The search is underway to find the perfect venue for Eurovision Song Contest after it was announced the UK will take over from Ukraine.
The news was confirmed this week, with organisers - the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) - deciding the annual competition could not be held in war-torn Ukraine due to "safety and security reasons."
The EBU said that the UK, as this year's runner up with our act Sam Ryder, will host on behalf of Ukraine next year - who won the contest in May with its act Kalush Orchestra.
It announced that the BBC will take on hosting duties, with the process of selecting a host city to get underway this week - with a number of locations said to be interested.
The EBU has said that the next host city will be chosen in the coming months following "a bidding process," which it has confirmed will be officially launched this week.
It said that bidding is "expected to be competitive," adding that several mayors, councillors and MPs have already "informally" expressed an intention to put forward a bid.
The EBU said that this includes interest by representatives from cities such as Aberdeen, Belfast, Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Manchester.
The broadcaster said there's also been expressions of interest by representatives from Leeds, Liverpool, London, Newcastle, Nottingham, Sheffield and Wolverhampton.
The EBU noted that not all of those locations will formally apply though, with the broadcasting body and the BBC awaiting official approaches from this week onwards.
The long-list of applicants is expected to be published later in the summer and the selected host city will be announced "at a time agreed" by the EBU, the BBC and the host city.
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Potential host cities will need to sell their vision for the contest, as well as demonstrate that they can meet a list of expectations set by the EBU for the next year's competition.
The EBU said that criteria last year was based on providing a venue able to accommodate at least 10,000 spectators as well as including a press centre for media outlets.
Another element of criteria last year was that the venue was expected to be within "easy reach" of an international airport and there had to be "ample hotel accommodation."
The BBC said in a statement: "[We'll] now begin the process to find a host city to partner with us on delivering one of the most exciting events to come to the UK in 2023."
Bookies have already suggested Glasgow is the favourite to host the contest next year, with Manchester "fast-emerging" as a challenge to the city according to Ladbrokes.
It has given Glasgow odds of 4/5, Manchester is down as 7/2, whilst London is listed as 5/1. Belfast (8/1), Birmingham (10/1) and Liverpool (12/1) follow behind in their odds.
Coral however has Birmingham leading the race at 2/1. It lists Glasgow (3/1) as second most likely, with London (5/1) and Manchester (6/1) further down its odds list.
Welsh Secretary Robert Buckland today added his voice to calls for Cardiff to host the Eurovision Song Contest.
He told reporters: “I’m a fan of Eurovision and I think it’d be great to see it here in Wales, the Land of Song.”
He added: “I think Cardiff would be a great venue because it’s got the capacity.
“The reality is there are only a few places in the UK that have the capacity, there has been talking about the Manchester Arena, Glasgow.
“It seems to me that there’s a consensus that needs to be out of London, which is a good start, and therefore I think Cardiff definitely needs to be in the running as a major international venue, not just for sporting events, but for cultural events, as well.
“I can’t think of a better venue for a cultural event of this magnitude than Cardiff so I think we should go for it. And I would urge the BBC to work on that basis.”
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