untitled design

Eurovision Song Contest 2023 will be held in England (even if Ukraine won)

The Kalush Orchestra won theEurovision Song Contest 2022 with the song Stefania, but the Ukrainian band’s victory has a bittersweet flavor. Even if in the edition hosted in Turin (after the Maneskin triumph) the group won the hearts of the public and held high the honor and pride of an entire nation, especially following the invasion of Russia. Not to mention the fact that the band donated the cash prize to the Ukrainian army, reaching £ 700,000, which was then spent on purchasing combat drones.

It is precisely the geopolitical situation – with the war still in full swing – that led the organizing committee (The European Broadcasting Union) to decide that because of the precarious conditions Ukraine will not host the event next year. The main reason is therefore the impossibility of guaranteeing the safety of participants and guests, as it had happened both in 2005 and in 2017 (at the time the broadcast was entrusted to the public channel UA: PBC). Three victories in less than twenty years of participation in theEurovision Song Contest represent a truly remarkable achievement.

The burden and honor will go to England for the eighth time, second-placed team thanks to Sam Ryder’s performance with the song Space Man, which will perhaps air the event on the BBC. Putting on such a show would cost the UK around £ 17 million (not counting twelve months of preparation). The figure is exorbitant, of course, but it hasn’t happened since 1998 that England has been the host: the year before Katrina and the Waves had triumphed with Love shine a light.

The tradition of singing competition sees the winning country as the guest of the following year, but this time it cannot be respected. However, the organizers reiterated and specified that Ukraine will have a place of honor in next year’s event, but it is still too early to say whether this attention will concern the conductors or not. Downing Street said the British would be honored to partner with the Ukrainian government to honor the nation’s wealth and cultural heritage, especially at this time of great difficulty. It is too early to say whether or not there will be talk of Ukraine’s even financial participation in the organization.

The 2022 appointment was dedicated to Peace and led by Mika, Laura Pausini and Alessandro Cattelan.

Other stories of Vanity Fair that may interest you:

Johnny Depp in the pub after the verdict

The reactions of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard after the verdict

That’s why the star won

Source: Vanity Fair

You may also like

Get the latest

Stay Informed: Get the Latest Updates and Insights

 

Most popular