Because of war in Ukraine: ESC to be held in Liverpool or Glasgow
Seven cities were initially shortlisted as venues for the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest. Now only two locations are still in the running. But where exactly will the ESC 2023 take place? Now a little light has been shed on the matter. The BBC recently announced that the international singing competition will take place either in Glasgow or Liverpool. The final decision is to be made in the next few weeks.
The ESC 2022 was won by the Kalush Orchestra from Ukraine. Therefore, it would only be obvious if the next competition would take place in Kyiv or another big city in Ukraine. Due to the still ongoing war with Russia, the ESC 2023 will not be held in the winning country of 2022.
What criteria decide where the ESC is held?
With a resounding victory of 631 points, Ukraine managed to win the ESC 2022. However, neither the safety of the individual artists nor that of the visitors could be guaranteed due to the current situation.
Moreover, it is more than unrealistic to have a competition of this kind take place in a war zone.
Until recently, seven cities in the UK applied for the event: Glasgow, Liverpool, Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield. In the end, Liverpool and Glasgow were able to meet the relevant requirements.
It was or is important that selection criteria are met at different levels. Not only the aesthetics of the venue play an important role, but also the general infrastructure. The strongest overall package is the one that convinces.
Decisive factors include the capacity of the respective city and practical experience in hosting events of such a size. After all, a large part of the world will be watching on this particular evening.
It has not yet been decided when the decision will be made for one of the two cities. So the whole thing could drag on for a few more weeks.
UK has experience in hosting ESC events
Anyone who takes a closer look at the history of the ESC quickly realizes that the country has experience as a host. However, it has been about 25 years since the event was last celebrated here. London, in particular, has been awarded the title comparatively often, four times. Otherwise, the ESC was held in Brighton and Birmingham, among other places.
But regardless of which city will eventually host the event, it is already clear that the host will reflect the culture and essence of Ukraine. Thus, it should be remembered once again that actually the home of the Kalush Orchestra should invite the world to the ESC.
Many had expected the victory of Ukraine
The fact that Ukraine won the ESC 2022 did not come as a surprise to many. Some suspected that the awarding of points could also be a show of solidarity.
Either way, the Kalush Orchestra's performance was very emotional and once again drew the world's attention to the country's culture. Moreover, even a rule of the ESC was broken. Actually, it is forbidden for the participants to express themselves politically on stage.
Here, however, they made an exception. Oleh Psjul called for help for his country after the band's performance. Now it remains to be seen who will represent Ukraine as a worthy host in 2023.
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