Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Eurovision in Liverpool will come at a significant cost

Eurovision in Liverpool will come at a significant cost

If, like me, you follow Eurovision intently throughout the year, you'll know Liverpool beating (the bookies' favourite) Glasgow to host the song contest next year is huge.

Sam Ryder came second at this year's Eurovision Song Contest

Ahead of this year's Eurovision final in May, Scott Mills, Rylan and myself were backstage wildly speculating where the song contest would be in 2023 if Sam Ryder won.

"Can we just take a moment to think... we're actually talking about what if we host Eurovision?" BBC Radio 2's Mills asked in Turin after years of dismal results for the UK.

Glasgow was always the one to beat, and, over the past two months, Liverpool was convincing the BBC it had the passion, enthusiasm and infrastructure for the eyes of Europe (and Australia) to be on the city.

More than 160m watched this year's competition which saw Ukraine win the public vote


Ukraine's Kalush Orchestra won this year's competition after an outpouring of support from other countries, following Russia's invasion of the country.

But the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), who organise the competition, said Ukraine couldn't host the event next year for safety reasons.

Because UK entrant Sam Ryder had come second, the BBC was invited to be the host broadcaster instead. At a time when the corporation is closing channels, cutting jobs and committing to saving money, it could have said no.

The BBC is expected to spend between £8m and £17m on broadcasting the world's largest live music event - significantly more than its annual participation fee.

We don't know exactly how much it normally pays to enter - in addition to what it pays for the rights to broadcast the two semi-finals and grand final - because the BBC hasn't made the figure public.

However, we are told that the combined total cost for all 40 broadcasters taking part adds up to around £5m.

Yes, Eurovision is a TV show, and a highly entertaining one at that, but it's also a huge international event taking over a city for weeks, with thousands travelling to attend it each year.

If you've been to a football tournament but not Eurovision (you don't know what you're missing) then you can imagine what it's like - there's a designated fan zone, flags draped around the city and pop music blaring from bars and restaurants. Plus lots of glitter.

Liverpool's streets are expected to sparkle with events put on outside of the arena and, at a time when we're all tightening our budgets, there will inevitably be scrutiny on how much public money is used.

Liverpool's arena and exhibition centre on the banks of the River Mersey will play host to Eurovision next year


I travelled back to a much quieter Turin in May (no glitter in sight) and its deputy mayor Michela Favaro told me the hospitality sector made seven times more than the £10m the city spent on the event, claiming it "was a success well beyond our expectation".

Another official though admitted it would have been difficult to justify the expense if Italy's cost of living crisis hit earlier.

So far, the Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) hasn't committed to a figure it will contribute to Liverpool's bill as the government continues to be pressured on its response to rising energy bills.

Something else that needs to be settled is rescheduling events already booked at the M&S arena when the Eurovision production needs the space.

At the time of writing, it's still unclear who's responsible for refunding tickets to shows like Magic Mike on 24 April and André Rieu on 12 May.

One thing is certain for May 2023, though - Mills, Rylan and myself are unlikely to be repeating our conversation about which British city should host the following year as the UK is unlikely to want to repeat the cost the song contest brings any time soon.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
A monster hit and a billion-dollar toy empire
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
Canada: Nurse Suspended and Fined 93 Thousand Dollars After Stating the World’s Most Well-Known Fact Since the Creation of Adam and Eve, That There Are Only Two Genders
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
U.S. Treasury Secretary Whitney Bessent Backs Stablecoins to Boost Treasury Demand
Spain to Declare Disaster Zones After Massive Wildfires
Three-Minute Battery Swap Touted as Future of EVs
Beijing Military Parade to Showcase Weapons Advances
U.S. Tech Stocks Slide on AI Boom Concerns
White House Confirms Talks Over Intel Stake
Trump Suggests U.S. Could Support Ukraine ‘By Air’
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
Finnish MP Dies by Suicide in Parliament Building
Outrage in the Tennis World After Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal Storm
Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen: Steering Wheel Switches Cause Accidents
UK Government Tries to Sue 4chan for Breaching Online Safety Act
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Cambridge Dictionary Adds 'Skibidi,' 'Delulu,' and 'Tradwife' Amid Surge of Online Slang
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
The CEO Who Replaced 80% of Employees for the AI Revolution: "I Would Do It Again"
"Every Centimeter of Your Body Is a Masterpiece": The Shocking Meta Document Revealed
Character.ai Bets on Future of AI Companionship
China Ramps Up Tax Crackdown on Overseas Investments
Japanese Office Furniture Maker Expands into Bomb Shelter Market
Intel Shares Surge on Possible U.S. Government Investment
Hurricane Erin Threatens U.S. East Coast with Dangerous Surf
EU Blocks Trade Statement Over Digital Rule Dispute
EU Sends Record Aid as Spain Battles Wildfires
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
China Requires Data Centres to Source Majority of AI Chips Locally, For Technological Sovereignty
Escalating Clashes in Serbia as Anti-Government Protests Spread Nationwide
Category 5 Hurricane in the Caribbean: 'Catastrophic Storm' with Winds of 255 km/h
Trump Backs Putin’s Land-for-Peace Proposal Amid Kyiv’s Rejection
Digital Humans Move Beyond Sci-Fi: From Virtual DJs to AI Customer Agents
YouTube will start using AI to guess your age. If it’s wrong, you’ll have to prove it
Jellyfish Swarm Triggers Shutdown at Gravelines Nuclear Power Station in Northern France
OpenAI’s ‘PhD-Level’ ChatGPT 5 Stumbles, Struggles to Even Label a Map
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
×