London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Aug 30, 2026

Eurovision: Liverpool stage inspired by a wide hug, BBC says

Eurovision: Liverpool stage inspired by a wide hug, BBC says

Eurovision's stage will use a design that demonstrates "how music can transcend borders and bring people together", the BBC has said.

The song contest will take place at Liverpool Arena in May, with the city hosting the event on behalf of Ukraine.

The BBC said the stage was inspired by "a wide hug" to give the impression of "opening its arms to Ukraine".

It will be created by design firm Yellow Studio, which previously worked on the 2022 Grammy Awards ceremony.

The stage, which will cover 2,300 sq ft (220 sq m) of the 11,000-capacity venue, will host the contest's semi-finals on 9 and 11 May and the grand final on 13 May.

The BBC, which is host broadcaster for the event, said the design of it was intended to demonstrate "how music can transcend borders and bring people together as one unit".

It said the stage took inspiration from "a wide hug that enfolds the Liverpool Arena" and was intended to give the impression of "opening its arms to Ukraine, the show's performers and guests from across the world".


The mayor of Turin officially handed the contest to Liverpool mayor Joanne Anderson at a ceremony on Tuesday

First-look images of the design show the stage extending out into the audience standing area, which will be sited in front of a section of booth-like seating where the acts from participating countries will stay while they are not performing.

Yellow Studio director Julio Himede said it was "a wonderful honour to be collaborating with the BBC and the production team to design this year's Eurovision Song Contest set".

"This year's contest unites Ukraine and the UK to celebrate the unique cultures of both," he added.

The typeface used in the branding is called Penny Lane, in a nod to both the city's musical heritage and its street signs


The branding and the United By Music slogan for this year's contest were revealed in January, with artwork showing hearts beating together in the colours of the Ukrainian and UK flags.

Liverpool won a bidding process to be chosen as the host city after it was decided Ukraine, the winners of the 2022 contest, could not take up hosting duties due to the ongoing war in the country.

The BBC also confirmed the typeface used in the branding was called Penny Lane after The Beatles' 1967 song, in a nod to both the city's rich musical heritage and its iron street signs.

All the build-up, insights and analysis will be explored each week on a new BBC podcast called Eurovisioncast.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Officials Highlight 80 Years of Diplomatic Relations With Philippines
Heavy Rain Disrupts Parts of England After Weeks of Extreme Summer Heat
More Than 200 Extra Police Officers Deployed Across Cleveland After Violent Incidents
Burnham Meets Northern Ireland Leaders for Talks on Economy and Youth Employment
Burnham to Abstain From UK Assisted Dying Vote
NHS Leaders Warn of Severe Financial and Staffing Pressures Ahead of Autumn
UK Treasury Prepares October Budget as Defense and Public Spending Pressures Mount
Scottish Government Publishes Draft Bill for Second Independence Referendum
Royal Navy Tracks Russian Warships and Sanctioned Vessels in 72-Hour Operation
UK and Ukraine Agree AI-Focused Defense Technology Partnership
US Reportedly Weighs Falkland Islands Policy Shift to Pressure UK Over NATO Spending
UK Government Mobilizes Emergency Aid as British Nationals Remain Missing After Nepal Floods
UK Hospitality Industry Reports Stronger Summer Trading but Seeks Tax Relief
Reform UK Proposes £30 Tax Credit for Long HMRC Helpline Waits
Labour Debates Caps on Political Donations Ahead of Future Elections
England Accelerates Housing and Planning Reforms Amid Affordability Crisis
NHS Expands Walk-In Community Health Centers to 40 Locations
UK Regulators Expect Meta to Apply Stronger Child Safety Standards Globally
UK Groups Demand Faster Transport Decarbonization After Extreme Summer Weather
UK Launches 10,000 Work Experience Placements as Youth Unemployment Concerns Rise
UK Government Faces Difficult Autumn Budget Choices Over Defense, Spending and Taxes
UK Government Rejects Calls to Slow AI Data Center Expansion
IMF Raises UK Growth Forecast to 1% Despite Global Supply Chain Risks
UK Unsecured Loan Defaults Reach Highest Level Since 2009
UK Energy Price Cap to Rise 4% to Three-Year High of £1,723
More Than 30 Britons Reported Missing After Deadly Nepal-Tibet Floods
Royal Navy Tracks Russian Warships and Sanctioned Vessels in 72-Hour Operation
Police Intensify Investigation Into Organised Crime-Linked Violence in Middlesbrough
UK Small Businesses Face Continued Revenue and Tax Pressures, Federation Says
M&G Real Estate Buys West Sussex Affordable Housing Portfolio for £29 Million
Royal Navy Warship HMS Tamar Visits Cambodia for Regional Security Engagement
UK Government Brings Forward Benefit Payments Ahead of August Bank Holiday
Four Men Plead Guilty to Arson Attack on Jewish Community Ambulances in North London
Ofgem Raises Great Britain’s Household Energy Price Cap by Four Percent From October
UK Government Rejects Green Party Call for Artificial Intelligence Datacentre Moratorium
Millions of UK Benefit Recipients Receive Payments Early Ahead of August Bank Holiday
UK Prime Minister Meets Northern Ireland Leaders in Belfast Over Budget Crisis
Crypto Tax Gains Reach One Point Three Eight Billion Pounds Among UK Investors, HMRC Data Shows
UK Corporate Confidence Rises to Highest Level Since March, Lloyds Survey Shows
Mike Ashley Attacks UK Government Business Rates and Cost-of-Living Policies
Scottish Universities Face Two Hundred Million Pound Annual Funding Gap, Report Warns
Entertainment Figures Urge UK Government to Protect People From AI Voice Cloning
Manchester Airports Group Confirms Customer Data Breached in Cyberattack
Seven Charged Over Vandalism at Donald Trump’s Turnberry Golf Resort in Scotland
Nearly 23,000 UK Households Expected to Move Home on Busiest Day of 2026
UK Benefit Payments to Arrive Early Ahead of August Bank Holiday
Reform UK Pledges to Replace GDPR and Cut Tax Administration Red Tape
Andy Burnham Launches Work Experience Plan for One Million Young People Outside Education or Work
Andy Burnham Faces Labour Backlash After Dropping Support for Political Donations Cap
Andy Burnham Announces UK-Wide Summit With Leaders of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
×