As Liverpool continues its preparations to host Eurovision 2023, an international cultural festival has been announced to run alongside the city’s hosting of the world’s largest musical competition.
International cultural festival planned
Only six weeks after Liverpool was announced as the host city for Eurovision 2023, plans are already in full swing for what is to come in May. The Eurovision Village will be based on the city’s iconic seafront at Pier Head and now, a new cultural festival will be held whilst the Contest is in Liverpool.
Three categories will be used to find artists and collaborators for the festival. Liverpool City Council is aiming to commission artists who will ‘celebrate UK music, Eurovision and most importantly, act as a platform for showcasing a modern Ukraine – an ambitious, progressive country’.
‘Unleashing the potential’
Speaking on the announcement of the cultural festival, Liverpool’s Mayor Joanne Anderson said:
“It’s been a whirlwind six weeks since we found out that Liverpool has the honour of hosting Eurovision on behalf of Ukraine.
“The cultural festival was one of the highlights of our bid. Liverpool’s track record of curating innovative, high-quality artistic events combined with our ambition and determination to pay tribute to our Ukrainian friends stood out to the judges. It demonstrated a real understanding of the importance of collaboration and what unforgettable moments can be created when we work together.
“Launching the culture commissions call-out is a huge milestone in our planning process. This is a city that thrives on creativity and is willing to push boundaries, so we are excited to unleash the potential of artists from across the world.
“We’re excited to see what ideas are submitted in what we’re predicting will be a competitive, thrilling and highly sought-after process. And what’s more exciting is we’re just getting started!”
Joanne Anderson, Mayor of Liverpool
Anyone interested in taking part is being urged to get in touch with Liverpool City Council. In addition, these artists must be able to work in collaboration with other artists to deliver a breath-taking show in a short timeframe. As a result, those who are looking to participate have until December 12th, 2022 to submit their interest. Those who manage to make it past the first stage of planning will be given £2,000 to create their performance.
Liverpool’s journey to hosting Eurovision
Following Ukraine’s win at the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest, it was announced that Ukraine could not host the Contest. As a result, hosting rights were taken on by second-placed United Kingdom. Host broadcaster BBC took on a massive host city bidding race, receiving bids from over 20 cities. These bids were pared down to seven, before again being shortened to just Liverpool and Glasgow. After a tight race, Liverpool was announced as the host city for the Eurovision Song Contest 2023.
What do you make of the plans for the cultural festival in Liverpool? Do you think any international artists will take to the stage in the city? Is the festival going to boost the number of people coming to Liverpool? As always, let us know what you think by commenting below. Also, be sure to follow “That Eurovision Site” on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Tiktok as we gear up for Eurovision 2023!
News Source: Liverpool City Council
Photo Credit: Culture Liverpool
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