How Liverpool Won The Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual international music competition that has been held since 1956. It was first held in Lugano, Switzerland with only seven countries participating. The 69th competition is due to return to Switzerland in 2025 in the beautiful city of Bern.
The contest format involves each country awarding points to the other countries’ songs based on a combination of jury votes and viewer votes. At the end of the competition, the country with the highest total number of points wins. The winning country is then given the opportunity to host the contest the following year.
Why Did Liverpool Host the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest?
In 2021 Ukraine won the contest but it was concluded that the event could not be held in the winning country for safety and security reasons so the UK agreed to host the event on behalf of Ukraine.
In August 2022, the final list was narrowed down from a list of 20 UK cities to Glasgow and Liverpool with Liverpool chosen in November 2022 on behalf of Ukraine.
The Eurovision 2023 final took place on Saturday, May 13, with the two semi-finals taking place in the week running up to the live show.
The slogan used was ‘United By Music,’ which demonstrated the unique partnership between the United Kingdom, Ukraine, and host city Liverpool. It also reflected the contest’s very origins, which were developed to bring Europe closer together through a shared television experience across different countries.
Representing the UK was Mae Muller singing a self-penned song – ‘I Wrote a Song’. UK’s hopes were high however unfortunately the song finished in 25th place only scoring 24 points.
Did you know?
Where it all began!
Eurovision has launched the careers of many famous artists, including Celine Dion (who represented Switzerland in 1988), Julio Iglesias (who represented Spain in 1970), and Conchita Wurst (who represented Austria in 2014).
The UK & Eurovision
The United Kingdom has had a poor run of form when it comes to, its Eurovision results in recent years. However, in 2022, TikTok star Sam Ryder was selected to represent the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest with his track Spaceman. To the shock of many fans, he finished in second place, topping the jury votes, only losing to winners Ukraine.
The Brits have won the competition five times; in 1967 with Sandie Shaw’s Puppet On A String; in 1969 with Lulu and Boom Bang-a-Bang; in 1976 with Brotherhood of Man and Save Your Kisses for Me; in 1981 with Bucks Fizz and Making Your Mind Up and in 1997 with Katrina and the Waves and Love Shine a Light.
UK’s hopes are pinned on the song ‘What the hell just happened’ by Remember Monday, this year in Basel. The first all-girl band to represent the UK since 1999.
What is Liverpool famous for?
The Beatles: Liverpool is the hometown of the world-famous band, The Beatles. The city is known for its vibrant music scene and the numerous places associated with the band, such as The Cavern Club, Strawberry Fields and Penny Lane.
Football: Liverpool is home to two Premier League football teams – Liverpool FC and Everton FC. Liverpool FC is one of the most successful football clubs in English football.
Port city: Liverpool is a historic port city; the waterfront and the Albert Dock is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Culture and arts: Liverpool has a rich cultural and artistic heritage. The city boasts numerous museums and galleries, such as the Tate Liverpool, the Walker Art Gallery, and the Museum of Liverpool.
Architecture: Liverpool has many beautiful and unique buildings, including the iconic Royal Liver Building. This building on the city’s waterfront is one of the most recognisable landmarks in Liverpool. It was built in 1911 and features two liver birds, the symbol of the city.
So why book your event in Liverpool?
Liverpool has been a UNESCO City of Music since 2015, is famous for The Beatles, and has a rich musical heritage. It also has the 5th largest Cathedral in Europe!
Liverpool is easily accessible from major UK cities such as London, Manchester, and Glasgow, and has its own international airport. The city also has excellent transport links, including a well-connected train station, making it easy for attendees to reach the city.
Liverpool has a variety of excellent conference venues, ranging from large-scale convention centres to smaller meeting spaces.
Take a look at our Liverpool destination page which talks bout some of the meeting spaces and hotels that we can book for your events in Liverpool. There are many more Hotels and venues we can book for you so please get in touch.
The Acts
The Performances
Eurovision is known for its flamboyant costumes, extravagant staging, and over-the-top performances.
One of the more memorable acts in recent times was Lordi, who won the contest for Finland in 2006 dressed as monsters!
Our View
Eurovision 2023 boosted the Liverpool City Region economy by £54.8 million (net), benefiting restaurants, accommodation providers, retail, bars, and transport networks.
In total, 473,000 people attended the contest and other events taking place around the city, with an additional 306,000 visitors to the city to be part of the celebrations.
Over 175,000 city centre hotel rooms were sold.
It was reported the contest in 2023 had a television audience of 162 million viewers in 38 European markets, an increase of a million viewers from 2022. Due to its success, Liverpool has seen an increase in event planners holding their events in the City.
So why not get in on the act and book your next conference or meeting in Liverpool and enjoy all the City can offer?
About the Author – Catherine Harding
With a lifelong love for hotels and hospitality sparked by travel across the UK and Europe, Catherine pursued a career in the industry from the outset. After gaining hands-on experience at high-profile venues and events, she honed her skills in venue finding for major corporate clients.
Now a valued member of DeSouza Associates, she combines deep industry knowledge with a personal, client-focused approach to deliver tailored event solutions.
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