The Eurovision Song Contest 2023 was the 67th edition of the annual Eurovision Song Contest, which is being held at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool, England, United Kingdom on behalf of the previous year’s winning nation Ukraine who were unable to host due to the ongoing conflict with Russia. The semifinals were held on 9 and 11 May, with the grand final on 13 May.
Thirty-seven countries took part, making it the lowest amount of participants since the 2014 Contest in Copenhagen. Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Montenegro all withdrew from competing due to the 2021 - 2023 global energy crisis.
Location[]
Following Kalush Orchestra giving their home country its third victory at the 2022 edition in Turin, it was reported that it might be unable to host due to the ongoing war. However, Ukrainian president Volodimir Zelenskyy stated that it would be held in the country.
On 17 June 2022, the EBU released a statement that given the current situation regarding the Russian invasion and concerns over safety and security for delegations/fans/press as well as lack of operational guarantees following an assessment in conjunction with UA:PBC, it would be impossible to stage the 2023 Contest in Ukraine.
As per the rules, the EBU began negotiations with runner-up broadcaster BBC to potentially host the event in the United Kingdom.[1] This was the first time since the 1980 Contest that the winning country from the previous year had not hosted the Contest as well as it being the first time since the introduction of the semi-finals in 2004. On 25 July 2022, it was officially confirmed that the Contest would be held in the United Kingdom, who had previously hosted five as winners and three by deferral of the winning nation from the previous year.[2]
On 12 August 2022, seven cities were shortlisted to host the 2023 Contest: Birmingham (which previously hosted the 1998 Contest), Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield. The list further narrowed down to Glasgow and Liverpool on 27 September 2022. On 7 October 2022, the chosen city was revealed and is highlighted below:
Key[]
| City | Venue | Capacity | Notes | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen | P&J Live | 12,500–15,000 (with standing) 10,264 (all seated) |
— | [3] |
| Belfast | SSE Arena | 11,058 | — | [4][5] |
| Birmingham | Resorts World Arena | 15,685 | Supported by Birmingham City Council. | [6] |
| Brighton | - | — | Withdrew its proposal on 11 August 2022, citing lack of required infrastructure and venue. | [7][8][9][10] |
| Bristol | YTL Arena Bristol | 17,000 | - | [11] |
| Cardiff | Principality Stadium | 73,931 - 78,000 | Withdrew its proposal on 3 August 2022, citing unavailability of the proposed venue. | [12][13] |
| Darlington | The Darlington Arena | 25,500 | Proposal was dependent on the construction of a roof to cover the arena. Supported by Darlington Borough Council and Tees Valley Combined Authority. | [14][15] |
| Derry | - | — | Withdrew its proposal on 8 August 2022, citing lack of a suitable venue and supporting accommodation infrastructure. | [16][17] |
| Edinburgh | — | — | Supported by Edinburgh City Council. | [18] |
| Glasgow | OVO Hydro | 12,306 (all seated) 14,500 (with standing) |
Supported by Glasgow City Council. | [19] |
| Leeds | First Direct Arena | 13,781 | Supported by Leeds City Council. | [20][19] |
| Liverpool | M&S Bank Arena | 7,513 - 10,600 (all seated) 11,000 (with standing) |
Supported by Liverpool City Council. | [21][22][23][19] |
| London | — | — | — | [7][24] |
| Manchester | AO Arena | 21,000 | Supported by Manchester City Council. | [25][19] |
| Newcastle | Utilita Arena Newcastle | 11,000 | Supported by Newcastle City Council. | [26][27][19] |
| Nottingham | Motorpoint Arena Nottingham | 10,000 without standing room (15,865 with standing room) | Withdrew its proposal on 9 August 2022, citing the proposed venue's incapability to meet EBU requirements. | [28][29] |
| Prudhoe | - | — | — | [30] |
| Sheffield | Utilita Arena Sheffield | 13,600 | Supported by Sheffield City Council and South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority. | [31][32] |
| Sunderland | Stadium of Light | 49,000 - 60,000 | Withdrew its proposal on 10 August 2022, citing unavailability of the proposed venue. | [33][34][35] |
| Wolverhampton | — | — | - | [4] |
Venue[]
On 7 October 2022, the EBU and BBC announced Liverpool as the host city, with the M&S Bank Arena as the chosen venue for the Contest.
