Liverpool Council is continuing to push ahead as the decision on which city will host Eurovision draws near.
The Council submitted a formal application to host the song contest after reaching the shortlist of UK cities to stage Eurovision earlier this year. It comes after the contest organisers decided Ukraine would not be able to host after a huge win in 2022.
Liverpool is joined on the city shortlist by Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield after the UK confirmed it would host the show on behalf of Ukraine. Now as decision time draws closer, members of the council are giving a final push to the bid.
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A spokesperson from Liverpool City Council said: "We know the responsibility that comes with hosting Eurovision 2023 and we are working hard behind the scenes to let the decision makers know how important this opportunity could be for Liverpool – an event to bring the global community together in one place and to help define us for the next decade.
"For Liverpool, Eurovision Means More – a mega event which will not only provide our visitor economy sector with a much needed boost but it will also kickstart a new era for the city as an international destination."
Mayor of Liverpool, Joanne Anderson, said: “Liverpool is an extraordinary place. We are bang in the centre of the UK but feel like a European city. We have a fiercely proud local community but have a global outlook and attitude.
“It is impossible to come here and not feel the energy which runs through our streets. There is no other city in the UK that puts on a show like Liverpool and there is no better crowd in the world.
“We want to stage this event in solidarity with, and in tribute to, Ukraine and its people and it would be an honour to be given the opportunity to make that amazing country, and the UK, proud.”
Assistant Mayor and Cabinet Member for Culture and Visitor Economy, Councillor Harry Doyle, said: “It was only a month ago we found out we had been shortlisted, and ever since, Team Liverpool has been working hard behind the scenes to pull together a bidding document which outlines exactly why this city should host this incredible event in 2023.
“It’s a massively complex event to stage but we are confident we have the skills, expertise and passion to stage this unique Eurovision. And it’s not just a Liverpool bid – it’s a city region bid.
"We know the positive impact that this event would bring across all of our neighbouring boroughs, not just next year, but in years to come. It’s exciting to have got this far in the process and although it’s tough competition, I really hope the Eurovision spotlight shines on us, as there really is nowhere better than Liverpool."
The Mayor of Odesa, Gennadiy Trukhanov said: "In 2023 our country will not be able to host the Eurovision Contest, but it does not mean that the voices of Odesons, and our songs will not resound for the world. We believe that our sister city Liverpool is worth hosting this contest, as it perfectly reflects the brightness of the event and demonstrates true diversity in unity.
“Let the songs of the entire of Europe ring over the Mersey.”
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