…Researched and contributed by Lola Smith.
BBC Breakfast and The One Show will temporarily relocate to Liverpool during the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, as announced at a media launch held at the British Music Experience in Liverpool.
The UK will be hosting the competition for the first time since 1998, on behalf of last year’s winner, Ukraine, which is unable to host the event due to ongoing war.
During the week of the event, BBC Breakfast and The One Show will broadcast live from Liverpool.
BBC Radio and BBC Sounds will also become the home of Eurovision, with Radio 2 broadcasting the semi-finals for the first time, as Rylan and Scott Mills provide commentary on the network for the grand final.
Mel Giedroyc and Eurovision icon Graham Norton will provide commentary for the grand final.
The grand final, which will take place at Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena on Saturday, May 13, 2023, will feature a performance by last year’s winners, Kalush Orchestra, who will deliver a powerful performance including their Eurovision Song Contest 2023 winning song, Stefania.
Meanwhile, the final interval act called ‘The Liverpool Song Book’ will bring together iconic Eurovision acts including Israel’s Netta, Italy’s Mahmood, Iceland’s Daði Freyr, Duncan Laurence from the Netherlands, Sweden’s Cornelia Jakobs, and Liverpool’s local artists.
The semi-finals, which will take place on May 9 and May 11, will also see a number of artists perform on stage during the events, including Rita Ora and Ukranian singer Aloysha, who represented Ukraine in 2010, and will collaborate with X-Factor star and Liverpool born Rebecca Ferguson.
Rylan, one of the Eurovision commentators, expressed excitement about the event, saying that it’s his favourite time of the year and cannot wait to host the Eurovision Grand Final on Radio 2 with his partner-in-crime Scott Mills.
He added that they are looking forward to bringing listeners closer to the action than ever before with backstage gossip from what promises to be an unforgettable night.
The Eurovision Song Contest 2023 will be broadcast live from Liverpool on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, BBC Radio 2, and BBC Sounds, with Semi-Final 1 being broadcast on Tuesday, May 9, at 8pm, Semi-Final 2 on Thursday, May 11, at 8pm, and the Grand Final on Saturday, May 13, at 8pm.
Liverpool is known for its rich musical history and strong cultural heritage, making it a suitable choice for the Eurovision Song Contest 2023.
The event is expected to bring in a lot of tourists and boost the local economy.
It is hoped that the relocation of the BBC programs to Liverpool will further showcase the city and its vibrant culture to a wider audience.
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