Liverpool to award grants to host Eurovision Song Contest events in the city

Liverpool is preparing to host the Eurovision Song Contest in May. Credit: PA Images

Liverpool Council has announced a new Eurovision grants scheme that will allow people in the city to celebrate the contest with their own events.

Called EuroGrants, supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, it will give people up to £2,000 to focus on local cultures, memories and the heritage of the region’s communities.

Community organisations and groups as well as schools from across the city region are invited to apply to fund projects which will take place in May or June.

Mayor of Turin Stefano Lo Russo and Mayor of Liverpool Joanne Anderson at St George’s Hall in Liverpool. Credit: PA Images

Applications from not-for-profit organisations will take precedence and projects and events should be free or low cost to attend.

The deadline is 5pm on Wednesday, 29 March.

Culture Liverpool and the National Lottery Heritage Fund will decide which projects are successful with decisions being made by the end of the first week of April.

Mayor of Liverpool Joanne Anderson said: “One of the most important parts of Liverpool’s bid to host the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of Ukraine was our commitment to making sure that everyone had a chance to get involved in the excitement of Eurovision.

“Eurovision is about unity and also celebrating differences and we know that our community organisations and schools will rise to this challenge.

“And that’s what EuroGrants is all about. We know that there are brilliant ideas out there and we want you to let your imaginations run wild! We want to hear your ideas and the more Eurovision-tastic the better!”

Liverpool will host the song contest on behalf of Ukraine. Credit: PA Images

Eilish McGuinness, Chief Executive at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “Eurovision has a long history of bringing communities from across the continent together and we’re delighted to be supporting the EuroStreets community programme as part of 2023’s event in Liverpool, thanks to money raised by National Lottery players.

“People and communities across Liverpool will have the chance to play a huge role in celebrating and sharing the rich heritage the city region is home to and seeing their dazzling ideas come to life.

"We know that they will make Eurovision 2023 a party that won’t be forgotten!”

Unscripted - Listen to the ITV News Arts and Entertainment podcast