Liverpool is the UK city hosting the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 on behalf of Ukraine, with the grand final taking place on Saturday 13 May at 8pm. It is brought to Liverpool by the BBC and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).

The BBC received expressions of interest from 19 UK cities and towns to host Eurovision 23.

Six withdrew and six cities did not get shortlisted, they were: Aberdeen, Belfast, Bristol, Darlington, Edinburgh, London.

Seven cities were then shortlisted on 12 August 2022: Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, and Sheffield.

In September it was whittled down to Glasgow and Liverpool. Finally on the 7th of October Liverpool was selected as the host city, staging the competition on behalf of Ukraine.

New Visit Liverpool/Eurovision mobile app now live. You can download on App Sore/Google Play > https://qrco.de/bdpz64

It’s got everything you need to get best Eurovision + Liverpool experience.

And here’s digital version of Eurovision Visitor Guide > https://www.visitliverpool.com/eurovision-2023/eurovision-2023-city-guide/

It’s perfect mix of Eurovision + Liverpool experiences – with bit of Scouse personality.

What is the benefit to Liverpool?

Eurovision is expected to bring around £25 million for Liverpool and LCR’s economy during May itself.  It is also expected that by hosting the event, through the media coverage and repeat/ recommending visitors, tourism will increase by up to 5 per cent a year – which will equate to over £250 million extra revenue by 2026.

Is it just one night?

No, from Monday 1st May to Sunday 14th May ‘EuroFestival’ (more info below) is being held which will enable everyone to enjoy the Eurovision atmosphere and experience. Also, in the Arena and on BBC One there will be two semi-finals as well as the Grand Final. There will also be nine dress rehearsals, six of which will have a live audience. There are also many other events, activities being hosted and offered by businesses around Liverpool and LCR with a Eurovision theme.

Volunteer Programme

500 Volunteering roles were created and have now been filled. Volunteers will wear Eurovision branded uniforms and will be working in and around Eurovision venues and with TIC staff.

Who is organising it?

The live shows are the responsibility of the BBC and European Broadcasting Union (EBU). As host city, Liverpool City Council (Culture Liverpool) is responsible for everything else related: The event, fan zones, safety and security, city dressing, the cultural festival, school and community programmes, the opening ceremony and the many other ways Eurovision will take over Liverpool. 

Eurovision in Numbers:

  • 37 Competing Nations
  • 1200 Media attending
  • 160 million watch the Grand Final Live
  • 9 Dress Rehearsals – 6 with an audience
  • 9 Days Eurovision Village – Pier Head
  • 9 Days Euro Club – Baltic Triangle
  • 14 Days Euro Fest Cultural Programme
  • Eurovision Tickets – 6,000 tickets for 9 shows – sold out in 36 minutes.
  • 3,000 tickets set aside for Ukrainians living in the UK on visa programmes.
  • 1 Turquoise Carpet opening ceremony.

The 37 Countries competing in Eurovision 2023

AlbaniaArmeniaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBelgiumCroatia
CyprusCzechiaDenmarkEstoniaFinlandFranceGeorgia
GermanyGreeceIcelandIrelandIsraelItalyLatvia
LithuaniaMaltaMoldovaNetherlandsNorwayPolandPortugal
RomaniaSan MarinoSerbiaSloveniaSpainSwedenSwitzerland
United KingdomUkraine

Is the Eurovision Programme accessible?

Yes, you can find out more on the button below.

Download the accessibility guide here

What is the timetable for the Eurovision Programme/competition?

Semi Final 1 x 3 Shows.  8th & 9TH May

Evening Preview -8th May at 8pm, Afternoon Preview – 9th May at 1:30pm.

Live Show – Tuesday 9th May at 8pm

Semi Final 2 x 3 Shows. 10th & 11th May

Evening Preview on Wednesday 10th May at 8pm, Afternoon Preview on Thursday 11th May at 1:30pm,

Live Show on Thursday 11th May at 8pm.

Thirty-one countries went into the draw for the Semi-Finals with the 20 best ranked entries from the two semi-finals progressing to the Grand Final on May 13.

Twenty-six countries will then participate in the Grand Final, the ‘Big 5’ (Spain, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy) and the previous year’s winner Ukraine automatically qualify.

Grand Final x 3 Shows. 12th & 13th May

Evening Preview on Friday 12th May at 8pm, Afternoon Preview on Saturday 13th May at 1pm

Live Show on Saturday 13th May at 8pm.

All Live on BBC

Who are the Eurovision Hosts for the Shows?

Grand Final: – Graham Norton – Julia Sanina – Alesha Dixon – Hannah Waddingham.

