
Look, London gets lots of nice things. After all, we run a page that’s filled to the brim with things to do, so we should know. But, FOMO is a real thing, and though the city of London might experience it less than other places when it comes to concerts, festivals, and cultural events, when it’s this big we sure do feel it.
Earlier this year, it was announced that the Ukraine would sadly not be able to host the Eurovision song contest in 2023, despite Kalush Orchestra finishing in first place, due to the ongoing conflict.
In July, it was then confirmed that the BBC had gained the rights to host the competition, after Sam Ryder delivered an unprecedented second-place finish for the UK.
Since then, Eurovision superfans have waited with bated breath to discover where the song contest will be held, and anyone hoping for a London party should look away now.
Seven cities are on the shortlist, and though London hasn’t made it, residents of Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, and Sheffield can remain excited by the prospect of a 2023 dance.
Next year will mark the ninth time the UK has hosted Eurovision, with the last time coming all the way back in 1997.
London, along with 19 other cities, had expressed interest in hosting the competition, but the big smoke was not one of the locations named as the final seven on BBC Radio 2 this morning.
Earlier this week, Mayor Sadiq Khan expressed his desire for Eurovision to come to London, saying: “I’m really excited Eurovision is coming to the UK and, actually, whether it’s in another part of the UK or London it’s really important that we do Ukraine proud.”
“It’s a fact, though, that the largest number of Ukrainians here live in London. It’s also a fact that there are many Londoners of Ukrainian origin and this is going to be Eurovision hosted by Ukraine in another city in the UK. Clearly it’s got to be London.”
Those cities considered to host the competition were required to meet specific criteria, including having a venue with a capacity of 10,000+ and an accessible international airport.
The host city for Eurovision 2023 is expected to be announced in September.