Format[]
Semi-final allocation draw
| Pot 1 | Pot 2 | Pot 3 | Pot 4 | Pot 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Production[]
Theme[]
Ahead of the semi-final allocation draw, the theme art and slogan for the contest, "United by Music", was unveiled on 30 January 2023 by the EBU and BBC.
Logo[]
The artwork featured a yellow, blue, pink, black and white selection of hearts, dozens of them of different sizes that when looked at from a certain angle make up a sound wave.
Stage[]
The stage design was revealed on 2 February 2023 and is based on "the principles of togetherness, celebration and community", taking inspiration from a wide hug and the "cultural aspects and similarities between Ukraine, the UK and specifically Liverpool". King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla inaugurated the stage on 26 April, during an official visit to Liverpool.
Voting Changes[]
Likely as a result of the jury voting scandal the previous year, it was decided that the semifinal qualifiers would be determined by televote only, with the split vote jury and televote system remaining in place for the final. Viewers in non-participating countries were also able to vote in all 3 live shows via a special online portal. Known as the "Rest of the World" vote, these votes would be combined and aggregated into a separate set of televote points. This vote carried the same weight as one participating country.
Participants[]
Returning artists[]
| Artist | Note |
|---|---|
| Gustaph | Provided backing vocals for his country’s representatives Sennek and Hooverphonic at the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 in Lisbon and the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 in Rotterdam, respectively |
| Iru Khechanovi | Represented her home country as part of the girl group CANDY at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2011 in Yerevan with the song "Candy Music", going on to win the Contest |
| Marco Mengoni | Represented his home country at the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 in Malmö with the song "L'essenziale", finishing in 7th place |
| Monika Linkytė | Represented her home country at the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 alongside Vaidas Baumila in Vienna with the song "This Time", which qualified from the first semi-final, finishing in 18th place |
| Pasha Parfeny | Represented his home country at the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 in Baku with the song "Lăutar", finishing in 11th place. He also returned the following year in Malmö as a backing musician for his country's entrant Aliona Moon. |
| Loreen | Represented her home country at the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 in Baku with the song "Euphoria", giving the country its fifth win. |
Semi-final 1[]
A total of fifteen countries competed in the first semi-final. Those countries plus 
France, 
Germany and 
Ukraine as well as non-participating countries under an aggregated vote as "Rest of the World" voted in this semi-final. Those that qualified are highlighted below:
| Draw | Country | Performer(s) | Song | Language | Translation | Place | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 |  Norway
|
Alessandra | "Queen of Kings" | English | - | 6 | 102 |
| 02 |  Malta
|
The Busker | "Dance (Our Own Party)" | English | - | 15 | 3 |
| 03 |  Serbia
|
Luke Black | "Samo mi se spava" | Serbian, English | I'm just sleepy | 10 | 37 |
| 04 |  Latvia
|
Sudden Lights | "Aijā" | English | - | 11 | 34 |
| 05 |  Portugal
|
Mimicat | "Ai coração" | Portuguese | Oh heart | 9 | 74 |
| 06 |  Ireland
|
Wild Youth | "We Are One" | English | - | 12 | 10 |
| 07 |  Croatia
|
Let 3 | "Mama ŠČ!" | Croatian | Mama Shch! | 8 | 76 |
| 08 |  Switzerland
|
Remo Forrer | "Watergun" | English | - | 7 | 97 |
| 09 |  Israel
|
Noa Kirel | "Unicorn" | English, Hebrew | - | 3 | 127 |
| 10 |  Moldova
|
Pasha Parfeni | "Soarele și luna" | Romanian | The sun and the moon | 5 | 109 |
| 11 |  Sweden
|
Loreen | "Tattoo" | English | - | 2 | 135 |
| 12 |  Azerbaijan
|
TuralTuranX | "Tell Me More" | English | - | 14 | 4 |
