Ukraine may have won this year’s Eurovision Song Contest but they won’t be hosting the event next year.

With organisers declaring that staging the competition in the war torn nation would be unfeasible, instead they’ve offered it to this year’s runners-up The United Kingdom.

With local broadcaster the BBC agreeing to take up the reins, the search is now on to decide which city the 2023 event will be staged in.

Belfast is one of the popular suggestions for the host, but London, Brighton, Leeds, Sheffield, Birmingham, Liverpool, and Manchester have all indicated they might be interested. Several Scottish cities including Glasgow and Aberdeen could also be in the running.

Manchester has one element that other cities can’t offer, it has the largest Ukrainian community outside of London.

Eurovision organisers have stressed that whoever hosts the competition in 2023 it will need to include Ukraine within the presentation.

“It is our full intention that Ukraine’s win will be reflected in next year’s shows. This will be a priority for us in our discussions with the eventual hosts.” organisers said.

OIP Staff

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