Eurovision 2023: Government pledges £10m towards Liverpool song contest

[dutchman]

The Eurovision Song Contest, being held in Liverpool in May, will get £10m from the UK government, it has been announced



It will be spent on operational costs like security and visas, as well as making sure the event "showcases Ukrainian culture".

Liverpool's local government has already pledged £4m in funding.

Around 3,000 tickets to the song contest will also be made available for Ukrainians living in the UK.

Liverpool is staging the event at its M&S Bank Arena on behalf of Ukraine, whose Kalush Orchestra won the 2022 show, as the war means it cannot take up hosting duties.

It will be the first Eurovision Song Contest to be held in the UK for 25 years.

The tickets for Ukrainians living in the UK allows "compatriots here to enjoy the event and celebrate our country's rich culture and music", said Ukrainian Ambassador to the UK, Vadym Prystaiko.

There will be a £20 charge for each sale, with the cost subsidised by the DCMS for those on the Homes for Ukraine Scheme, the Ukraine Family Scheme and the Ukraine Extension Scheme, who are eligible to apply for tickets.

The government funding is intended to "support security, visa arrangements and other operational aspects of the contest", the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) said.

The money will also support Liverpool City Council as well as host broadcaster the BBC's partnerships with Ukrainian acts "to ensure a collaborative show celebrating music and how it unites people", it said in a statement. It is the first time the government has confirmed its financial contribution.

Last year the Italian government did not directly pledge any money towards the annual event, the BBC has learned.

Instead, the host city of Turin spent roughly £10m on the song contest - with officials saying through tourism.

Unusually, as part of the £10m UK government commitment, the BBC will receive some financial assistance, the DCMS confirmed - but neither it nor the BBC would confirm what this sum was.

The majority of the funding package will go, the government says, towards ensuring "the inclusion of Ukrainian culture", but it did not give further detail when asked.

The bulk of the overall cost of this year's Eurovision falls to the BBC, as host broadcaster, after it accepted the invitation when organisers ruled it could not be in Ukraine following Russia's invasion.

It is estimated the corporation will spend between £8m and £17m putting on the song contest - a significant jump from what it normally spends participating, at a time when it is closing channels, axing programmes and reducing head count to save millions.

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said: "We are honoured to be supporting the BBC and Liverpool in hosting it on their behalf, and are determined to make sure the Ukrainian people are at the heart of this event."

Labour declined to comment on the funding announcement.

[dutchman]

Good to know the government is so flushed with cash it can afford to spend it on mindless rubbish like this!

[rebbonk]

Good to know the government is so flushed with cash it can afford to spend it on mindless rubbish like this!