Eurovision Song Contest 2023 - 13th May - Liverpool

[SholasBoy]

People are suggesting Glasgow as Olly Murs has just announced your dates including a Liverpool one that conflicts with the contest.

[flopho]

We'll find out soon if this is fake or not

edit: Liverpool City Council had a meeting this morning and the only item on the agenda was Eurovision.

https://councillors.liverpool.gov.uk...Id=20092&Ver=4

Could be just smth for the bid though

[SholasBoy]

Great news for Liverpool!!! Hope to be there !

[Wayne]

Congratulations Liverpool!

[SholasBoy]

May 13th for the final. Clashes with Gran Canaria pride...what to do

[Artoo]

People are suggesting Glasgow as Olly Murs has just announced your dates including a Liverpool one that conflicts with the contest.

This got old very quickly

[SholasBoy]

How weird he was also on the One Show with his tour supposedly finishing in Liverpool in May. Unlikely love.

[Thriller]

Amazing news for Liverpool, I really thought Glasgow had it. I’d love to be there for something during that week in some capacity.

[heppolo]

Glad for Sonia, she was probably the only former Eurovision contestant really invested in the bidding process.

[SholasBoy]

The hype surrounding ESC here means BBC have announced for first time they will broadcast the semis on BBC1!

[aaliyahman]

Someone get me tickets, I have to be here!

[flopho]

Montenegro won't participate

[SholasBoy]

No great loss. Probably the most consistently poor entries of any country.

[Tansike]

Apparently, North Macedonia and Bulgaria also won‘t participate.

Many people seem to complain about the costs of staying in the UK. Are hotel prices really that expensive?

[Thriller]

Apparently, North Macedonia and Bulgaria also won‘t participate.

Many people seem to complain about the costs of staying in the UK. Are hotel prices really that expensive?

I saw Ģ15,000 for 3 nights at one point! But I believe it often does this when the host is announced and calms down eventually?

[SholasBoy]

Nobody in the right mind will pay those prices, they’ll have to drop them off eventually or leave them unoccupied

[jordi_89]

Apparently, North Macedonia and Bulgaria also won‘t participate.

If they keep losing countries Eurovision will end up being as boring and predictable as back in the day. Let's hope they convince (or allow) Kosovo, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Tunisia and Morocco to join.

[Mainshow]

Of course, itīs a pity that countries have to drop out but Eurovision is not on the verge of becoming "boring and predictable".

North Macedonia and Montenegro withdrew because of financial difficulties. Europe is facing a state of recession and energy crisis right now and taking part in Eurovision can be quite expensive. These two countries officially declared that the rising participation fees as well as the costs for accommodation in Liverpool are too expensive and are the reason(s) why none of them will take part BUT both of them hope to be back soon/next year.

This is what North Macedoniaīs broadcaster said:

Such a decision is in the best interest of the citizens, taking into account the increased costs due to the energy crisis, which occupy a large part of the budget of the Public Service, as well as the increased registration fee for the participation in “Eurosong 2023”, which until last year was 39,143.00 euros. , and the next year is expected to be higher. This decision will enable the saving of funds that should be set aside for the Macedonian delegation’s stay in Liverpool, where the “Eurosong 2023” is being held.

However, MRT will broadcast the event, the two semi-final evenings and the grand final on its services. MRT hopes that the situation will stabilize, after which the country will return again with participation in Eurovision in 2024.

source: North Macedonia: MRT Withdraws From Eurovision 2023 - Eurovoix

Montenegro was even close to submit an entry to Liverpool but pulled out at the very end - again because of the rising costs/lack of sponsors.

“In addition to the significant costs of the registration fee, as well as the cost of staying in Great Britain – we also faced a lack of interest from sponsors, so we decided to direct existing resources to the financing of current and planned national projects and organizational and program reforms, which entail significant investment interventions in equipment and premises.”

source: Montenegro Withdraws From Eurovision 2023 Due To Costs (wiwibloggs.com)

Enisa whose father is from Montenegro was about to represent them in Liverpool:
source: ENISA tweets that she was meant to represent Montenegro in Liverpool...but they couldn't fund it | wiwibloggs



All in all, one could say that the cost of staying in Liverpool even affects smaller broadcaster/countries so that they have to "take a break" from Eurovision but both of them hope to be back next year and thus, I donīt think that Eurovision is about to "lose more countries".

In 2014, "only" 37 countries took part and it was still a very entertaining edition.

