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Belfast Live
Belfast Live
National
Damien Edgar

Belfast moves one step closer in bid to host Eurovision final

It is understood Belfast City Council will bid to be a host for the Eurovision 2023 final.

The bidding was opened to the UK after it was announced that winners Ukraine would not be able to host the final due to the ongoing conflict.

It was then opened to the UK to host as Sam Ryder finished runner-up in this year's competition.

Read more: Eurovision winners back Belfast to host contest worth £20million to NI hospitality and tourism

Belfast councillors met on Wednesday evening to discuss a potential bid for the glamorous event.

It is understood that a bid has been provisionally approved, although it will need approval at the next full council meeting on 1 September.

The shortlist for those locations which have applied to host the final will be announced on the BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show on Friday.

Past Eurovision winners from across the island of Ireland came together last week to declare their support for a bid from Belfast.

Ireland has won Eurovision a record seven times, so the pull of history for the competition is strong.

Estimates place the value of hosting the final at around £20m to the local economy, through booking hotel rooms, restaurants, cafes, bars, taxis and other jobs that would be boosted including security, pedestrianisation of parts of the city and other preparations for the competition.

The host city will ultimately be decided upon by the BBC and the EBU (European Broadcasting Union).

That final decision will be taken in May 2023, ahead of the autumn date for the event.

London, Manchester, Sheffield, Leeds, Glasgow and Aberdeen already have bids in place as Eurovision gears up for its ninth appearance in the UK.

Glasgow is the current favourite with bookies to win the hosting race.

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