The Eurovision Song Contest has finally landed in Liverpool.
The Insignia Handover ceremony saw representatives from around the world in media, politics and Eurovision come to celebrate the first big milestone in the Eurovision calendar.
Hundreds of guests poured through Liverpool's St George's Hall to celebrate the evening which saw several presentations from those with a key part to play including the Mayor of Liverpool, Joanne Anderson, the Mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, and BBC Eurovision's managing director Martin Green.
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They spoke at length about what the contest can do for the city in terms of economic growth, tourism, and reputation going forward. The United Kingdom's Secretary of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Michelle Donelan, was also in attendance. Speaking ahead of the ceremony, she said: "It is a collaborative investment from both Liverpool and the Government, but also from the BBC.
"We’ve got to remember how much these events generate. If we look back at Stockholm, for instance, that generates £10m to £28m into the city, so this is going to be a real boost to the local economy for tourism."
At 7pm, BBC Two broadcast from St George's Hall live across the United Kingdom in order to deliver the contest's semi-final allocation draw. The event typically takes place on the Eurovision YouTube channel but the BBC stressed they intend to pull out all the stops to make this year's show unforgettable.
Mayor of Turin, Stefano Lo Russo, and Mayor Anderson met on stage to hand over the event from Turin, sealing the process with a simple handshake. Offering words of wisdom, Mayor Lo Russo said: "Enjoy the event, include everybody, engage the whole city, and be proud of such an incredible international stage for you, for Ukraine and for peace."
Rylan Clark and AJ Odudu presented the broadcast and were joined by school children from across the region, including Ukranian refugees who found shelter in Liverpool, to help deliver the draw. After the presentation, Europe eventually discovered which nations will battle it out before heading on to the grand final spectacle on May 13.
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