Also, Mel Giedroyc, Rylan, Scott Mills, Claire Sweeney, Sam Quek and Timur Miroshnychenko will be presenting.

Eurovision Song Contest History

The Eurovision Song Contest (French: Concours Eurovision de la chanson), sometimes abbreviated to ESC and often known simply as Eurovision, is an international song competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), featuring participants representing primarily European countries.

Each participating country submits an original song to be performed on live television and radio, transmitted to national broadcasters via the EBU’s Eurovision and Euroradio networks, with competing countries then casting votes for the other countries’ songs to determine a winner.

Each country awards 1–8, points and then the 10th and 12th points to their favourite songs, based on the views of an assembled group of music professionals and the country’s viewing public. The song that accrues the most points is ultimately declared the winner.

As of 2022, Germany has competed more times than any other country, having participated in all but one edition, while Ireland holds the record for the most victories, with seven wins in total.

Traditionally held in the country which won the preceding year’s event, the contest provides an opportunity to promote the host country and city as a tourist destination. Thousands of spectators attend each year, and journalists are present to cover all aspects of the contest, including rehearsals in venue, press conferences with the competing acts, and other related events and performances in the host city. Alongside the generic Eurovision logo, a unique theme and slogan is typically developed for each event.

Eurovision ranks among the world’s most watched non-sporting events every year, with hundreds of millions of viewers globally, and performing at the contest has often provided artists with a local career boost and in some cases long-lasting international success. Several of the best-selling music artists in the world have competed in the past:  ABBA, Celine Dion, Julio Iglesias, Cliff Richard and Olivia Newton-John, and some of the world’s best-selling singles have received their first international performance on the Eurovision stage.

66 contests have been held as of 2022, making Eurovision the longest-running annual international televised music competition as determined by Guinness World Records.

More than a Song Contest

Eurovision Village

This is the Eurovision 2023 Fan Zone and is situated at the Pier Head. Taking over the iconic Pier Head in Liverpool, the Eurovision Village is the official fan zone for Eurovision 2023 and promises to be one huge party.

Opening on Friday 5 May and running every day until the Grand Final on 13 May, the Eurovision Village will offer a mix of incredible one-off shows, live performances, DJ sets and special guest appearances.

A special area – Discover Ukraine – will be dedicated to amazing Ukrainian producers and artisans and across the site food and drink offers from across Europe will make this the place to spend time with family and friends and soak up the Eurovision atmosphere. 

The village is free and non-ticketed on every day apart from the Grand Final which is a ticketed event.

Full programme here https://www.visitliverpool.com/eurovision-2023/eurovision-village  

EuroFestival

Running from Monday 1 to Sunday 14 May, the festival will present 24 brand new commissions – 19 of which are collaborations between UK and Ukrainian artists – that will transform the city as fans from across the world descend on Liverpool. Most of the work being produced has been inspired by the Eurovision 2023 slogan ‘United by Music’.

EuroFestival is an exciting, thought-provoking programme of art and culture that matters. Almost all the programme is free.

The list of collaborators taking part in EuroFestival are:

  • Amigo & Amigo, Svitlana Reinish, Anton Dehtiarov, M3 Industries, Black_Box
  • Artists on the Frontline and ParadeFest
  • BBC Storyville Live
  • Black Gold Arts, First Take, Homotopia, Hackney Showroom and RubyLemon
  • Bluecoat and The Jam Factory, Lviv
  • English National Opera
  • Go Fly Your Kite and the Junior Academy of Science Kyiv
  • Invisible Wind Factory
  • Jamala
  • Jez Collins, UAME I Music Saves UA and Open Culture
  • Liverpool Cathedral and Katya Buchatska
  • Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse and Sheep Soup
  • Port and Katya Taylor
  • Natalie McCool, Stealing Sheep, Krapka; KOMA and Helleroid
  • National Museums Liverpool – Love Music Sessions at all the Museums
  • Northern Town and Jeanefer Jean-Charles & Associates
  • Open Eye Gallery
  • The Reading Agency and BBC Arts
  • Slukh.Media, Sonia Chapman, and Perfectionist.London
  • Tate Liverpool
  • Unity Theatre and Yurii Radionov
  • Whispered Tales and Denys Kashchei

The chosen commissions were selected through a process which included the BBC, British Council, Ukrainian Institute and Culture Liverpool. An initial call out in December attracted almost 700 responses of which 50 were shortlisted and supported in the development of their idea.

