GLASGOW is set to find out if it will host next year's Eurovision Song Contest in an announcement tonight.
Veteran commentator for the competition Graham Norton will reveal whether Glasgow or Liverpool will be home to the competition in 2024.
The big reveal is set to be announced on the The One Show on BBC One between 7pm and 8pm.
Speaking on The Chris Evans Breakfast Show with Sky, Graham said: “Myself and Sam [Ryder] on Friday night will be discussing where Eurovision is going to be – on the telly.
“We’ll know by then, we’ll know by then.”
When asked if he is going to be revealing where the event will be held on The One Show, Graham said: “I hope this is OK to say but yes I am.”
The cities were selected after Birmingham, Leeds, Newcastle, Sheffield and Manchester were removed from the list to host the music event in place of Ukraine.
Ukrainian entry Kalush Orchestra triumphed at the 2022 competition in Turin, Italy, but the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which produces the annual event, decided the show cannot be safely held in the country following Russia’s invasion.
Graham Norton
In August a list narrowed down from 20 UK cities who initially submitted an “expression of interest” was released by the BBC, with applicants across all four countries demonstrating how they would reflect Ukrainian culture, music and communities.
Of the seven cities named in August, six were in England, one in Scotland, with Belfast failing to make the cut for Northern Ireland.
Speaking after the announcement of the final two cities, Martin Osterdahl, the executive supervisor for the Eurovision Song Contest, said the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) are “confident” Glasgow and Liverpool are the “best-placed” cities to host Eurovision 2023.
Osterdahl said: “The EBU would like to warmly thank all the seven British cities that put so much effort and enthusiasm into their bids to host next year’s Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of Ukraine.
“We very much appreciate their co-operation and the quality and creativity of all the bids received.
“The Eurovision Song Contest is the most complex TV production in the world, with very specific logistical requirements to accommodate around 40 delegations and thousands of crew, volunteers, press and fans.
“We’re confident our final two cities are the best-placed to meet this challenge and look forward to continuing our discussions to choose the one which will stage the world’s largest music event next May.”
The Hydro Arena
Glasgow’s OVO Hydro arena, Scotland’s largest entertainment venue, has tweeted that if the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest was held in the city it would be “an amazing experience for the huge global community of fans, with Ukraine at its heart”.
We are incredibly proud that #Glasgow has made it to the final (two) of the @Eurovision hosting process,” the OVO Hydro account wrote.
“#Eurovision in Glasgow would be an amazing experience for the huge global community of fans, with Ukraine at its heart.”
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