LONDRES: La ville de Liverpool, dans le nord de l’Angleterre, accueillera en mai le concours de l’Eurovision, une edition qui s’annonce déjà très politique, le Royaume-Uni l’organisant au nom de l’Ukraine from the war.
“It’s Liverpool on May 13,” said BBC Eurovision presenter Graham Norton. Liverpool beat Glasgow, Scotland.
The semi-final matches will be played on May 9 and 11, followed by the final on May 13. The extravagant contest, in its 67th edition, is followed by tens of millions of viewers, in Europe and also in Israel, Australia, etc.
“We did it!” Joan Anderson, mayor of Liverpool, the city of the Beatles, said on Twitter. “We’re going to have the biggest party ever,” said singer Sonya Evans, from Liverpool, who represented the UK at Eurovision in 1993.
This edition will undoubtedly, like last year, have a very political connotation.
“A welcoming city with a proud musical heritage, Liverpool will present an unforgettable spectacle that celebrates the rich culture and creativity of Ukraine,” British Prime Minister Liz Truss vowed on Twitter.
After a symbolic first place in Turin, Italy last May, Ukraine was in June denied the right to host Eurovision by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which considered that security conditions had not been met due to the invasion of the country by Russia.
About 10,000 people participate in the Eurovision production, which also attracts thousands of fans.
Musical heritage
An agreement was announced on 25 July by the European Broadcasting Union and the British government to the BBC to organize the contest in the UK, second only to Ukraine, in a version showing the country still at war.
Since the beginning of the Russian invasion at the end of February, the UK has shown great political and military support for Kyiv, in particular imposing unprecedented economic sanctions on Moscow.
Last year, the Kalush Orchestra won the competition’s final match in May with “Stefania” which blends hip-hop and traditional music, a victory that symbolizes Ukrainian resilience in war and European popular solidarity.
The Ukrainian band congratulated, on Friday evening, Liverpool FC, “which is known for its musical heritage in the city all over the world.” They said, “Playing where the Beatles started will be a moment we will never forget!”
He added, “While we are saddened that next year’s competition cannot take place in our home country, we know that the people of Liverpool will be a friendly host and that the organizers will be able to add a real Ukrainian flavor to Eurovision 2023 in this city.” Kalush Orchestra.
The United Kingdom has hosted the competition eight times but has not hosted it since 1998, when it was held in Birmingham, central England.
Twenty British cities have applied to host Eurovision on behalf of Ukraine. The first selection of seven cities (Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield) was revealed in August.
Last year, in Turin, Briton Sam Ryder and his nickname “Spaceman” took second place, an unexpected result for Britons who have been accustomed to the bottom of the table in recent years, even with no point in 2021.
