The Ukrainian band Kalush Orchestra won the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 with their song “Stefania” – a mixture of rap, folk and hip-hop. But Ukraine will not be the ESC host for 2023: The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has now confirmed that ESC 2023 will take place in the United Kingdom.
It was already announced in mid-June that the event will not take place in the winning country for understandable reasons. The reason for this is still the ongoing war in Ukraine – according to the European Broadcasting Union, a smooth and safe running of the show cannot be guaranteed.
Where exactly the ESC 2023 will actually take place in Great Britain is still unclear. However, it is not the first time that the competition has taken place on the island: after the British pop singer Sandie Shaw won the competition in 1967 with the song “Puppet on a String”, the ESC is being held in the United Kingdom for the third time. Before that, the country was able to prove itself as a host in 1960 and 1963.
Ukraine remains qualified
The tradition of automatically qualifying the winning country for the next Eurovision Song Contest will not change – Ukraine will remain qualified. Martin Österdahl, ESC Chief Executive, explains: “In this tradition of solidarity, we know that next year’s competition will showcase the creativity and skill of one of Europe’s most experienced public service broadcasters, while ensuring that this year’s Winners, Ukraine, will be celebrated and represented throughout the event.”
As a mark of honour, respect and solidarity, Ukrainian broadcaster UA:PBC and the BBC will join forces to incorporate Ukrainian elements into the upcoming show, including in the logo for the Eurovision Song Contest 2023.
Watch Kalush Orchestra’s winning performance at the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 here: