Britain to Host Eurovision Song Contest Next Year Due to Ukraine War

The United Kingdom will host the Eurovision Song Contest in 2023, standing in for Ukraine, the tournament’s organizers announced Monday. The competition is usually hosted by whichever nation won the previous year’s event and the 2022 competition was won by Ukrainian folk-rappers Kalush Orchestra. But with Vladimir Putin’s illegal invasion set to drag on, organizers decided to find an alternative host. The U.K. has held the competition eight times already—more than any other country—including hosting on behalf of other countries on four previous occasions. “We are grateful to our BBC partners for showing solidarity with us,” said Mykola Chernotytskyi, head of Ukraine’s public broadcaster, UA:PBC. “It is a matter of great regret that our colleagues and friends in Ukraine are not able to host the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest,” BBC Director General Tim Davie added. “Being asked to host the largest and most complex music competition in the world is a great privilege.” Cities around Britain will now bid to stage next year’s event.

Read it at BBC