Liverpool
England’s ESC for Ukraine
“United by Music” is this year’s ESC motto. photo
© Corinne Cumming/EBU/dpa
Instead of last year’s winner Ukraine, Great Britain is hosting the ESC, and Peter Urban is the last commentator for German television. What you should know about the biggest TV show in the world in 2023.
Sweden and Finland end up at the top, Germany rather behind again, Peter Urban says bye, Jan Böhmermann comments for Austria and the British put on a great show in Liverpool with their humor: This is how this year’s Eurovision song could be described with just a few words and assumptions describe the contest.
How things will really turn out – especially in terms of placements – will only be known on the night of May 13th to 14th. By then, around 1 a.m., all the points in the traditionally complicated announcement will have been awarded. And Europe seemed to be one big family again at least one evening a year via TV show. The motto of the ESC 2023, in which 37 countries take part, but only 26 of which compete in the final, is “United by Music”.
Why the ESC takes place in Liverpool
Due to the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, Great Britain is hosting the ESC this time as the second-placed country of the previous year. The BBC is working with Ukraine on this. In Turin 2022, the Ukrainian band Kalush Orchestra won with the title “Stefania”, the Brit Sam Ryder landed with “Space Man” behind them. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy initially wanted the 2023 Song Contest to take place in Ukraine. However, after negotiations with Ukraine, the hosting European Broadcasting Union (EBU) announced on June 23, 2022 that it would not organize the event in Ukraine.
UK – ie the United Kingdom – had agreed to step in. Cities like Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle, Leeds and Sheffield were now shortlisted, with only Glasgow and Liverpool remaining in the end. On October 7th, it became official that the Beatles’ city of Liverpool had won the bid.
the location
The venue is now the Liverpool Arena – also known as the M&S Bank Arena – with up to 11,000 seats. With the UK only substituting for Ukraine, the stage is meant to symbolize a kind of hug. More than 450 square meters of stage feature independently movable and rotating video screens, as well as over 700 video tiles embedded in the floor and more than a kilometer of LED lights. King Charles III attended the unveiling of the stage in April. and Queen Camilla.
The moderators
The two semi-finals on May 9th and 11th will be moderated by Ukrainian singer Julia Sanina, actress Hannah Waddingham (“Game of Thrones”) and “Britain’s Got Talent” judge Alesha Dixon as a trio of women. One of the most famous television personalities in the English-speaking world will be added to the final on May 13: legendary talk show host, presenter, actor and author Graham Norton (60). The openly gay comedian has been commenting on the ESC shows for the BBC with great wit since 2009.
In his internationally known talk show “The Graham Norton Show”, the native Irishman regularly gets big stars to tell funny things about their lives. ESC fans also know Norton from the Netflix comedy “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga”. Despite his job as a moderator, Norton also wants to comment on the finale and therefore somehow commute between the stage and the commentator box that evening. Ukrainian commentator Timur Miroshnychenko will also be involved in the shows.
Last shows with the German ESC voice Peter Urban
In Germany, the deep voice of NDR veteran Peter Urban belonged to the ESC for decades. Since 1997 the man from Hamburg has led the ARD broadcast through the European singing competition – with a mixture of calm, expertise and subtle irony. He only had to sit out once due to illness. Now the 75-year-old stops. Not infrequently, the native of Lower Saxony spoke from the soul of the viewers.
He always held back with discussions or even justifications as to why Germany took a bad place at the ESC. “I’m not the one who’s supposed to judge anything here, I’m supposed to comment on it, and I can’t find explanations for everything,” he told dpa.
As a counter-program to Urban, ESC fans can also follow performances by Jan Böhmermann and Olli Schulz live from Liverpool this year. The two comment for the Austrian radio, for the ORF media library and the radio station FM4. Austria’s TV commentator is Andi Knoll.
The semifinals
The first semi-final on May 9 has 15 participating countries (including Switzerland, Israel, Sweden and the Netherlands), the second on May 11 then 16 (including Austria, Belgium, Poland and for the eighth time Australia (the country has been allowed since join in 2015)). As one of the big donors, Germany is automatically set for the final on May 13 with the Hamburg rock band Lord Of The Lost (“Blood & Glitter”) – as are Italy, France, Spain, Great Britain and last year’s winner country Ukraine.
Germany can vote in the first semi-final. As of this year, the jury is abolished in the ESC semi-final shows. Only the televoting should decide which acts move into the final.