The representative of our country will automatically enter the final of the competition next year.
European Language Union (EU), BBC Corporation and Public Broadcasting have agreed that Eurovision 2023 will be held in Great Britain on behalf of this year's winning broadcaster, a Ukrainian television and radio company. As “Suspilne” reports, Ukrainian elements will be introduced into the show, and the representative of our country will automatically enter the Eurovision final next year.
Read also: Great Britain asked the EBU to give Ukraine the opportunity to host Eurovision. Therefore, the EMS considered several options for holding the Eurovision Song Contest with the winning broadcaster. As a result, she invited the British public broadcaster BBC, whose participant took second place in the contest this year, to become the organizer of Eurovision 2023.
“The BBC has already undertaken four times to hold the competition instead of other winning countries. Continuing this tradition of solidarity, we know that next year's contest will showcase the creativity and craftsmanship of one of Europe's most experienced public broadcasters, while ensuring that this year's winners — Ukraine — will be celebrated and featured throughout the event,” said contest executive director Martin Osterdahl.< /p>
The BBC has hosted the Eurovision Song Contest more times than any other broadcaster, hosting it in London in 1960, 1963, 1968 and 1977, in Edinburgh in 1972, in Brighton in 1974, in Harrogate in 1982 and in Birmingham in 1998.
“The Eurovision Song Contest 2023 will not be held in Ukraine, but in support of Ukraine. We are grateful to our partners the BBC for their solidarity with us. I am sure that together we will be able to add the Ukrainian spirit to this event and once again unite all of Europe around our common values - peace, support, appreciation of diversity and talent,” said the Chairman of the Board of Public Broadcasting, Mykola Chernotitskyi.
The host city of the competition will be chosen in the next few months as a result of the competitive selection, which has already started. The dates of next year's Eurovision Song Contest will be announced later.
Prime Minister of Great Britain Boris Johnson announced that the contest, which will be held in the United Kingdom, will celebrate Ukraine and Ukrainians. According to him, they reached such a common opinion with the President of our country, Volodymyr Zelensky, during a telephone conversation last week.
Last week President @ZelenskyyUa and I agreed that wherever Eurovision 2023 is held, it must celebrate the country and people of Ukraine.
As we are now hosts, the UK will honor that pledge directly – and put on a fantastic contest on behalf of our Ukrainian friends.
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) July 25, 2022
Let us remind you that at Eurovision 2022, Kalush Orchesta won, which at the end of its performance called for help to Ukraine and to save Azovstal. The band received 631 point, while 439 points were given by the audience.
On June 17, the EBU announced that Ukraine will not be able to accept Eurovision 2023. Oleksandr Tkachenko, the Minister of Culture and Information Policy of our country, criticized this decision and demanded its revision. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also stated that the competition should be held in Ukraine. This country took second place at Eurovision 2022.
