In just two months into the future, many lucky fans will be off to Liverpool to experience the Eurovision Song Contest. And while the Semi-Finals and Final will not be until the second week of May, the celebrations will start on the first of May already! How? On the first of March, the city of Liverpool announced it’s plans for Eurofest: a two-week cultural festival that celebrates collaborations between Ukrainian and British artists all throughout Liverpool. Starting on the 1st of May until the 14th, all of Liverpool will be transformed into a city of celebration!
Who are taking part in the Eurofest?
Out of almost 700 responses to the initial request back in December, the following commissions were chosen:
- Amigo & Amigo, Svitlana Reinish, Anton Dehtiarov, M3 Industries, Black_Box
- Artists on the Frontline and ParadeFest
- BBC Storyville Live
- Black Gold Arts, First Take, Homotopia, Hackney Showroom and RubyLemon
- Bluecoat and The Jam Factory, Lviv
- English National Opera does Eurovision!
- Go Fly Your Kite and the Junior Academy of Science Kyiv
- Invisible Wind Factory
- Izyum to Liverpool
- Jamala (winner of Eurovision 2016)
- Jez Collins, UAME I Music Saves UA and Open Culture
- Liverpool Cathedral and Katya Buchatska
- Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse and Sheep Soup
- Port and Katya Taylor
- Natalie McCool, Stealing Sheep, Krapka;KOMA and Helleroid
- National Museums Liverpool
- Northern Town and Jeanefer Jean-Charles & Associates
- Open Eye Gallery
- Rave UKraine
- The Reading Agency and BBC Arts
- Slukh.Media, Sonia Chapman and Perfectionist.London
- Tate Liverpool
- The Blue and Yellow Submarine Parade
- Unity Theatre and Yurii Radionov
- Whispered Tales and Denys Kashchei
While some commissions are all about celebration and spreading joy, such as the English National Opera does Eurovision! and The Blue and Yellow Submarine Parade, some are made to display the strength and resilience of the Ukrainian people, like Izyum to Liverpool and Rave UKraine.
Reactions to the news
Many big names in this year’s Eurovision have responded to the news about Eurofest.
Managing Director, BBC Eurovision 2023, Martin Green, said:
“These commissions perfectly sum up this year’s contest with music, storytelling and of course the best of British and Ukrainian culture at their heart. I cannot wait to see them all come to life this May, especially the glitterball jellyfish!”
Eurovision Minister Stuart Andrew responded:
“The Eurovision Song Contest will be a fantastic opportunity to celebrate our shared love of music and the cultural programme in Liverpool is filled with brilliant entertainment. “The commissions range from the wacky to the poignant and I am pleased that the programme has strong involvement from our Ukrainian friends. I look forward to seeing each commission come to life in May.”
Joanne Anderson, the mayor of Liverpool, excitedly said:
”For Liverpool, Eurovision is much more than the Grand Final on 13 May. This amazing collection of artists will ensure that everyone who wants to be part of the Eurovision journey can do so for a whole fortnight leading up to the big day. The planned projects are joyful, hopeful, ambitious and moving – as you would expect from the unique circumstances in which we are hosting this event. Once again, Liverpool is using its incredible creative credentials to tell a story, and in doing so, engage a wide audience in a narrative that impacts us all.”
“I am particularly proud that we are able to provide a platform for so many brilliant Ukrainian artists and musicians and that our local cultural sector has welcomed them with such warmth and spirit. I can’t wait until we can reveal all of the details so that everyone can start planning their EuroFest trip!”
All the details regarding the festival will be revealed at the end of March. Eurofest has been made possible by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
Are you planning to visit Eurofest? Let us know! Be sure to stay updated by following @ESCXTRA on Twitter, @escxtra on Instagram, @escxtra on TikTok and liking our Facebook page for the latest updates! Also, be sure to follow us on Spotify for the latest music from your favourite Eurovision acts, as well as YouTube to see our reactions to the news in the run up to the 2023 Eurovision season.
