Two countries have pulled out of Eurovision which is due to be held in Liverpool next year.
North Macedonia and Montenegro will no longer compete in the infamous song contest. Both countries have put the decision down to the costs for entering the competition being too high, The Mirror Online reports.
A spokesperson for RTCG, Montenegro's public broadcaster said: "In addition to the significant costs of registration fees, as well as the cost of staying in Great Britain – we also faced a lack of interest from sponsors, so we decided to direct existing resources to the financing of current and planned national projects."
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In a statement, North Macedonia's broadcaster MRT said: "Macedonian Radio Television informs the public about its decision not to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest next year, which will be held in the United Kingdom.
"Such a decision is in the best interest of the citizens, taking into account the increased costs due to the energy crisis, which occupy a large part of the budget of the Public Service, as well as the increased registration fee for participation in 'Eurosong 2023', which until last year was 39,143.00 euros, and the next year is expected to be higher."
How much does it cost for countries to enter the Eurovision Song Contest?
Each year, the countries that choose to participate have to pay a fee but this varies depending on the size of the country. However, it's believed that some countries have been told to pay more after Russia had previously been banned from entering the famous contest.
Russia, which provides a substantial amount of finance towards the show was prohibited from entering after Vladimir Putin's army illegally invaded Ukraine earlier this year. The infamous song contest is being held in Liverpool next year, after Ukraine won the competition this year. However, due to Ukraine being attacked by Russia, the country is unable to host.
The European Broadcasting Union which organise the event explained they were "committed to keeping the costs of taking part as affordable as possible" and the cost to enter is based on "the member's relative size and financial status".
Sources suggest that the BBC will receive between £8 to £17 million to stage the event which will take place in Liverpool in May 2023.
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