Ukraine to select Liverpool Eurovision 2023 act during live broadcast from Kyiv bomb shelter

Ukraine's Kalush Orchestra won the Eurovision competition this year Credit: PA Images

Ukraine will select its entry for Eurovision held in Liverpool via a live event from a bomb shelter in Kyiv.

The UK is hosting the 2023 contest on behalf of the war-torn country after the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) concluded it could not safely organise the event following the Russian invasion.

The grand final of Vidbir, Ukraine's national selection competition for the song contest, will take place on Saturday 17 December at an undisclosed location in the capital.

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Kalush Orchestra, Eurovision winners from Ukraine, performing their first UK gig Credit: PA Images

Ukraine's national broadcaster UA:PBC has received almost 400 songs from 299 participants - all hoping to mirror Kalush Orchestra's success in Eurovision this year.

The 2022 contest in May saw UK's Sam Ryder top the jury vote before Kalush Orchestra went on to win overall following a symbolic show of public support which saw them soar to first place with 631 points.

The Ukrainian music producer overseeing the selection process, Pianoboy said: “I would like this Vidbir to discover new outstanding creative names and make people feel touched and good about this music.

"I must say, which is quite unexpected for me, this job is based on psychology because you have to raise musicians from sort of a bottom, motivate them."

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Credit: Eurovision

He continued: "A lot of musicians that you will hear at Vidbir made a song to be heard at Vidbir probably because of this Vidbir and, again because of it, resumed doing music.

"I see my function in this and I am very happy about it.”

Liverpool will have until Saturday 13 May to prepare for the grand final, which will be held at the M&S Bank Arena on the city’s waterfront.

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Graham Norton revealed that Liverpool will be hosting the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest during BBC’s The One Show on Friday, 7 October.

Liverpool, which is twinned with the Ukrainian city of Odesa, faced Glasgow in the final run-off after a list of 20 candidates was whittled down by the BBC and European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which produces the annual event.

Two semi-finals will take place 9 May and 11 May, before the contest culminates in the grand final on Saturday 13 May.

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