UK Energy Suppliers Pull Fixed-Price Deals as Wholesale Markets Turn More Volatile
Bank of England Holds Rates at 3.75% as Middle East Energy Shock Raises Inflation Risks
Addison Lee Founder Loses £20 Million UK Tax Tribunal Case
BrewDog Creditors Face Losses on About £190 Million of Debt
Harrods Seeks to Recover Abuse Compensation Costs From Mohamed Al Fayed’s Estate
Ed Davey Targets Reform UK as Liberal Democrat Conference Opens
Great Britain Retail Sales Rise 0.5% in August
NHS England Approves Life-Extending Treatment for Incurable Breast Cancer
Proposals to Limit NHS ADHD Diagnoses Draw Criticism From Patient Groups
Resolution Foundation Warns of Housing Cost Crunch for Low-Income UK Families
BBC Cash Reserves Fall to Decade Low as Annual Deficit Reaches £121 Million
Millisecond Software Error Triggered Major UK Air Traffic Control Disruption
Twenty Women Underwent Unnecessary Mastectomies During NHS Cancer Care
Sensitive UK Police Data Found Vulnerable to Access by Foreign Actors
British Steel Faces Renewed Pressure for a Long-Term Financial Plan
MPs Urge Government to End Thames Water Restructuring Talks With U.S. Hedge Funds
Andy Burnham Warns of Difficult UK Budget Choices as Inflation Returns to 3.1%
England Tightens School Food Standards With Restrictions on Deep-Fried and High-Sugar Foods
Oxfordshire Village Votes Symbolically to Leave UK Over Proposed Asylum Centre
Michael Marra Elected Leader of Scottish Labour
BBC Cash Reserves Fall Sharply as Financial Pressures Mount
George Osborne Calls for UK to Rejoin EU Customs Union
×