The 2023 Eurovision Music Contest can’t be held in Ukraine given the continuing warfare within the nation, the European Broadcasting Union stated Friday (17 June), including it was in talks with the BBC to host it in the UK.
“The safety and operational ensures required for a broadcaster to host, set up and produce the Eurovision Music Contest beneath the ESC Guidelines can’t be fulfilled by (Ukraine’s public broadcaster) UA:PBC,” ESC stated on Twitter.
“The EBU want to thank UA:PBC for his or her wholehearted cooperation and dedication in exploring all situations within the weeks since Kalush Orchestra’s win on 14 Might in Turin and share their unhappiness and disappointment that subsequent yr’s Contest can’t be held in Ukraine.”
Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra received this yr’s contest final month in Turin, with the UK’s entry coming second.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was fast to supply his congratulations to Kalush Orchestra after they received.
He had additionally stated within the on-line message that Ukraine would host the Eurovision music contest.
“Clearly these aren’t a set of circumstances that anybody would need … we’ll after all focus on the BBC internet hosting the Eurovision Music Contest,” the BBC stated.
As per custom, the winner of the ESC hosts the competitors the following yr, however the safety and operational ensures required for a broadcaster to host the competitors meant it needed to go to the runner up.
“It’s our full intention that Ukraine’s win will likely be mirrored in subsequent yr’s exhibits,” the EBU stated.
A spokesman for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson stated: “We’d be dedicated to making sure that it overwhelmingly displays Ukraine’s wealthy tradition, heritage and creativity in addition to constructing on the continuing partnership between our two international locations.”
