Eurovision 2023: Newcastle named on Eurovision cities shortlist - what happens next, how to get tickets

The BBC Eurovision 2023 host city bid shortlist has been announced - but has Newcastle made the cut?
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The shortlist for the Eurovision 2023 host city has been revealed by the BBC, and Newcastle is still in the running alongside six other UK cities.

On Monday 25 July, it was announced that the UK would officially host the Eurovision song contest 2023.

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Traditionally the winner of the contest the previous year hosts the event. However, 2022 winners Ukraine confirmed it would be unable to host the contest due to their ongoing war with Russia.

The UK offered to host the event after coming second in the 2022 contest. The contest was last held in the UK in 1998, where Birmingham was the host city.

Sam Ryder singing Space Man at Eurovision 2022Sam Ryder singing Space Man at Eurovision 2022
Sam Ryder singing Space Man at Eurovision 2022

When it was announced that the UK would host Newcastle officials expressed a strong desire to bring the event to the city.

Speaking on behalf of the council, Cabinet member for a Resilient City, Cllr Alex Hay, said: “Newcastle is a welcoming, well-connected and ambitious city with a proven track record of staging world class events.

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“Obviously it would be wonderful to host Eurovision and we believe that Newcastle would be a perfect host city.

“We are looking forward to hearing more about the bidding process and are already working with partners to explore the opportunity.”

Now the host city bids have been narrowed down to Newcastle, Leeds, Birmingham, Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester and Sheffield.

Kate Phillips, BBC’s Director Unscripted Content said: “We would like to thank all of the cities and regions that submitted bids to host next year’s Eurovision Song Contest. We have seven fantastic cities who we are taking through to the next round."

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"Congratulations to Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield - it’s exciting to see such a breadth of bids going through from across the UK. We are committed to delivering a truly unique Song Contest that celebrates wonderful Ukraine and champions British music and creativity in all its diversity.”

So, when will we find out which lucky city will host Eurovision 2023?  Here’s everything you need to know about the decision process.

When is Eurovision 2023?

Eurovision will be held in May 2023. No specific dates have been confirmed as of yet.

When will the host city for Eurovision 2023 be announced?

The Host City selection process is set out over two stages, and the shortlist has revealed the final seven cities that will go on to the second and final stage.

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In the second stage each city will be asked to develop their bids in more detail.

According to the BBC website, the decision won’t be made until autumn 2022, saying: “The selection of the Host City for the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 will be decided by the BBC in conjunction with the EBU, and the successful city will be announced in the Autumn.”

How to get tickets

No official ticket prices and availability have been announced as of yet.

The Eurovision website states that: “Ticket prices, availability, and even the ticket provider, won’t be decided until there is a confirmed Host City and venue for the shows.”

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That’s not all, the BBC will then need to work out how much space is needed for the production inside the chosen venue such as cameras and the stage. All that is dependent on the chosen venue and can’t be confirmed in advance.

Once all that is decided, tickets for nine shows will go on sale:

  • Grand Final: Live TV Show [Saturday evening]; Jury Show [Friday evening]; Family Show [Saturday afternoon].
  • First Semi-Final: Live TV Show [Tuesday evening]; Jury Show [Monday evening]; Family Show [Tuesday afternoon].
  • Second Semi Final: Live TV Show [Thursday evening]; Jury Show [Wednesday evening]; Family Show [Thursday afternoon].

Here is a breakdown of what each show will entail:

Jury show

The Jury Show is a full run through of the show that takes place the night before the televised show. This is also when the international juries cast their votes.

Audiences can stay for a randomised version of the qualifier/points revealed as the presenters will practice different scenarios.

Family Show

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The Family Show is a full run through of the show that takes place earlier in the day, ahead of the Live TV show.

This show serves as one final rehearsal for the artists and crew. It’s much more convenient for those who wish to bring younger Eurovision fans.

This show also features randomly generated presentations of the qualifiers and points.

This is a live television broadcast. Audiences across Europe and Australia will get to cast their votes to add to the Jury scores. This is the real deal.