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Which British city should host Eurovision 2023?

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Xenophon PCDGS

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If it were in or near Manchester I'd absolutely try to grab a ticket. Manchester Arena would be in with a shout?
This of course will be the same Manchester Arena that certain rail-obsessed people were clamouring on internet forums (which shall remain nameless) to be demolished and replaced by west-facing terminal platforms at Manchester Victoria railway station.
 
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thenorthern

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And yet @thenorthern keenly asserted that :

It makes it easier having the staff nearby.

From what I understand though Cardiff seems the most likely venue as its always been the reserve location if the United Kingdom ever won.

Having been to performances there over the years, you would not be able to accommodate many audience members and what would you do if the weather took a turn for the worse.

Transport connections would be interesting. There is only so much that Penzance Heliport and Lands End Airport can hold. :D
 

Gareth

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Staff will go where they're required, especially for a one off event. There's absolutely no technical reason it couldn't be held in Nottingham or any of the other cities mentioned. Playout staff can be round the corner or miles away - most likely in London where most of the BBC's TV content is transmitted from.
 

thenorthern

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Staff will go where they're required, especially for a one off event. There's absolutely no technical reason it couldn't be held in Nottingham or any of the other cities mentioned. Playout staff can be round the corner or miles away - most likely in London where most of the BBC's TV content is transmitted from.

The production team for Eurovision is based in Salford now although it's a small team.
 

Howardh

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It's not so long ago that the Irish, seemingly so fed up of winning and the cost of hosting, decided to have it in a glorified barn!
Millstreet, 1993, a very small town. An equestrian centre was the venue.
Of course since then it's become so large that it lasts a week if you include the semi finals.
 
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philthetube

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No it doesn't. You think everywhere from Birmingham to Burnley has the same chance of getting something like this? Sorry but no; although Liverpool's chances are a lot closer to Burnley's than Birmingham's. It shouldn't be that way but it is.

Bit weird to call the council over something I said but I doubt that'll make a difference either.
Burnley does have four stations so should score well on this forum <(<(<(
 

32475

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Seeing as this is a gesture to Ukraine, I wondered which UK city has the greatest rainfall (UK-RAIN geddit?)
Google tells me that this is Derry / Londonderry and therefore a perfect location for the song contest if you’re interested in that sort of thing.
 

Yew

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How sad if we’ve got to the stage that anything happening in the capital city of the country triggers those living up north.
I don't see how the seat of government being there is relevant to anything? I can however see that if we're hosting in lieu of Ukraine, it might be advantageous to not choose the home of our seat of government.
 

najaB

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Using the list on Wikipedia, the list of venues with a capacity of 10,000+ excluding those in London is:
  • Manchester Arena, Manchester – 21,000
  • Utilita Arena Birmingham (formerly Barclaycard Arena/NIA), Birmingham – 16,000
  • P&J Live, Aberdeen – 16,000
  • Resorts World Arena (formerly Genting Arena, LG Arena, NEC Arena), Birmingham – 13,928 to 15,643
  • First Direct Arena, Leeds – 13,500
  • FlyDSA Arena, Sheffield – 13,500
  • The SSE Hydro, Glasgow – 13,000
  • Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre, Glasgow – 12,500
  • Utilita Arena Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne – 11,000
  • Liverpool Arena, Liverpool – 11,000
  • Motorpoint Arena Nottingham, Nottingham – 10,000

So it would appear to be a choice between: Manchester, Birmingham, Aberdeen (not mentioned yet, that I saw), Leeds, Sheffield, Glasgow, Newcastle (mentioned yet?), Liverpool and Nottingham
 

dosxuk

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Having spoken to people at the BBC there is a rumour that Greater Manchester may be chosen as the production for Eurovision moved to Salford from London this year and there is the broadcasting facilities for things like play-out already nearby.

Given the lack of media facilities in certain cities like Nottingham, Liverpool, Newcastle and Edinburgh I think that would rule them out.

Completely irrelevant - Glastonbury has zero media facilities and is about to provide an entire weekend of live music broadcasting. Buckingham Palace has effectively zero media facilities and recently hosted 4 days worth of broadcasting to the world. Wherever it ends up being hosted, it will be an outside broadcast facilitated by the usual suppliers, going down the same fibre network used for broadcasts up and down the country every day (with a satellite feed for backup) (all the main arenas have connectivity onto the broadcast fibre networks).

Actually getting the broadcast to air is a far smaller job than finding an arena sized venue with sufficient availability at such short notice.

