Eurovision 2023

No Montenegro in Liverpool

Montenegro will not take part in the Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool next year. That is what Montenegrin broadcaster RTCG announced. Financial problems are said to underlie this decision. The Montenegrin broadcaster has tried to find sponsors for the contest, but has not been successful. Montenegro took part in the Eurovision Song Contest twelve times. The country reached the final only twice. The best score so far for Montenegro was a 13th place for Knez, who sang the song “Adio” in 2015. This year, the country failed to reach the final. Montenegro would not have participated in 2020 and did not participate in 2021. The reason was also financial. People then made different budgetary choices.

Liverpool (left) or Glasgow (right) will host the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 on behalf of Ukraine

Host for Eurovision Song Contest 2023: Liverpool or Glasgow?

We’ve all been in suspense for weeks to find out where the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 will be organized. Between the different cities, and Ukraine’s President who was confident Maripol would be ready to host, there has been a lot of speculating. In the last couple of weeks, Eurovision’s social media team has been dropping hints and teasing its followers. The latest news is only two cities remain in this battle: Liverpool and Glasgow. The suspense is real. Let’s take a quick look at what these two cities have to offer. Liverpool Liverpool is a city located in Merseyside. With roughly 500,000 residents, it’s the 10th largest English District by population. The city is noted for its culture, architecture and transport links. The cities’ link to the Beatles, led to Liverpool becoming a very popular tourist destination. The city has continued to be a home to a lot of considerable artists and record labels. There are even connections to the Eurovision Song Contest; Sonia Evans was born in this city. When people think of Liverpool, a lot of people will think of sports. The annual Grand National horse race takes place at the Aintree Racecourse just outside the city. But, mostly (and I would even consider the word obviously), the city is best known for its premier league football. Liverpool has two rivals at each end of town: Liverpool FC and Everton FC. Glasgow Glasgow, located in Scotland, is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth most populous ciry in the United Kingdom, with an estimated population of 650,000 people. The city is located on the River Clyde in the country’s West Central Lowlands. Like Liverpool, Glasgow is a very popular destination among tourists. The city is famed for its culture, shopping and (the many) people. If you wish to explore Glasgow outside of the Eurovision Song Contest, there’s a lot of free museums, you can look for the hidden gems recommended by locals or enjoy some shopping. If you have some time to spare, Glasgow is the perfect base for exploring the Highlands. We don’t know when the definitive city will be announced. We, at Eurovision Universe, are excited about this shortlist. Both cities have their own charm and offer enough entertainment for a fun holiday in May 2023. We’ll keep you posted!

7 cities on shortlist UK

Seven cities are on the shortlist to host the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest. These are Glasgow, Liverpool, Leeds, Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield. Not only the place itself was a subject, but also how the cities want to reflect Ukrainian culture in the festivities. Ukraine won the Eurovision Song Contest this year but cannot organize it itself. That is why the United Kingdom and the BBC are taking on the organization. photo: EBU The next step is to create a bid book. In it, the cities show how the festival is organized in their city. The venue where the festival is held is also discussed: it must also be suitable. The infrastructure and availability of hotels are also discussed. The city must also present the financial picture. The BBC and the EBU will make a decision together, which is likely to fall in the autumn.

Noa Kirel for Israel 2023

photo: instagram It’s been exactly one month since KAN announced that Noa Kirel was selected to represent Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2023. However the tables turned really quickly, ’cause the day after Noa said she still had to decide if she was willing to do the job. Today the official news came out that Kirel will indeed wave the Israeli flag on the Eurovision stage! Kirel is a 21 year old singer, who often sings in Hebrew. Perhaps something we can look forward to for 2023. Noa has had many hits in Israel, with her biggest song being “מיליון דולר”.

United Kingdom hosts Eurovision 2023

The United Kingdom will host the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest. British broadcasting Corporation BBC will host the contest. This year, Ukraine won the Eurovision Song Contest. In a normal situation, Ukraine would have been responsible for the 2023 contest. However, due to safety reasons, EBU decided that Ukraine was not able to do the job. At the same moment, EBU mentioned talks with the United Kingdom about organising the contest. The United Kingdom was one of the countries willing to do so, and as the country reached the 2nd place it was quite logical to ask them first. photo: EBU ‘We’re exceptionally grateful that the BBC has accepted to stage the Eurovision Song Contest in the UK in 2023,’ said Martin Österdahl, the Eurovision Song Contest’s Executive Supervisor. ‘The BBC has taken on hosting duties for other winning countries on four previous occasions. Continuing in this tradition of solidarity, we know that next year’s Contest will showcase the creativity and skill of one of Europe’s most experienced public broadcasters whilst ensuring this year’s winners, Ukraine, are celebrated and represented throughout the event.’ Mykola Chernotytskyi, Head of the Managing Board of Ukrainian broadcaster UA:PBC added: ‘The 2023 Eurovision Song Contest will not be in Ukraine but in support of Ukraine. We are grateful to our BBC partners for showing solidarity with us. I am confident that together we will be able to add Ukrainian spirit to this event and once again unite the whole of Europe around our common values of peace, support, celebrating diversity and talent.’ Representatives of UA: PBC will work with the BBC to develop and implement the Ukrainian elements of next year’s shows. Several cities already expressed their will to organise the contest. It is likely that, within a month, the host city will be announced. source: eurovision.tv

Noa Kirel to represent Israel in 2023 (UPDATE)

Today, Israeli Broadcaster Kan announced that singer Noa Kirel has been chosen to represent Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest. According to a statement from Kan, a committee discussed 78 names “with rich and proven experience in standing in front of a large audience”. 21-year-old Kirel became famous seven years ago when she released her first single called “Medabrim”. The song was followed by a lot of hits. In addition, she start in the TV-show Double, In the movie “Kimaat mefursemet” and she participated in the show “Lo Nafsik Lashir”. Since she sings with the international label Atlantic records, Kirel released three successful songs: “Please don’t suck”, “Bad little thing” and “Reashim”. In a reaction, the singer’s representative said: “We received the news about the Eurovision Song Contest with complete surprise. We are happy and grateful for the choice of Noa and are proud to represent the State of Israel with dignity. The Eurovision song is not anounced yet. UPDATE: In an interview with radio presenter Raz Shechnik, Noa said that Kan spoke out of turn. Noa’s participation is, according to the singer herself, a ‘maybe’. To be continued…..