With the shortlist of the Eurovision 2023 host cities to be revealed shortly, more countries are confirming what their bidding intentions are. After initially expressing their interest to bid for next year’s contest, Nottingham has confirmed it will not be submitting a bid.
Technical requirements and numerous events already scheduled in Nottingham
As reported by Eurovoix, numerous reasons have been stated as to why a Nottingham bid would not push through.
For its part, Councillor David Mellen, Leader of Nottingham City Council has explained that the city did not meet the capacity requirements.
“It’s really exciting that Eurovision is coming to the UK and for the country to host such a long-running, well-loved and prestigious international competition on behalf of Ukraine.
“With a world-class Arena that hosts entertainment superstars and international sporting events, Nottingham’s infrastructure of hotels, restaurants and bars is geared towards welcoming fans from all over the world.
“Together with local partners, we have carefully considered the criteria which potential host cities are required to meet ahead of submitting a formal application.
“Unfortunately, despite having a great venue, a vibrant and diverse community and excellent green transport links, Nottingham doesn’t meet the wider capacity requirements for an event of this scale and so, sadly, we have collectively decided not to put forward a bid on this occasion.
“With a worldwide television audience of more than 180 million people, Eurovision is a terrific opportunity for another city in the country and we’d be happy to help with their preparations if we can.”
Whilst Greg Nugent, the chair of The Nottingham Project mentioned Eurovision would be perfect. However, the city would fall short on the requirements.
“Nottingham is a hugely ambitious city that wants to be bidding for the big events and cultural relocations. Eurovision would have been perfect, especially in a year when it is about more than just the music.
“However, having reviewed the bidding criteria, my opinion is that on this occasion we would probably fall short of what is needed to stage the event next spring. We wish the BBC, European Broadcasting Union and all of Ukraine good luck in their search for the host city.”
Whilst Martin Ingham, the Chief Executive of Motorpoint Arena has mentioned that multiple events are already scheduled to take place on the period in which Eurovision will take place:
“We have a world-class venue here in Nottingham which regularly welcomes the biggest names in global entertainment, as well as international sporting events.
“Hosting Eurovision would have been another fantastic feather in the city’s cap, but unfortunately we cannot meet the event criteria as the Arena already has a number of major contracted events, including the IIHF Men’s World Championships 1A. This is an extensive period where the venue would need to be made available to the BBC and European Broadcasting Union.
“Despite the disappointment of not being able to take our bid further, we look forward to an incredible line-up of events at the Arena for the rest of our busiest ever year, including the Nottingham Panthers in the Elite Ice Hockey League, England Netball, and concerts from the likes of Sean Paul, George Ezra, Bob Dylan, Rod Stewart, Jake Bugg and Florence And The Machine.”
Whilst Rachel Stewart, the Head of Meet in Nottingham (which is part of Market Nottingham) also stated that it is a shame it did not work out on this occasion:
“Nottingham is a great venue for many types of conferences and events, and it would have been awesome to host Eurovision on behalf of Ukraine in 2023. It’s a shame this time it didn’t work out due to so many events already in the diary.”
Which cities are in the running to host Eurovision 2023
The following cities have confirmed that they will be bidding to host the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest:
The following cities have publicly stated that they are intending or interested in submitting a bid to host the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest:
It has been reported, that the shortlisted cities for the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest will be revealed on the 12th of August at the Breakfast Show hosted by Zoe Ball, which airs between 07:30-10:30CEST on BBC Radio 2.
Are you disappointed that Nottingham will not be bidding to host next year’s competition? Which city do you think will be successful in its bid? As always, let us know what you think by commenting below. Also, be sure to follow “That Eurovision Site” on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Tik-Tok as we gear up for Eurovision 2023!
News Source: Eurovoix
Photo Credit: Invest In Nottingham
