Liverpool 2023🇺🇦 Ukraine

Kyiv says they are “ready to host Eurovision” with the EBU set to assess options of host cities

The city has previously hosted the contest in 2005 and 2017

Kyiv’s City State Administration has told Ukranian news website Siohodni that they are ready to host Eurovision 2023 if they are asked, after Kalush Orchestra won this year’s contest in Turin with their song “Stefania”. Kyiv has previously hosted the contest in 2005 and 2017.

This announcement makes Kyiv the first Ukrainian city to announce that it would be prepared to host the 2023 contest, amid the ongoing war in the country following Russia’s invasion. UA:PBC’s Mykola Cherotytsky revealed last week that discussions with the EBU about hosting Eurovision 2023 were to begin.

“We will hold a competition at a high international level”

Speaking to Siohodni, Mykola Povoroznyk, the First Deputy Head of the Kyiv City State Adminstration said that the EBU will determine where to hold the competition once they have assessed the current situation in Ukraine. Several countries have already offered to provide support or to host the contest in case Ukraine cannot, including Spain, Poland and the Netherlands.

There is an appropriate procedure for holding Eurovision. The organisers of the song contest are to arrive in Ukraine. They will assess the situation and decide exactly where to hold the competition. As for the city of Kyiv, we have already held Eurovision twice. The city has shown its potential – we can hold such large-scale events. And if the choice of organisers is in Kyiv, we will do it for the third time.

– Mykola Povoroznyk, First Deputy Head of Kyiv City State Administration

However, if Ukraine was selected to be the host country for Eurovision 2023, Mr. Povoroznyk has said that the Ukrainian capital city is ready to host the contest, after previously hosting in 2005, at the Palace of Sports, and in 2017, at the International Exhibition Centre.

We are ready to host Eurovision. We have all the infrastructure prepared for this. I think it is inexpedient to build something new, we will focus on what we already have. In a year, in the current conditions, it is quite difficult to build something new. If the organisers trust us, we will hold a competition at a high international level.

– Mykola Povoroznyk, First Deputy Head of Kyiv City State Administration

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has also signalled his support for Ukraine to host Eurovision 2023, posting on Instagram after Kalush Orchestra’s win that “Next year, Ukraine will host Eurovision”. President Zelensky also congratulated the group and said that he believes that Ukraine can win the contest again in the future.

Kalush Orchestra won the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 in Turin with their song “Stefania”. At the end of voting, they had received 631 points. The United Kingdom and Spain completed the top three, making it their best results since 1997 and 1995 respectively.

Would you like to see Kyiv hosting Eurovision 2023? Let us know! Be sure to stay updated by following @ESCXTRA on Twitter@escxtra on Instagram and liking our Facebook page for the latest updates! Also, make sure you follow us on Spotify for the latest music from your favourite Eurovision acts.

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