Sheffield presents its final bid to host Eurovision 2023

Sheffield is the latest city to submit a Eurovision bid next year.

Earlier this week, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) confirmed that the BBC will host the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest in the United Kingdom on behalf of this year’s winners, Ukraine.

Organizers revealed last month that they were in talks with the BBC to bring the pageant to the UK. The country that wins the annual song contest usually hosts the following year’s event, and despite Ukrainian folk rap song Kalush Orchestra coming out on top, it was announced earlier this month that the EBU would look for another country to host the event in 2023 because of the ongoing war with Russia.

In a lengthy statement, the EBU explained the reasons why Ukraine was unable to host the 2023 event. “The EBU fully understands the disappointment of the announcement that the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 will not be able to take place in Ukraine, the winning country. year,” the statement begins.

“The decision is guided by the EBU’s responsibility to ensure that the conditions guaranteeing the safety of all those who work and participate in the event are met, whose planning must begin immediately in the host country.”

Now, Sheffield is the latest in a string of cities to bid to host the competition, following one submitted by Newcastle earlier this month. A total of 17 cities are said to be in talks to host the event, including Leeds and Manchester.

Sheffield City Council said it wanted to organize the event “in solidarity with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people”.

Councilor Martin Smith, of Sheffield City Council’s skills and economic development committee, said the city was “made to host Eurovision” (via the BBC).

“We have the infrastructure, the venues, the hospitality and the transport links. We also have one of the strongest creative and cultural sectors in the country,” he said.

Sheffield has been linked to the Ukrainian city of Donetsk since 1956. Smith said Sheffield is “in solidarity with the people of Ukraine.”

He added: “We host Eurovision 2023 to make their people proud. Music runs through our blood and we put on a good show.”

“We are extremely grateful that the BBC has agreed to host the Eurovision Song Contest in the UK in 2023,” Martin Österdahl, executive supervisor of the Eurovision Song Contest, said in a statement.

“The BBC has taken over the hosting duties of the other winning countries on four previous occasions. Continuing this tradition of solidarity, we know that next year’s Competition will showcase the creativity and skill of one of Europe’s most experienced public service broadcasters , while ensuring that this year’s winners, Ukraine, will be celebrated and represented during the event.”

Ukraine, as the winning country of the Eurovision Song Contest 2022, will automatically qualify for the 2023 Grand Final.

Tim Davie, Director General of the BBC, said: “It is with great regret that our colleagues and friends in Ukraine are unable to host the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest. It is a great privilege to be asked to host the largest and most complex music competition in the world. .

“The BBC is committed to making the event a true reflection of Ukrainian culture as well as showcasing the diversity of British music and creativity. The BBC will now begin the process of finding a host city to partner with us.” events coming to the UK in 2023.”

The BBC has previously hosted Eurovision in London in 1960, 1963, 1968 and 1977, Edinburgh in 1972, Brighton in 1974, Harrogate in 1982 and Birmingham in 1998. The host city will be chosen in the coming months following a tender process.

In other news, Sheffield venue The Leadmill announced earlier this year that it is facing the threat of closing next year because its owner issued an eviction notice.

In March, the team behind the iconic venue announced it would close next year as its owner had issued an eviction notice. In the following weeks, an official petition was launched to oppose the eviction, and stars from Sheffield and further afield showed their support for the venue.

Over the years, the venue has played host to a number of highly successful artists, most notably the Arctic Monkeys, who helped raise over £100,000 to get the venue through the COVID lockdown last year, pulling guitars Alex Turner.

Jarvis Cocker Laíon is one of the many artists who have shown their support for the center, sharing a piece of art on Instagram that includes the phrase, “You can’t buy the lead mill.” The font is inspired by a teaser campaign used to promote Pulp’s 1995 single, ‘Common People’.