The BBC takes over for the broadcaster of the country affected by the Russian war of aggression, UA:PBC. According to the EBU, the competition between the possible host cities in Great Britain will start this week.
The decision was already apparent, as the EBU had already announced in June that the 2023 music competition could not take place in the current war-torn Ukraine for security reasons. The Ukrainian formation Kalush Orchestra won the music competition with “Stefania” in Turin, Italy, in May.
Runner-up gets their turn
With the clear victory of the Kalush Orchestra, which was able to score points in the audience rating in particular, Ukraine would have been booked as the organizer of the 67th Eurovision Song Contest according to ESC tradition. Now the runner-up, Great Britain, comes into play. However, it is not the first time in the long history of the ESC that the competition has been hosted by another country – so far this has usually been the case due to financial bottlenecks.
“Grateful for the solidarity”
Ukraine remains firmly qualified for the final as the winning country, and representatives from UA:PBC, in cooperation with the BBC, will bring “Ukrainian elements” to the show’s flow. The unusual location should also be reflected in the logo, which has not yet been published. “We are grateful to the BBC for the solidarity they have shown us,” said UA:PBC’s Mykola Chernotytskyi. “The Eurovision Song Contest 2023 will not take place in Ukraine, but with the support of Ukraine.”
Source: Nachrichten
