The Eurovision Song Contest will not be organized in Ukraine next year. Normally, the winning country organizes the next edition, but Ukraine cannot meet all the requirements due to the war. The organizer leaves Friday in a declaration now know to talk to the BBC, because Sam Ryder came second on behalf of the United Kingdom.
The statement of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) states that extensive talks have been held with the Ukrainian broadcaster UA:PBC and the possibilities have been investigated. After that, it was decided that it is impossible to organize the Eurovision Song Contest in Ukraine next year.
“It is with great regret that we have to inform you that under the current circumstances, the Ukrainian broadcaster is unable to provide the security and operational capabilities necessary for the Song Contest,” the organization writes.
The EBU emphasizes that organizing the Song Contest is a complex job: it takes a year to organize the event and thousands of people work on it. Therefore, there is no time to wait for the course of the war in Ukraine.
After the victory in May in Turin, the Ukrainian broadcaster expressed the intention to organize the 2023 Song Contest in its own country. President Zelensky of Ukraine even expressed the hope that he could receive the delegations of the upcoming edition in a liberated Mariupol.
Kalush Orchestra won the last Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of Ukraine with the song Stefania† Finally, the EBU announces that it will fully reflect on the Ukrainian profit during the next edition, where it will also be organized. It is not yet clear when there will be more clarity about the United Kingdom as a possible organizing country.