So it would appear to be a choice between: Manchester, Birmingham, Aberdeen (not mentioned yet, that I saw), Leeds, Sheffield, Glasgow, Newcastle (mentioned yet?), Liverpool and Nottingham

The EBU also requires host cities to have a minimum of 2000 hotel rooms available for cast, crew and delegates, and easy access to an international airport for competitors to arrive at.

I would suggest the latter significantly disadvantages Aberdeen, Leeds, Sheffield, Newcastle and Liverpool.
 

Howardh

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The EBU also requires host cities to have a minimum of 2000 hotel rooms available for cast, crew and delegates, and easy access to an international airport for competitors to arrive at.
...which could be a difficulty if a micro-state such as Liechtenstein enter and win! In fact that has happened, Monaco won in 1971 althougth the rules for hosting the final wouldn't be as stringent then!
 

thenorthern

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...which could be a difficulty if a micro-state such as Liechtenstein enter and win! In fact that has happened, Monaco won in 1971 althougth the rules for hosting the final wouldn't be as stringent then!

Monaco has a lot of hotel rooms and is just down the road from Nice. The problem for Monaco was that TMC didn't have the facilities to host it and the French Broadcaster would only help if Eurovision 1972 was held in France. In the end it was hosted by the BBC in Edinburgh.
 

Gareth

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The production team for Eurovision is based in Salford now although it's a small team.

Doesn't matter especially.
Completely irrelevant - Glastonbury has zero media facilities and is about to provide an entire weekend of live music broadcasting. Buckingham Palace has effectively zero media facilities and recently hosted 4 days worth of broadcasting to the world. Wherever it ends up being hosted, it will be an outside broadcast facilitated by the usual suppliers, going down the same fibre network used for broadcasts up and down the country every day (with a satellite feed for backup) (all the main arenas have connectivity onto the broadcast fibre networks).

Actually getting the broadcast to air is a far smaller job than finding an arena sized venue with sufficient availability at such short notice.



The EBU also requires host cities to have a minimum of 2000 hotel rooms available for cast, crew and delegates, and easy access to an international airport for competitors to arrive at.

I would suggest the latter significantly disadvantages Aberdeen, Leeds, Sheffield, Newcastle and Liverpool.

I'd be surprised if Liverpool didn't have 2000 hotel rooms available. It also has an airport and isn't far away from yet another. Possibly Aberdeen aside, I see no significant limitations on the other four places.
 

Western Sunset

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Maybe the whole Eurovision thing needs a rethink. It's supposed to be a "song contest" after all, but looking at this year's effort, it was more like an "over-the-top spectacle contest", with scantily dressed performers, light shows, waterworks, you name it. Can't remember any of the tunes to be honest.

In these economically (and militarily) constrained times, perhaps it should go back to its grassroots with something much simplier. Maybe even focus on the actual songs and music.
 

Trackman

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Using the list on Wikipedia, the list of venues with a capacity of 10,000+ excluding those in London is:
  • Manchester Arena, Manchester – 21,000
  • Utilita Arena Birmingham (formerly Barclaycard Arena/NIA), Birmingham – 16,000
  • P&J Live, Aberdeen – 16,000
  • Resorts World Arena (formerly Genting Arena, LG Arena, NEC Arena), Birmingham – 13,928 to 15,643
  • First Direct Arena, Leeds – 13,500
  • FlyDSA Arena, Sheffield – 13,500
  • The SSE Hydro, Glasgow – 13,000
  • Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre, Glasgow – 12,500
  • Utilita Arena Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne – 11,000
  • Liverpool Arena, Liverpool – 11,000
  • Motorpoint Arena Nottingham, Nottingham – 10,000

So it would appear to be a choice between: Manchester, Birmingham, Aberdeen (not mentioned yet, that I saw), Leeds, Sheffield, Glasgow, Newcastle (mentioned yet?), Liverpool and Nottingham
Manchester Co-op arena opens next year capacity 23,500. Word has it the Nynex/MEN or whatever its called now are trying to up capacity to compete- I cant see how plus it will cost £££'s. Their main USP is that it is above Man Vic station so I wouldn't panic.
 

