The seven nominated cities were announced by Scott Mills live on Zoë Ball’s Radio 2 breakfast show. This year’s Eurovision was won in Turin by the Kalush Orchestra, representing Ukraine. That would normally have meant Ukraine would host in 2023, which its government wanted to happen, but in June the European Broadcasting Union announced that next year’s contest could not be held there because of the war. Instead, the United Kingdom, which came second with Sam Ryder’s song Space Man, was invited to host the 67th Eurovision. Twenty venues bid to host the world’s biggest and most complex music competition, which was watched by a global audience of 161 million this year. Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, tweeted: “Must be Glasgow!” Her sentiment was echoed by the bookmakers, with William Hill making the city 4/5 odds on the favourite. Susan Aitken, leader of Glasgow City Council, said she was delighted. “Delivering such a unique event in such a short space of time is a challenge, but Glasgow has an unrivaled track record of successfully hosting major global events and we are confident that we can deliver a Eurovision that reflects a true celebration of Ukrainian culture.” Birmingham, which was the last UK host city in 1998 when Dana International won, is second favourite. Ian Ward, the leader of Birmingham City Council, expressed his delight. “This is a city of refuge, a city that has welcomed people from all over the world and made their home here. We would love the honor of hosting next year’s Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of Ukraine.” One of the underdogs, if the bookies are to be believed, is Sheffield United who have promised to “throw the kitchen sink” in victory. Start your day with the top stories from the US, plus the day’s must-reads from across the Guardian Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Ben Miskell, Sheffield councilor who helped lead his city’s bid, said: “The euphoria is ringing across South Yorkshire. We are proud to fly the flag in solidarity with Ukraine and hope that the EBU will shine a light on Sheffield and make our region their No.1.” Steve Rotheram, the Mayor of Liverpool City Region Metro, said there was “nowhere better qualified, more experienced or better suited” to host Eurovision than Liverpool. “Liverpool wouldn’t be Liverpool without music – and music wouldn’t be music without Liverpool,” he said. Tracey Brambin, mayor of West Yorkshire, tweeted: “Leeds & Leeds & Leeds & Leeds… we are ready.” He said: “It’s an amazing city, bursting with vibrant creativity and would be delighted to host this event.” In Newcastle, councilor Alexander Hay said he was “absolutely ecstatic” at the news. “I look forward to continuing to work with partners, hotels and organizations across the city to bring this offering together.” Bev Craig, leader of Manchester City Council, said her city was delighted. “Manchester is set to host the biggest party in the UK at the city’s AO arena, taking our place in Eurovision’s unique history.” Missing from the shortlist were previous hosts London, Brighton and Edinburgh. Others that failed were Aberdeen, Belfast, Bristol, Nottingham, Wolverhampton and Darlington, believed to be the only city to throw its hat in the ring. The BBC said a final decision on the venue would be made in the autumn. It had invited bids that met criteria such as having a venue that could accommodate at least 10,000 people, easy access to an international airport and ample hotel accommodation. Cardiff were candidates but withdrew because it would mean canceling a “significant number” of other events next spring. This is likely to be a problem for whichever city wins, due to the need to use the venue for weeks of rehearsals before the semi-finals and final.