| 13 |  Czechia
|
Vesna | "My Sister's Crown" | English, Ukrainian, Czech, Bulgarian | - | 4 | 110 |
| 14 |  The Netherlands
|
Mia Nicolai & Dion Cooper | "Burning Daylight" | English | - | 13 | 7 |
| 15 |  Finland
|
Käärijä | "Cha Cha Cha" | Finnish | - | 1 | 177 |
Semi-final 2[]
A total of sixteen countries competed in the second semi-final. Those countries plus 
Italy, 
Spain and 
United Kingdom as well as non-participating countries under an aggregated vote as "Rest of the World" voted in this semi-final. Those that qualified are highlighted below:
| Draw | Country | Performer(s) | Song | Language | Translation | Place | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 |  Denmark
|
Reiley | "Breaking My Heart" | English | - | 14 | 6 |
| 02 |  Armenia
|
Brunette | "Future Lover" | English, Armenian | - | 6 | 99 |
| 03 |  Romania
|
Theodor Andrei | "D.G.T. (Off and On)" | Romanian, English | - | 15 | 0 |
| 04 |  Estonia
|
Alika | "Bridges" | English | - | 10 | 74 |
| 05 |  Belgium
|
Gustaph | "Because of You" | English | - | 8 | 90 |
| 06 |  Cyprus
|
Andrew Lambrou | "Break a Broken Heart" | English | - | 7 | 94 |
| 07 |  Iceland
|
Diljá | "Power" | English | - | 11 | 44 |
| 08 |  Greece
|
Victor Vernicos | "What They Say" | English | - | 13 | 14 |
| 09 |  Poland
|
Blanka | "Solo" | English | - | 3 | 124 |
| 10 |  Slovenia
|
Joker Out | "Carpe diem" | Slovene | Seize the day | 5 | 133 |
| 11 |  Georgia
|
Iru | "Echo" | English | - | 12 | 33 |
| 12 |  San Marino
|
Piqued Jacks | "Like an Animal" | English | - | 16 | 0 |
| 13 |  Austria
|
Teya & Salena | "Who the Hell Is Edgar?" | English | - | 2 | 137 |
| 14 |  Albania
|
Albina & Familija Kelmendi | "Duje" | Albanian | Love it | 9 | 83 |
| 15 |  Lithuania
|
Monika Linkytė | "Stay" | English, Lithuanian | - | 4 | 110 |
| 16 |  Australia
|
Voyager | "Promise" | English | - | 1 | 149 |
Final[]
| Draw | Country | Performer(s) | Song | Language | Translation | Place | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Austria
|
Teya & Salena | "Who the Hell Is Edgar?" | English | - | 15 | 120 |
| 02 | Portugal
|
Mimicat | "Ai coração" | Portuguese | Oh heart | 23 | 59 |
| 03 | Switzerland
|
Remo Forrer | "Watergun" | English | - | 20 | 92 |
| 04 | Poland
|
Blanka | "Solo" | English | - | 19 | 93 |
| 05 | Serbia
|
Luke Black | "Samo mi se spava" | Serbian, English | I'm just sleepy | 24 | 30 |
| 06 | France
|
La Zarra | "Évidemment" | French | Evidently | 16 | 104 |
| 07 | Cyprus
|
Andrew Lambrou | "Break a Broken Heart" | English | - | 12 | 126 |
| 08 | Spain
|
Blanca Paloma | "Eaea" | Spanish | - | 17 | 100 |
| 09 | Sweden
|
Loreen | "Tattoo" | English | - | 1 | 583 |
| 10 | Albania
|
Albina & Familja Kelmendi | "Duje" | Albanian | Love it | 22 | 76 |
| 11 | Italy
|
Marco Mengoni | "Due vite" | Italian | Two lives | 4 | 350 |
| 12 | Estonia
|
Alika | "Bridges" | English | - | 8 | 168 |
| 13 | Finland
|
Käärijä | "Cha Cha Cha" | Finnish | - | 2 | 526 |
| 14 | Czechia
|
Vesna | "My Sister's Crown" | English, Ukrainian, Czech, Bulgarian | - | 10 | 129 |
| 15 | Australia
|
Voyager | "Promise" | English | - | 9 | 151 |
| 16 | Belgium
|
Gustaph | "Because of You" | English | - | 7 | 182 |
| 17 | Armenia
|
Brunette | "Future Lover" | English, Armenian | - | 14 | 122 |
| 18 | Moldova
|
Pasha Parfeny | "Soarele și luna" | Romanian | The sun and the moon | 18 | 96 |
| 19 | Ukraine
|
TVORCHI | "Heart of Steel" | English, Ukrainian | - | 6 | 243 |
| 20 | Norway
|
Alessandra | "Queen of Kings" | English | - | 5 | 268 |
| 21 | Germany
|
Lord of the Lost | "Blood & Glitter" | English | - | 26 | 18 |
| 22 | Lithuania
|
Monika Linkytė | "Stay" | English, Lithuanian | - | 11 | 127 |
| 23 | Israel
|
Noa Kirel | "Unicorn" | English | - | 3 | 362 |
| 24 | Slovenia
|
Joker Out | "Carpe diem" | Slovene | Seize the day | 21 | 78 |
| 25 | Croatia
|
Let 3 | "Mama ŠČ!" | Croatian | Mama shch! | 13 | 123 |
| 26 | United Kingdom
|
Mae Muller | "I Wrote a Song" | English | - | 25 | 24 |
Scoreboard[]
Gallery[]
To view the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 gallery, click here.
