Eurovision 2023 will be held in the UK on Ukraine's behalf
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the BBC have confirmed that the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 will be held in the UK on behalf of this year's winner broadcaster – the Ukrainian television and radio company Suspilne Movlennya.
This is reported by Suspilne corporate website.
After deciding that the next year's event could not be held in Ukraine for security reasons, the EBU considered a number of options together with the winner broadcaster. The discussion resulted in the BBC being chosen as the organizer of Eurovision 2023.
"We’re exceptionally grateful that the BBC has accepted to stage the Eurovision Song Contest in the UK in 2023. The BBC has taken on hosting duties for other winning countries on four previous occasions. Continuing in this tradition of solidarity, we know that next year’s Contest will showcase the creativity and skill of one of Europe’s most experienced public broadcasters whilst ensuring this year’s winners, Ukraine, are celebrated and represented throughout the event," said Eurovision Executive Supervisor Martin Österdahl.
Head of the Suspilne Broadcasting Managing Board Mykola Chernotytsky added that Eurovision 2023 will not be held in Ukraine, but in support of Ukraine. "We are grateful to our BBC partners for showing solidarity with us. I am confident that together we will be able to add Ukrainian spirit to this event and once again unite the whole of Europe around our common values of peace, support, celebrating diversity and talent," he said.
Suspilne Broadcasting representatives will work with the BBC to develop and implement Ukrainian elements in the next year's show. Ukraine, as the Eurovision 2022 winner, will also automatically enter the upcoming contest's Grand Final.
Suspilne Broadcasting, who is a member of the European Broadcasting Union and responsible for the selection and participation of Ukraine's representative in the Eurovision Song Contest, is the official broadcaster of the contest.
As IMI reported, in May, Ukrainian band Kalush Orchestra won the International Song Contest Eurovision-2022 in Turin (Italy) with their song Stefania.
On June 23, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) reaffirmed its decision not to hold Eurovision 2023 in Ukraine due to the war.
The EBU refused Ukraine after analyzing the security situation as of June 2022 and started talks with the British public broadcaster BBC on the possibility of holding a competition in the UK.
Suspilne Broadcasting announced that they were disappointed with the European Broadcasting Union's (EBU) refusal to hold Eurovision-2023 in Ukraine.
Ukraine has demanded to change the decision on the refusal to hold Eurovision-2023 here.
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