Eurovision 2023: Liverpool and Belfast enter the Host City bid race!

We have previously highlighted the great interest shown by cities across UK to host the ESC. And while we await BBC’s announcement of the shortlist, on August 12, we still have two cities that enter the Host City bid race, Liverpool and Belfast. Liverpool  submitted an official bid to host ESC, and the city of Belfast, the capital city of Northern Ireland, seems to be planning to submit an official bid soon. 

Liverpool

Liverpool City Council announced today that it has submitted its bid to host the ESC 2023, ahead of the BBC’s share of the shortlist this Friday. Liverpool was among the first cities to express interest in hosting the event, when it was first announced that the EBU and the BBC were discussing the scenario of hosting Eurovision in the UK.

The city is world famous as the birthplace of the Beatles, as well as for its international music events such as “Africa Oyé”, “Liverpool International Music Festival” and “Sound City”. The city has a population of around half a million, and it is known for its iconic music venues and cultural events. It is also well connected to the world with its international airport (Liverpool John Lennon Airport).

Assistant Mayor and Councilor for Culture and Economy, Harry Doyle, said (translated):

We are excited to have submitted a bid for Liverpool to host Eurovision 2023.

Making a major event like this possible in such a short timeframe is complicated and is going to need some careful and creative planning, but we think Liverpool would be the perfect stage to celebrate this unique Eurovision.

We look forward to finding out if we have been successful in getting through to the next stage of the process.

Belfast

We have already reported the interest in organizing the Competition in the capital of N. Ireland, and the support of this initiative by previous Eurovision winners. Belfast City Council has confirmed that the city is indeed interested in hosting the event, with the final decision expected to be made tomorrow, August 10.

The announcement of the Municipal Council is as follows:

An initial expression of interest for Belfast to host the Eurovision event has been submitted and is now being considered by event organisers.

If shortlisted, the next step would be to submit a full event proposal, outlining how Belfast would meet the detailed requirements to become a host city.

This will be a decision for elected members and will be considered by the council’s City Growth and Regeneration Committee at its next meeting on Wednesday 10 August.

What’s your take on the Host City bid race? Could Liverpool or Belfast host the 67th Eurovision Song Contest?