Busaholic

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There's just about time to build a new city in mid Bedfordshire, which could be called Nadine Dorries in honour of that cultured and fearless scourge of the 'woke' classes. If more room was needed, I'm sure her good friend Peter Bonehead could find some rundown parts of Wellingborough to offer an instant tasteless makeover to. ;)
 

158747

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Because the EU = Europe and everyone who voted to leave hates everything about the continent, obviously; including Eurovision and just foreigners in general. So there's safety considerations, presumably.
What a load of nonsense!
I voted to leave the EU, doesn’t mean that I hate Europe or foreigners.
 

Lost property

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The EBU also requires host cities to have a minimum of 2000 hotel rooms available for cast, crew and delegates, and easy access to an international airport for competitors to arrive at.
In that case, St David's would be perfect....two airfields, well ok the Army may get a bit upset about the influx into Brawdy, but, Cardiff is but a few, well more than a few I suppose, miles away and..Fishguard for rail access....just moor up a couple of now redundant cruise ships and the accom problem is solved at a stroke !

This is just a helpful suggestion you understand...
 

Bletchleyite

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It seems Ukraine are pushing to host it themselves and are quite angry about it being given to us. Though I don't see how they could possibly host it in a country which is at war*, even if most of the war is in one particular part of it.

* I know it isn't technically, but if it looks and quacks like one...
 

najaB

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Though I don't see how they could possibly host it in a country which is at war*, even if most of the war is in one particular part of it.

* I know it isn't technically, but if it looks and quacks like one.
Ukraine is at war, it's Russia that's conducting a special military operation.
 

Gareth

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What a load of nonsense!
I voted to leave the EU, doesn’t mean that I hate Europe or foreigners.

Well done for fully understanding the context of the post. You're the only person, so far, clever enough to have taken it seriously.
 

dosxuk

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It seems Ukraine are pushing to host it themselves and are quite angry about it being given to us. Though I don't see how they could possibly host it in a country which is at war*, even if most of the war is in one particular part of it.

* I know it isn't technically, but if it looks and quacks like one...
Ukraine can be as annoyed as they like, but it's no longer in their capability to host. They have been unable to provide the guarantees required by the EBU that they will be able to successfully host the contest in the timeframe allowed, therefore the EBU have followed the rules and are now approaching other broadcasters.

While politicians may shout about how the contest isn't until next May and the situation may be completely different by then, the reality is that the venue must be chosen and booked by the end of August at the latest. But to choose the venue you need certain levels of security, capacity and capability to be guaranteed, so before then there is a whole review stage with the local broadcaster to see if they can

Sadly, even if Ukraine did select a venue by then, you can be far more sure of it then becoming a Russian target than you can of it being safe and secure next May.
 

Gareth

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I can't see Russia deliberately targeting the Eurovision Song Contest. Firstly, it's not that important a thing. The way some people are going on about it, it's the annual meeting of the intergalactic imperial emperors of the known dimensions. It's a somewhat silly, politically-compromised TV show with some sort of song contest attached to it. Secondly, it'd be an awful PR own goal from a Russian perspective.

Nonetheless, hosting it in Kiev wouldn't be safe, so long as the country is at war. So, unless there's a conclusion to the conflict very soon, which I think is unlikely, there's no way it'll be held there.
 

dosxuk

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I can't see Russia deliberately targeting the Eurovision Song Contest.
I'm not suggesting they would target the contest (deliberately) - but if a Kyiv arena was announced tomorrow as hosting the contest you can be pretty sure Russia would add the venue to the list of places it would be good to disrupt between now and then.

How damaging for Ukrainian morale would it be to be allowed to host the contest, only for a month before the venue to "accidentally" be hit by a missile, causing too much damage for it to be hosted after all - that's what Russia will be thinking.
 

Gareth

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Again, it just isn't that important. I bet Putin doesn't give a damn about the Eurovision Song Contest, one way or the other. Doing anything to it, deliberately or otherwise, would be an epic PR fail. There's no payoff, even with the morale thing. If I'm a Ukrainian man conscripted into street fighting with a gun whilst my family is spirited away to somewhere in central or western Europe, I don't give much of a damn about the Eurovision Song Contest either. If I care at all, it's only going to motivate me to oppose Russia even more.
 

najaB

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Again, it just isn't that important. I bet Putin doesn't give a damn about the Eurovision Song Contest, one way or the other.
I disagree. Participation in Eurovision is part of the whole "west facing view" that Russia is trying to fight against. I'm pretty sure that the suspension of Russia and Belarus from the EBU while Ukraine continues to be a member is just one more thing that feeds into Putin's paranoia.

Is it the number one thing, no of course not, but it all adds up.
 
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