The UK hosted Eurovision 2023 at Liverpool Arena on 13 May 2023. Britain did so on behalf of Ukraine, which had won Eurovision 2022 with Kalush Orchestra’s “Stefania” but couldn’t host due to the ongoing Russian invasion. Liverpool 2023 was one of the most significant UK Eurovision cultural moments of the century. This piece covers the hosting, its context, and its impact.
Why the UK hosted
Ukraine won Eurovision 2022 largely through public voting solidarity following Russia’s February 2022 invasion. Kalush Orchestra’s “Stefania” was a strong entry that would probably have done well anyway; the war amplified its support substantially. Ukraine winning meant Ukraine would normally host 2023.
By mid-2022 it was clear Ukraine could not safely host a major international event. The European Broadcasting Union approached the UK (which had finished second in 2022 with Sam Ryder) about hosting on Ukraine’s behalf. The BBC and UK government agreed. Various UK cities bid for hosting rights. Liverpool won the bid in October 2022.
Why Liverpool
Liverpool’s bid was successful over rivals including Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham, Sheffield, Newcastle and Leeds. Liverpool’s music heritage (Beatles connection, extensive live music infrastructure) provided obvious brand. The city’s compact geography made international delegation accommodation practical. Liverpool Arena provided suitable venue. Liverpool’s relationship with Ukrainian communities is substantial through historical connections.
The Liverpool Arena venue
Liverpool Arena (M&S Bank Arena, formerly Liverpool Echo Arena) at the Kings Waterfront hosted the contest. Capacity for the Eurovision configuration was approximately 6,000 for the arena floor with additional camera and production infrastructure. The venue had hosted various major international events previously but Eurovision 2023 was among its highest-profile bookings.
The Ukrainian dimension
Liverpool 2023 was branded and staged explicitly as hosting on Ukraine’s behalf. Ukrainian flags flew across the city. Ukrainian language was integrated into presentation. Ukrainian artists including Kalush Orchestra were substantially involved in interval acts. The contest opening included a specific tribute performance by Ukrainian participants.
The host presenters
Liverpool 2023 was presented by Alesha Dixon, Hannah Waddingham, Julia Sanina (Ukrainian, from the Ukrainian rock band The Hardkiss), and Graham Norton. This four-presenter format ensured direct Ukrainian representation in hosting. Norton continued his UK Eurovision commentary role from the presenting position.
The Loreen return
Sweden’s Loreen returned to Eurovision 2023 with “Tattoo” and won the contest. Loreen had previously won Eurovision 2012 with “Euphoria”, making her only the second artist ever to win Eurovision twice (after Ireland’s Johnny Logan). Her win at Liverpool meant Sweden would host Eurovision 2024.
The UK entry: Mae Muller
The UK’s home-crowd entry was Mae Muller’s “I Wrote a Song”. Muller is a legitimate UK pop artist with prior chart success (“Better Days” 2021). Her Eurovision performance was competent but the song and staging didn’t connect with European audiences. The UK finished 25th out of 26, receiving 24 points total.
The Ukrainian entry: Tvorchi
Ukraine’s 2023 entry was Tvorchi (Andrii Hutsuliak and Jeffery Kenny) with “Heart of Steel”. The performance was staged to convey Ukrainian resilience during the war. Ukraine finished sixth.
The cultural context of hosting
Liverpool 2023 came at a specific political moment. The UK’s relationship with continental Europe post-Brexit was substantially strained. Hosting a major European cultural event on behalf of Ukraine allowed the UK to demonstrate European solidarity in a way that political events hadn’t. The BBC’s commitment to the hosting reflected both public-service broadcasting values and diplomatic significance.
The Liverpool tourism impact
Eurovision 2023 brought substantial tourism to Liverpool. Various estimates suggest between 300,000 and 500,000 additional visitors across the Eurovision period. Hotel occupancy across the city was substantially higher than typical for May. Retail and hospitality reported significantly increased trade. The city’s tourism board considers the Eurovision hosting one of the most economically significant events in Liverpool’s recent history.
The city’s Eurovision preparation
Liverpool spent seven months preparing for Eurovision 2023. City-wide Ukrainian-flag installations. Public art connecting Liverpool music heritage to Ukrainian cultural presence. Extensive tourism infrastructure. Public safety and event logistics coordination across multiple UK government agencies. Various UK cultural organisations produced adjacent Eurovision programming.
The Eurovision Village
Liverpool’s Eurovision Village at Pier Head provided free public programming across the contest period. Free live music, screening of the contest, various Eurovision-adjacent cultural events. The Village pulled substantial daily attendance across the two-week Eurovision period. Similar Eurovision Village programming has been standard at recent host cities but Liverpool’s execution was particularly effective.
The BBC production values
BBC production of Eurovision 2023 was substantially praised across European Eurovision fandom. Camera work, staging, presentation flow: the BBC delivered a technically excellent contest. This mattered institutionally: Liverpool 2023 demonstrated that the UK could still deliver major international broadcasts to European standards.
The Kalush Orchestra return
Ukraine’s 2022 winners Kalush Orchestra performed multiple times across Liverpool 2023: contest opening, various satellite events, various Liverpool venues. The band operated as effective ambassadors for the Ukrainian dimension of the hosting.
The wider cultural moment
Liverpool 2023 briefly reactivated UK Eurovision engagement at levels not seen for decades. UK contest viewing figures were substantially higher than recent years. UK media coverage was substantially more informed and substantially less mockingly ironic. Various observers hoped this reactivation would sustain into subsequent UK Eurovision engagement.
The immediate follow-up disappointment
UK Eurovision engagement in 2024 (Olly Alexander) and 2025 (Remember Monday) did not sustain the Liverpool 2023 momentum. Both entries received nul points from the public vote. The Liverpool 2023 moment did not translate into ongoing UK Eurovision competitive success. Whether this reflects specific song selection failures or wider UK Eurovision engagement problems is arguable.
The lasting Liverpool legacy
Liverpool’s tourism board estimates the Eurovision hosting will have lasting positive impact on the city’s international visitor numbers for a decade. Various UK cities have subsequently studied Liverpool’s Eurovision preparation as a model for major event hosting. The BBC has referenced Liverpool 2023 as a benchmark for UK broadcasting of European cultural events.
The Ukrainian solidarity dimension
Ukraine’s ongoing war has continued through the years since Liverpool 2023. Various Ukrainian Eurovision entries in subsequent years have continued to receive substantial UK audience support. Whether this support continues as the war extends and as European attention shifts is genuinely uncertain, but the Liverpool moment established a substantial baseline of UK-Ukrainian cultural connection through Eurovision.
What Liverpool 2023 demonstrated
The UK is capable of hosting major European cultural events to European standards when it commits properly. UK Eurovision engagement can respond to specific cultural moments even when general engagement is lukewarm. And a specific historical circumstance (Ukraine’s inability to host due to war) can produce unexpected UK cultural moments that matter beyond the specific event they enable. Liverpool 2023 was one of the most successful UK Eurovision moments in decades despite the UK’s poor competitive result that year.
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