As I make my way through the bustling centre of Liverpool, the sounds of Conchita Wurst’s Rise Like a Phoenix can be heard wailing out from in the distance. There really could be no truer way of indicating that the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest is well and truly here.
On Tuesday night (May 8), the first live show of this year’s international contest took place at the M&S Bank Arena Liverpool and saw 15 countries compete for their spot in Saturday’s grand final, including Sweden, Norway, Israel and Czechia.
Over the course of two hours, we were treated to a Finnish rapper with a love for neon inflatable armbands, a Lizzo cardboard cut-out, a dark panpipe ritual and, naturally, Croatia’s answer to the Village People jumping around in their underpants.
READ MORE: Join the FREE Manchester Evening News WhatsApp community
On any other night, that line-up would read like the rundown of a very concerning fever dream but at Eurovision, it’s just another day at the office.
Eurovision often gets a bit of a bad rep - especially here in the UK - and some of it is perhaps a little bit warranted considering the novelty acts we've not only witnessed but forced Europe to endure over the years. But there's no denying that there's a lot of good that comes out of the contest too - and that was signalled early on in the first show.
Hosted by Alesha Dixon, Hannah Waddingham and Julia Sanina, the night reinforced this year’s message that we are all ‘United By Music’ and kicked off with a touching passover from last year's winners Ukraine, who are unable to host this year's event due to the ongoing Russian invasion. Handing hosting duties over to Liverpool, the semi-final introduction featured a host of local names and a very touching appearance from the late Paul O’Grady.
The special relationship between Ukraine and Liverpool was further cemented by a heart-warming interval performance of Duran Duran’s Ordinary World by Liverpool’s Rebecca Ferguson and Ukraine singer Alyosha.
We were even treated to a medley from Rita Ora and a Eurovision rap from host Alesha, which is all boxes ticked in many people's eyes.
To pardon the Eurovision pun, the vibe in Liverpool was euphoric both inside and outside the arena. From street performances to music festivals, the city was alive with Eurovision fever as people proudly wore flags from their home countries or dressed up as contest faves like Ukraine’s 2007 glitter-tastic entrant Verka.
Those unable to get a ticket to the arena were also able to enjoy the show from the huge screens in the dedicated fan zone Eurovision Village next door or the many bars and pubs across the city, which were all proudly screening the festivities.
The city has gone far and beyond to embrace the event and anyone who dared doubt how Liverpool might be able to pull off the huge feat of hosting the event will now be sitting silent and eating their words.
The semi-final saw ten entrants make it through, including Finland’s Käärijä, Czechia folk group Vesna and Sweden’s Eurovision 2012 winner Loreen. It was a strong night that saw the likes of Ireland, Malta and the Netherlands become the unfortunate ones not to progress through the contest.
There will be another semi-final on Thursday where 16 more countries, including Australia, Denmark, Austria, Poland and Greece, will compete for a spot in Saturday’s grand final.
Outside of Liverpool, the final will also be shown here in Manchester on huge screens in Piccadilly Gardens.
It's the first time the UK has hosted the event in 25 years and while unfortunate circumstances may by the only reason why we're in this position, it doesn't mean we can't still celebrate it and embrace the fact that the contest is right here on our doorstep.
The spirit of Eurovision is here and if it is anything like the first semi-final, it has no plans on leaving for the rest of the week. So, we might as well just get behind it, have a good time and master the Cha Cha Cha dance routine whilst we're at it.
The Eurovision Song Contest 2023 continues with the second semi-final on Thursday at 8pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. The Grand Final is on Saturday at 8pm.
Read more of today's top stories here
READ NEXT:
- Jack Whitehall on his love affair with Manchester - from mooning on the Manchester Eye, having his front door stolen in Fallowfield and being ‘chased out’ of Oldham biker pub
- Inside the huge new Rudy's pizzeria with a unique Italian feature
- "I finally tried 'Greater Manchester's best burger'. Part of me wishes I hadn't"
- World premiere of Stock Aitken and Waterman musical I Should Be So Lucky featuring songs of Kylie and Jason in Manchester
- Coronation Concert viewers say Katy Perry came dressed as 'British icon' as she stuns in dress
