Above: Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra are the current champions of Eurovision.
Restless Eurovision fans looking forward to 2023’s competition can relax. Liverpool’s official logo and slogan for 2023’s big show have been revealed. The motto for this year’s bash is “United by Music”, and the artwork is all about beating hearts coming together.
According to the BBC, the slogan “reflects the very origins of the contest,” which started bringing Europe closer together as a broadcasting experiment. And now, it’s Liverpool’s turn to host the show since it’s too risky to hold it in Ukraine (the winners of 2022). The colour scheme is a nod to both countries’ flags.
Eurovision 2023’s typeface is a nod to Ukraine’s flag
Tune in to BBC Two tonight (Tuesday 31st January) at 7pm GMT to see Rylan Clark and AJ Odudu host the allocation draw live from St George’s Hall in Liverpool. During the ceremony, most of the participating countries will also find out which semi-final they’ll be competing in. Local school kids and Ukrainian community members living in Liverpool will be part of the allocation draw.
This year’s semi-finals on the 9th and 11th of May will have 31 acts competing for a spot in the final. But here’s the twist – the public will vote to whittle down the acts to 20 instead of the judges. The final showdown will be on 13th May, but the competition’s official build-up starts tonight.
For those who don’t know, the UK, France, Spain, Germany, and Italy automatically qualify for the final because their broadcasters pay a pretty penny to participate. And Ukraine, as the winners of 2022, will go straight to the final too.
Sam Ryder was the UK’s entrant for last year’s competition, winning second place
Typically, the previous year’s winner hosts the next Eurovision, but for 2023, Liverpool is hosting this year’s show on behalf of Ukraine after Sam Ryder helped the UK come in second place in 2022.
During Tuesday’s draw, the mayor of last year’s host city, Turin, will hand over the “keys” to Eurovision and the official insignia for the competition. Get ready for a musical extravaganza!