Full programme here https://www.visitliverpool.com/eurovision-2023/eurofestival/

EuroClub at Camp & Furnace

The OGAE (Organisation Générale des Amateurs de l’Eurovision) – which is made up of 42 fan clubs from across the world – has announced that it is bringing its EuroClub to Camp and Furnace. Acting as the city’s official party venue, it is set to attract thousands of fans.

The EuroClub will take over the Baltic Triangle venue for nine nights – from Friday 5th to Saturday 13th May – every evening, the venue will play host to special events and gatherings which will celebrate the competing nations. 

More information from https://ogae.uk/euroclub/

EuroStreet – Community Programme

Supported with funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Department for Culture, Media & Sport, Spirit of 2012, and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, ‘EuroStreet’ has been specially curated in collaboration with many partners across the Liverpool City Region. It provides a unique opportunity for communities across the region to get involved, take part, deliver events, and celebrate all things Eurovision.

Euro Learn – Education Programme

Supported with funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Department for Culture, Media & Sport, Spirit of 2012, and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, ‘EuroLearn’ has been specially curated in collaboration with many partners across the Liverpool City Region. It provides a unique opportunity for schools, and non-school educational settings, to celebrate all things Eurovision by taking part and delivering their own events. Aimed at Early Years, Primary, Secondary and Special Education settings, ‘EuroLearn’ offers a varied programme for schools to engage with and educational resources that are flexible enough also to be used in holiday activity and after-school clubs.

‘United by Music’ is the overarching theme that is interwoven throughout the ‘EuroLearn’ programme. The sub themes of welcome, home, sanctuary, belonging, loneliness, togetherness, hope, mental health & wellbeing, voice of the child and celebration of all things Eurovision ensures that the programme is both relevant and of value to schools and other educational and non-school settings.

National Lottery’s Big Eurovision Welcome Party St Georges Hall Sunday 7th May

The party will showcase Liverpool’s musical offer, unique humour, and famously warm welcome, as well as the partnership between Liverpool, Ukraine and Eurovision that defines this year’s Eurovision. Up to 15,000 pairs of free tickets will be available (subject to a small booking fee), for National Lottery players, who are able to claim a pair on a first come, first served basis. It is a ‘thank you’ for the £330M contributed to over 3,600 music and cultural projects in Liverpool.

A proportion of tickets will be reserved for Ukrainian residents in the UK, including refugees supported by National Lottery funded organisations, as well as community groups from Liverpool. Tickets will be released in early April, details to be confirmed soon.

Glitter Not Litter

Liverpool City Council has developed “Glitter Not Litter” as an extension of its collaboration with Keep Britain Tidy in 2022 and has been designed to engage people in the preparations for Eurovision. Scouse Flowerhouse and the National Wildflower Centre are part of a city-wide environmental programme for Eurovision, such as seed sowing and flower planting at various key sites, the Council is also working with a wide number of voluntary groups to clean and green up communities, as well as parks and open spaces, in the run up to Eurovision and into the summer. 

More FAQs can be found here https://www.visitliverpool.com/eurovision-2023/faqs 

LGBT+ FRIENDLY PUBS/CLUBS

  • Masquerade Bar         10 Cumberland St, L1 6BU   
  • Lisbon Bar                  35 Victoria St, L1 6BG   
  • The Navy Bar              27 Stanley St, L1 6AA   
  • Superstar Boudoir       22-24 Stanley Street   
  • G-Bar                          1-7 Erle Street   
  • OMG Bar                     9 Victoria Street
  • The Poste House         Stanley St
  • Heaven Night Club     10–18 Victoria Street
  • Kitty’s Showbar            69 Tithebarn St
  • Dorothy’s Showbar     7 Victoria St
  • Funnyboyz Bar           63a Blundell st

Travel Information

Liverpool City Region is well serviced by multiple public transport routes provided by Merseyrail, Arriva and Stagecoach. 

Outside of the region, Liverpool Lime Street station is the main gateway to the city with national rail services connecting to London, Scotland, Lake District, North East, Manchester and other areas of the UK.

Liverpool is serviced directly by two airports, Liverpool John Lennon Airport which can be reached by bus and train and Manchester Airport. 

Travel Information for Eurovision

Extra late-night trains and buses for Eurovision fans travelling in and around Liverpool City Region.

Merseyrail services will run into the early hours after the Grand Final, which finishes at 12.30am on Saturday, May 13. Services will also run until after midnight on the night of the Big Eurovision Welcome on 7 May.

Liverpool City Region buses will also continue key routes until the early hours following the events on 7 and 13 May.

Fans and travellers alike are being urged to plan their journeys and keep checking timetables regularly including on their day of travel as services are subject to change at short notice.

