After winning the Eurovision Song Contest 2022, Kalush Orchestra said at a press conference that “Ukraine will be happy to host the next Eurovision in a happy and prosperous Ukraine”. Subsequently, Kyiv has said that they are ready to host Eurovision 2023.
While the Minister of Culture announced a week ago that he was convinced that Eurovision 2023 would be held in Ukraine, the government has just created a committee for the organization of the 67th edition of the competition.
Taras Melnychuk, the Government Representative in the Verkhovna Rada (Supreme Council of Ukraine), declared on his Telegram account that “the Organizing Committee for the preparation and holding of the Eurovision Song Contest in Ukraine in 2023 has been created and its composition has been approved.
Despite some doubts we can have because of the context in Ukraine, it seems that this measure could rule out any other bid to host the 67th edition of Eurovision.
Ukraine has held the competition twice in the past, in 2005 and in 2017, both in Kyiv. Will Eurovision 2023 be organized on Ukrainian territory? In the words of Minister of Culture and Information Olexandr Tkachenko, yes:
“We have no doubt that it [the contest] should take place in Ukraine. The only thing is that no-one has ever held Eurovision during the war… We are now looking for answers with our colleagues to the most important conditions set by the European Broadcasting Union. But I think we will have to explain during our dialogue that some conditions need to be changed.”
Let’s see how the situation will evolve! Do you think Eurovision 2023 will be held in Ukraine? Or do you think it will be hosted in another country? Let us know what you think in the comments below!