Eurovision names Liverpool as host city for its 2023 Song Contest honoring Ukraine

CNN  — 

The Beatles’ hometown of Liverpool, UK volition beryllium stepping successful to big the festivities astatine the Eurovision 2023 Song Contest adjacent May, the competition announced Friday.

Liverpool bushed retired adjacent rival Glasgow, Scotland for hosting duties for the 67th variation of the fashionable euphony contest, successful which assorted countries successful Europe and the Mediterranean portion nonstop a vocalist oregon radical of performers to signifier a nationalist opus that is past voted on.

While Eurovision is usually hosted successful a metropolis successful the prior year’s winning country, this year’s victor Ukraine cannot big the upcoming amusement owed to the ongoing struggle with Russia.

Ukraine won the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest this past May, amid a flood of goodwill extended toward the state successful airy of the war.

Show announcer and big Graham Norton besides announced the quality connected Twitter, writing, “Congratulations Liverpool!!! @Eurovision @bbceurovision See you successful May!!!”

The competition’s site said the “Grand Final” of the contention volition instrumentality spot successful the Liverpool Arena adjacent to the River Mersey connected Saturday May 13, with semi-finals successful the week starring up to that date.

“Liverpool is the perfect spot to big the 67th Eurovision Song Contest connected behalf of Ukraine,” said Eurovision Song Contest enforcement supervisor Martin Österdahl successful a statement. “The metropolis is synonymous with euphony and Liverpool Arena exceeds each the requirements needed to signifier a planetary lawsuit of this scale. We person been precise impressed with the passionateness the metropolis has shown successful embracing the Contest and their inclusive ideas for placing past year’s winners, Ukraine, beforehand and centre erstwhile thousands of fans sojourn adjacent May.”

The past clip the United Kingdom acted arsenic big state to Eurovision was 25 years agone successful 1998, erstwhile the amusement took spot successful Birmingham.