Even IF the Czech Republic withdraws as well (I canīt see Moldova and Armenia pulling out after finishing #2 in the televoting as well as Armeniaīs entry becoming a worldwide hit), we will see 36 countries in Liverpool = 15 countries each per semi final.

When it comes to Turkey, I donīt want to see a broadcaster in Eurovision which is homophobic. How can the EBU convince them to take part again since they have publicly and officially stated that artists like Conchita Wurst are the reason why Turkey stopped participating "to protect Turkish children" .
Such beliefs have no place in Eurovision and as long as thereīs no change in the broadcasterīs views and politics, I donīt want to see Turkey again (even though I miss some of their brilliant performances/entries).

Tunisia, Morocco and Lebanon can take part whenever they want. The EBU doesnīt have to invite them or convince them to debut/take part. They simply donīt want to be part of Eurovision as long as Israel participates. Tunisia and Lebanon even had entries ready but pulled out because they had to "broadcast Israeli content". As long as they keep on thinking that way, they should stay away from the competition.

Kosovo is a strange case since it hasnīt been fully recognised as an independent country. However, only Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina voted against them (from the ex-Yugoslavian countries) and thus, inviting Kosovo would probably make Serbia pull out (even though they still participate in UEFA/FIFA events).

Kazakhstan, however, should have been invitied years ago. They have sent delegations to observe the contest, have been taking part in the Junior Eurovision Contest for years (and got impressive scores) and are really keen on taking part.
Personally, I think that itīs almost racist that the EBU havenīt invited them to take part before. Geographically speaking, they are "more European" than Azerbaijan, Israel, Georgia, Armenia, Cyprus and Turkey.
The EBU claims that Kazakhstan is not a full member of the EBU area (a fictional area, anyway). Strangely, they were open to extend that area in the mid 00īs to let the three countries in the Caucasus participate.
The EBU also claims that Kazakhstan is "only" an associate member - same applies to Australia which can take part.
Moreover, Kazakhstan doesnīt have "own" landlines - they still share one with Russia and thus, an individiual televoting score canīt be generated BUT Russia doesnīt take part anymore and thus, all votes coming from that landline could be counted as a "Kazakh televote". Additionally, Kazakhstan plans to get their own landlines in Janauary and Australia completely ditched phone calls this year: Viewers had to vote via app/text messages and it was totally okay for the EBU - I donīt see why Kazakh viewers arenīt allowed to vote via app/mobile phones only.
Also, let us not forget that countries such as San Marino get a fake televoting (calculated by taking "similar countriesīvotes into account).

All in all, the EBU somehow doesnīt let Kazakhstan in - even though they made exceptions to Armenia, Georgia, San Marino, Australia and Azerbaijan and honestly, I think itīs just bullying/racism at this point.

SOOOOOOOOOOO - sorry for that long post -

The EBU needs to downsize a little bit (not increasing participaton fees for smaller countries, 1 to 2 hosts are enough, they donīt need employees to determine a running order or doing half-baked interviews [they should be asking fans instead]) and finally invite Kazakhstan and we wouldnīt have had the three withdrawals this year.....

[Mainshow]

CYPRUS just announced their artist: Itīs Andrew Lambrou.

Some of you might recognise him from his (vocally underwhelming) attempt to represent Australia this year.

Cyprus will send Andrew Lambrou to Liverpool (eurovision.tv)

[flopho]

Sanmarinese preselection 'Una voce per San Marino' has revealed its first participating artists, the most famous name probably being German legend Daniel Schuhmacher.

[Mainshow]

Daniel Schuhmacher has a lovely voice but all of his singles are utterly bland and dreadful.
As long as he wonīt be joined by A-list producers, I donīt expect anything from his attempt to represent San Marino.

[westhammer]

No great loss. Probably the most consistently poor entries of any country.

Outside of the UK & Spain probably!

I was hoping to go this year but I won’t make it.

[flopho]

Good news, Czechia and Armenia are in!

[Mainshow]

Hereīs the official announcement video released by the EBU/eurovision.tv

Iīm really happy about seeing 37 participants (thatīs the same amount of countries like in 2014 and the Grand Final turned out to be just fine).

Pleased to see the Czech Republic on the list (since rumor has it they would be withdrawing) as well as Armenia and Moldova.

I still donīt get it why Kazakhstan canīt debut and honestly, itīs just stupid at this point (like Iīve pointed it out on the previous page).
Iīm glad that some fans demand Kazakhstan in the comments. Itīs about time...

[SholasBoy]

The good news is there’s less chance of us losing favourites in the semis. (Though that wasn’t exactly true of 2014)