The final two cities in the race to host Eurovision 2023 have been shortlisted. Next year’s song contest is confirmed to take place in the UK, with Glasgow and Liverpool being the last locations standing in the rigorous selection process.

Although Ukraine was supposed to host next year’s competition after the country soared to victory in 2022, “safety and security issues” as a result of the ongoing war with Russia meant that Eurovision 2023 had to be relocated.

On Tuesday, September 27, organisers announced that Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield had been eliminated, with Martin Österdahl, Eurovision’s Executive Supervisor, thanking the cities for applying.

“The EBU (European Broadcasting Union) would like to warmly thank all the seven British cities that put so much effort and enthusiasm into their bids to host next year’s Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of Ukraine. We very much appreciate their cooperation and quality and creativity of all the bids received,” Österdahl said.

He also described Eurovision as “the most complex TV production in the world with very specific logistical requirements,” adding that the “final two cities are the best placed to meet this challenge”.

Adding to this, Phil Harrold, the Chair of the BBC’s Host City Selection Committee, explained that “Liverpool and Glasgow have the strongest overall offer”.

Harrold continued: “We are determined to make the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest one that both reflects the winning position of Ukraine and is also an event that all of the UK can participate in.”

And then there were two…

We can now reveal that #Eurovision 2023 will be hosted in either Glasgow or Liverpool ?

Learn all about the final two here: https://t.co/NNzZP97Ml6 pic.twitter.com/lxtwMYO6Ac

— Eurovision Song Contest (@Eurovision) September 27, 2022

Glasgow is Scotland’s biggest city, boasting an epic history and architectural heritage that spans from the medieval to the modern. It also has a vibrate and varied music scene, playing host to nearly 130 music events every week.

Similarly, Liverpool has a hugely significant music presence with most people knowing it as the home to The Beatles. However, its musical contributions go far beyond that, with acts like Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Dead or Alive, Mel C, Atomic Kitten, and more, all coming from Merseyside.

The final decision on the host city of next May’s 2023 Eurovision Song Contest will be made by the BBC in conjunction with the European Broadcasting Union.