References[]
- ↑ https://eurovision.tv/mediacentre/release/ebu-statement-2023-eurovision-hosting
- ↑ https://eurovision.tv/story/united-kingdom-host-eurovision-song-contest-2023
- ↑ [ Aberdeen Eurovision bid given 20/1 shot by leading bookmakers] at . . .
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 [ Who Wants to Host Eurovision? Here Are the 16 U.K. Cities in the Running] at Variety. 2022-07-26. .
- ↑ [ Eurovision 2023: UK host city will need to cancel other events to make way for contest] at . . .
- ↑ [ Birmingham makes official bid to host Eurovision 2023 at Resorts World Arena] at . . .
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 [ Eurovision Song Contest: Which UK cities could host 2023 show?] at . 17 June 2022. .
- ↑ [The Argus Brighton to put in bid to host Eurovision Song Contest 2023] at . 26 July 2022. .
- ↑ [ Brighton throws hat in ring to host Eurovision 2023] at The Argus. 17 June 2022. .
- ↑ [The Argus Brighton ruled out of race to host Eurovision 2023] at . 11 August 2022. .
- ↑ [ Bristol submits bid for UK Eurovision Song Contest 2023 as shortlist due to be announced] at . . .
- ↑ [ Cardiff express interest in a bid for Eurovision 2023] at Eurovoix. 17 June 2022. .
- ↑ [ Eurovision 2023: Cardiff out of race for song contest] at . . .
- ↑ [ Darlington confirms it WILL bid to host the Eurovision Song Contest in 2023] at The Northern Echo. . .
- ↑ [ How Darlington Arena was going to host Eurovision with giant Ukraine flag for roof] at The Northern Echo. . .
- ↑ [ Derry considering bid to host Eurovision 2023] at BelfastLive. 2022-08-01. .
- ↑ [ Eurovision 2023: Derry Will Not Bid To Host] at Eurovoix. 2022-08-08. .
- ↑ [ Eurovision 2023: Edinburgh Confirms Bid Submitted To Host] at Eurovoix. 2022-08-11. .
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 19.4 [ Eurovision 2023: Seven UK cities make shortlist to host song contest] at . . .
- ↑ [ Eurovision Song Contest 2023 to be hosted in the UK as Leeds to make bid on behalf of Ukraine] at . . .
- ↑ [ Eurovision 2023 confirmed for UK as Liverpool steps up host city bid] at . . .
- ↑ [ Liverpool submits official bid to host Eurovision 2023] at . 2022-08-09. .
- ↑ [ Eurovision 2023: Odesa Supports Liverpool's Bid to Host] at Eurovoix. 23 September 2022. .
- ↑ [ Eurovision 2023: Mayor of London Expresses Support For Capital to Host] at Eurovoix. 17 June 2022. .
- ↑ [ Manchester has been named a 2023 Eurovision Shortlisted Host City] at . . .
- ↑ [ Eurovision 2023: Newcastle Preparing Bid to Host Eurovision] at Eurovoix. 12 July 2022. .
- ↑ [ Newcastle officially confirms bid to host Eurovision next year] at ChronicleLive. 2022-08-08. .
- ↑ [ Eurovision 2023: Nottingham sets its eyes on hosting the event] at . . .
- ↑ [ Nottingham Will Not Bid For Eurovision 2023] at Eurovoix. 2022-08-09. .
- ↑ [ Is Prudhoe going to bid to host the Eurovision Song Contest 2023?] at . . .
- ↑ [ UK Eurovision 2023: Sheffield will bid to host song contest in Utilita Sheffield Arena] at . . .
- ↑ [ Sheffield's Eurovision bid is in as Council's bid receives regional backing] at www.thestar.co.uk. 2022-08-09. .
- ↑ [ Sunderland councillor wants the Stadium of Light to host Eurovision 2023] at ESCXTRA.com. 19 June 2022. .
- ↑ [ Plans outlined for 10,000-capacity arena in Sunderland] at The Stadium Business. 1 February 2022. .
- ↑ [ Sunderland rules out bid to host the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest] at That Eurovision Site. 2022-08-11. .