Liverpool’s hosting of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 is coming closer. To help ease the financial burden, the UK Government has allocated £10 million towards the Contest.
UK Government to help financial problems
Ahead of May, the UK Government said that there would be added financial help for the organisation of the Contest. This is the first time that the government has publicly committed to allocating money for the event. This is also added to the £4 million given by local authorities in the Liverpool City Region.
The £10 million (equating to €11.4 million) allocated to the Contest will mostly go to administration and organisational costs, according to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. In a statement, a spokesperson said:
This government funding is intended to support security, visa arrangements and other operational aspects of the contest. [It will also be given] to ensure a collaborative show celebrating music and how it unites people.
Spokesperson for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport
According to the BBC, the Italian government provided no financial support towards the production of the Contest in Turin. However, the local government in the city spent €11 million on the Contest, making the money back sevenfold thanks to tourism.
Other parts of the money will help in the transportation of props. A number of countries initially felt concerned regarding the “extra hassle” of transporting sets to Liverpool, as well as the extra costs. One delegate from an unnamed country said that there would be “more forms” in competing. They also claimed that shipments to the UK could not be guaranteed to arrive in Liverpool on time, citing customs issues following Brexit.
The remainder of the money allocated by the UK government will be given to the BBC itself. No specific amount has been disclosed. However, the government said the money will go towards “the inclusion of Ukrainian culture” during the show. The government then refused to elaborate further.
What we know about Eurovision 2023 so far
Although Ukraine won the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest in Turin, due to the ongoing Russian invasion they are unable to host the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest. Instead, the United Kingdom stepped in, as 2022’s runner-up; Liverpool will host the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest on the 9th, 11th, and 13th of May 2023. The contest will take place at the M&S Arena, with 37 countries taking part. The full production team behind the 2023 contest can be found here. The contest is a co-production between host broadcaster the BBC and last year’s winning broadcaster, Suspilne.
The semi-final allocation draw took place on the 31st January, and the distribution of each semi-final can be found here!
What do you think of the UK Government’s financial help? Do you think the extra £10 million will make a difference? 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: BBC
Photo Credit: EBU / Corinne Cumming
