Where the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 is taking place

The Eurovision Song Contest 2023 is due to take place this week and excitement - particularly here in the north - is at an all-time high.

The Grand Final will take place on Sunday, May 13 at 8pm and will be broadcast live on both BBC One and BBC iPlayer. For the first time in 25 years, the contest is going to be held right here in the UK.

Last year’s winners Ukraine would have traditionally hosted this year’s event but the ongoing Russian invasion resulted in the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) deciding it was not a 'viable option' for the country to host the contest.

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With the UK's Sam Ryder coming second at last year's event, the broadcaster decided we would be the best fit. Following a tight bidding process with the likes of Glasgow and Manchester, Liverpool was selected as the Host City for the 67th Eurovision Song Contest.

Not only will it host the Grand Final and the two Semi-Finals, but it has unveiled a jam-packed schedule of cultural events, performances and gatherings to mark the big occasion. Mykola Chernotytskyi, of Ukraine’s public broadcaster UA:PBC, said that while the 2023 event will not be in Ukraine, it will be held ‘in support of Ukraine’. The BBC has promised that this year’s show will have the “glorious Ukraine at its heart”.

All three of the main events will be held at the M&S Bank Arena Liverpool, which is located on the Waterfront Pier by King's Dock. It’s conveniently just a 10-minute walk from James Street underground station and 20 minutes from Lime Street train station. A train journey from Manchester Piccadilly to Lime Street can take around 35 minutes, although there are currently a number of train strikes scheduled