The city of Bristol has officially confirmed that they will bid to host Eurovision 2023, should the contest come to the United Kingdom.
Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol, in Southwest England, has announced that Bristol will bid to host Eurovision 2023. Marvin announced the news to roughly 20,000 people at Bristol Pride Day Festival, the largest pride festival in the United Kingdom. The news has also been shared on Marvin’s official social media accounts.
“It’s great that everyone is here, in person, for Bristol Pride. And I’m excited to talk about another opportunity for Bristol to come together again. Despite winning the Eurovision Song Contest in May, incredibly sadly Ukraine won’t host the contest in 2023 and the BBC has been asked to take on Eurovision next year. And as a global and diverse City of Sanctuary, Bristol can be the caretaker of next year’s Eurovision Song Contest…
“We’re working in partnership with YTL Arena Bristol on a bid to bring Eurovision to the Brabazon Hangars. Bristol’s got the perfect site where we can custom build the perfect Eurovision Song Contest. We’ve got the Space, Man. Bristol’s ready with a really strong bid, and we need you to help us bring this home… Tell the world how much you want Bristol to be the next home of Eurovision, using our hashtag: #ThisIsBristolCalling.”
🇺🇦 Ukraine won @Eurovision but sadly won't host in 2023
— Marvin Rees (@MarvinJRees) July 9, 2022
🌍 As a City of Sanctuary, #Bristol can be the caretaker next year
🏗️ We can custom-build the perfect #Eurovision at @YTL_Arena as I just announced at @BristolPride before @carlyraejepsen’s set
☎️ #ThisIsBristolCalling pic.twitter.com/bcSOtw9MEs
The Brabazon Hangars, which is where the YTL Arena Bristol is expected to be built, will have a capacity of 17,000, making it the largest indoor facility in the region.
Should Eurovision 2023 come to the Brabazon Hangars / YTL Arena, it wouldn’t be the first time that Eurovision has been held in an aircraft hangar. In 2014, Copenhagen’s shipyard hangars were transformed into a custom-built, pop-up venue, complete with a temporary stage and seating.
Bristol is no stranger to hosting large-scale events. Aside from Bristol Pride, the city plays host to over 200,000 people during the Harbour Festival weekend, half a million people at the Bristol Balloon Fiesta, 25,000 at Tokyo World and 30,000 at Forwards Festival.
The City of Bristol, with a population of roughly 467,099, is one of the United Kingdom’s top tourist destinations. It boasts an international airport, ample hotels and transport links throughout the city, and is a leading city for food, art and music, among many other things.
What are your thoughts on Britsol’s bid to host Eurovision 2023? Do you think Bristol would make a good Eurovision host city? Let us know what you think in the comments below!
One Response
Airport leaves it trailing behind Manchester and Glasgow.