Following the victory of Kalush Orchestra on 14th May, Ukraine is set to host the Eurovision Song Contest in 2023. However due to the ongoing war in the country, a cloud of uncertainty hangs over the event. With about 50 weeks to go until the 2023 Eurovision Grand Final, there is a great deal of apprehension about where the Contest will take place, and if it is even possible for Ukraine to host it.

Speaking to Segodnya, the first deputy head of Kyiv’s municipal government, Mykola Povoroznyk, noted that his city has hosted Eurovision twice already – in 2005 at the Palace for Sports and most recently in 2017 at the International Exhibition Center.

Povoroznyk was asked whether Kyiv had applied to the EBU yet to host the 2023 Contest. He explained that there is a specific procedure in place to host the Contest. EBU representatives need to arrive in Ukraine to assess the situation and decide where exactly Eurovision can be held.

Povoroznyk is happy to see Kyiv host for a third time in less than 20 years. He did however note there are logistical challenges to hosting the Contest in Ukraine now, specifically the security situation and the lack of international transportation connections. He explained:

[Kyiv is] ready to host Eurovision. We have all the infrastructure prepared for this. I don’t think it is practical to build something new, we will focus on what we already have. In a year, given the current conditions, it is quite difficult to build anything new. If the [EBU] organizers trust us, we will hold a competition at a high international level.

The EBU hasn’t shared any information yet regarding where the next year’s Eurovision Contest is, or may be held.