The two semi finals of the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest have ended, and we have all 26 finalists of this year’s Contest. The Final is set to take place on Saturday in Liverpool, the UK city that’s hosting the Contest on behalf of last year’s winners – Ukraine. Ahead of the Final, the President of Ukraine, Mr. Volodymyr Zelensky, made a request to the EBU to appear in the Grand Final, and address the audience and the viewers of the Contest. The EBU has denied this request, and has come forward with a statement reasoning this decision.
The full statement is as follows:
The Eurovision Song Contest is an international entertainment show, and governed by strict rules and principles which have been established since its creation. As part of these, one of the cornerstones of the Contest is the non-political nature of the event.
This principle prohibits the possibility of making political or similar statements as part of the Contest.
The request by Mr Zelensky to address the audience at the Eurovision Song Contest, whilst made with laudable intentions, regrettably cannot be granted by the European Broadcasting Union management as it would be against the rules of the event.
The EBU has ensured from the moment it was agreed that the BBC would host the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of Ukraine’s public broadcaster UA:PBC that Ukraine, its music, its culture, and its creativity would feature strongly throughout all three live shows.
No fewer than 11 Ukrainian artists, including last year’s winners Kalush Orchestra, will be performing, or featuring in either the Semi-Finals or Grand Final.
The brand artwork for the event was created together with a Ukrainian design agency and the incidental music featured throughout the show also composed in collaboration with Ukrainian musicians.
Additionally, 37 locations around Ukraine will feature in the “postcards”, short films that introduce each of the participating artists before they take to the stage.
We believe that this is the best way to reflect and celebrate Ukraine’s Eurovision Song Contest win and show we are United By Music during these hard times.
The Grand Final of the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest is set to take place on Saturday, starting at 9pm CET. Let us know who YOUR personal favorites are, by voting for up to five acts in our poll below:
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