For rail services beyond the Liverpool City Region, passengers are advised to refer to the advertised timetables.

Key information top travel tips can be found on the Merseytravel website www.merseytravel.gov.uk

LIVERPOOL TIKTOK CITY OF MUSIC

VisitLiverpool and TikTok have entered a strategic destination partnership, supporting the post-pandemic recovery of the city’s glorious visitor economy.

•Liverpool TikTok City of Music officially unveiled

•TikTok Places feature in-app will celebrate local small businesses during Eurovision

•Busking sites around Liverpool will see local artists and special guests perform for visitors

•TikTok to provide ongoing workshops and support to Liverpool small businesses, local attractions, and emerging artists beyond Eurovision

As the Official Entertainment Partner for the Eurovision Song Contest, whether visitors are following Eurovision from home, or are heading to Liverpool for the biggest celebration of the year, TikTok is a go-to destination for all things Eurovision.

With over 1 billion video views for #Eurovision2023 already, this year is set to be greater than ever. #Liverpool has over 55 billion views in app, as the global community comes to TikTok to share and discover this vibrant and historic city.

Celebrating local small businesses with TikTok Places

•           From coffee shops to vintage stores, local businesses in Liverpool on TikTok will be proudly displaying a TikTok Places sticker in their shop window during Eurovision. This aims to encourage customers and visitors alike to share their experiences of these local favourites in and around the city. These include… @utilitygiftstore Looking for a gift to take home from Eurovision? Utility Gift Store have the perfect quirky, design-led ideas that will be sure to mark the memory.

•           @bagelrypool the place for bagels, donuts, and coffee Liverpool style! Check out their TikTok for behind-the-scenes glimpses of the process too.

•           @boldstreetcoffee A Liverpool coffee shop that takes latte art very competitively, that’s not to be missed!

Busking on the streets of Liverpool: where stars get started

As well as established acts, Liverpool is home to one of the most thriving busking communities in the UK. Many busking artists have turned to TikTok as their global stage, like @amiialexx who can be seen busking around Clayton Square singing beautiful ballads.

In the weeks the contest takes over the city, TikTok will be supporting key busking sites around Liverpool at Holy Corner, Liverpool One, Sugar House Steps and Liverpool Lime street – it’s time to take the stage on TikTok.

Local artists will be performing together for fans visiting from all over the world alongside some very special guests!

Liverpool TikTok City of Music legacy

The TikTok partnership goes beyond Eurovision itself, helping support up-and-coming talent in the city. TikTok will be working alongside Visit Liverpool to provide ongoing workshops and support to small businesses, local attractions, and emerging artists to help them continue to thrive both in Liverpool and on TikTok’s global stage.

Let TikTok be your Guide to Liverpool by following some of our favourite Liverpool accounts…

@beatlesstory an account run by true Beatles stans, it brings to live Liverpool’s exhibition dedicated to the legendary group. Check them out for regular ‘on this day’ posts about key moments in the Beatles’ history.

@livingliverpooltour an actual tour guide brings their tips of the best places to visit and hidden facts about Liverpool to the TikTok community. From the Museum of Liverpool to the city’s secret bunker, they’ll give you full virtual tour of the city.

@merseyferries Yes, Eurovision cruises are a thing! Mersey Ferries, aka the experts on exploring Liverpool from the water, offer our community a different view of the city.

@royalliverbuilding360 the city landmark the Royal Liver Building runs regular Q&As on TikTok to help anyone visiting for the first time make the most of their immersive exhibitions and more!

Meet the local Liverpool creators for a slice of real Liverpool Life…

@havealaughwithsaff Hilarious Scouse creator Saff is already getting on the Eurovision hype and will be hosting a LIVE from our Eurovision Turquoise Carpet on Sunday, 7 May.

@thescouseghettogourmet Your go-to Liverpool food critic, and Visit Liverpool ambassador, who has all the must-eat recommendations.

@IwanSteffan The creator to follow for hidden gems in Liverpool to check out while you’re in town.

@morgan. bold From Liverpool fashion tips to the best coffee spots in town, Morgan’s got your recommendations sorted.

@queenofscottyroad Liverpool gay icon and TikTok sensation, Philip Regan – aka @queenofscottyroad – has grown a community of over 300K followers who love his local humour!

Some of your favourite TikTok creators will also be heading to Eurovision, @stuartandfrancis and @fatstimbo and Eurovision superfan @allthingsadam.ie will all be landing in Liverpool for the big week of Eurovision and will be sharing some of their favourite spots across the city.

New to TikTok and want to explore more #Eurovision2023 content? Getting involved couldn’t be easier. Simply download the app.

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