bluetornados
Predictions League
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Post by bluetornados on Aug 12, 2022 11:07:09 GMT
The shortlist of UK cities that could host next year's Eurovision Song Contest has been revealed, with seven locations in the running.
Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield will vie to stage the event in May.
Twenty cities expressed an interest, the BBC said, and those not making the shortlist include London and Belfast.
The UK was chosen to host the contest after organisers decided it could not be staged by Ukraine, the 2022 winners.
UK singer Sam Ryder finished second at this year's contest in Turin, Italy.
The decision to relocate it from Ukraine because of the ongoing war has led to a hotly-contested selection process between UK cities that want to attract thousands of visitors and the attention of around 160 million TV viewers around the world.
The BBC said the seven-strong shortlist was based on the cities' ability to show they have "the capacity, capability and experience to host an event of this scale and complexity".
A statement added that the process was "heavily weighted towards demonstrating past experience in hosting major international events, as well as being able to demonstrate their credentials in hosting a celebration of contemporary music".
London would have met those criteria but didn't make the cut, at a time when both the BBC and government are seeking to move events and opportunities outside the capital. Others to miss out include Aberdeen, Brighton, Bristol and Darlington.
As it is, five of the shortlisted cities are in the north of England, with Glasgow representing Scotland and none further south than Birmingham.
No Welsh cities bid, and Belfast was the only potential contender from Northern Ireland.
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Post by Nobbygas on Aug 12, 2022 12:56:44 GMT
The shortlist of UK cities that could host next year's Eurovision Song Contest has been revealed, with seven locations in the running. Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield will vie to stage the event in May. Twenty cities expressed an interest, the BBC said, and those not making the shortlist include London and Belfast. The UK was chosen to host the contest after organisers decided it could not be staged by Ukraine, the 2022 winners. UK singer Sam Ryder finished second at this year's contest in Turin, Italy. The decision to relocate it from Ukraine because of the ongoing war has led to a hotly-contested selection process between UK cities that want to attract thousands of visitors and the attention of around 160 million TV viewers around the world. The BBC said the seven-strong shortlist was based on the cities' ability to show they have "the capacity, capability and experience to host an event of this scale and complexity". A statement added that the process was "heavily weighted towards demonstrating past experience in hosting major international events, as well as being able to demonstrate their credentials in hosting a celebration of contemporary music". London would have met those criteria but didn't make the cut, at a time when both the BBC and government are seeking to move events and opportunities outside the capital. Others to miss out include Aberdeen, Brighton, Bristol and Darlington. As it is, five of the shortlisted cities are in the north of England, with Glasgow representing Scotland and none further south than Birmingham. No Welsh cities bid, and Belfast was the only potential contender from Northern Ireland. Where ever it is held I hope they'll be ready for the outbreak of Monkeypox. |
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bluetornados
Predictions League
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Post by bluetornados on Sept 27, 2022 15:48:35 GMT
Eurovision 2023: Glasgow or Liverpool will host song contest.Either Glasgow or Liverpool will host next year's Eurovision Song Contest, after the shortlist of cities in contention was cut from seven to two. The announcement means Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield have missed out on the chance to stage the competition next May. The BBC said the two remaining cities, which both have riverside arena venues, had "the strongest overall offer". A final decision will be made "within weeks", the broadcaster said. The UK was chosen to host the 2023 contest after organisers decided it could not be staged by this year's winner, Ukraine, because of the ongoing war. The UK's singer Sam Ryder was the runner-up this May. A hotly-contested selection process saw 20 UK cities express an interest in hosting next year's show before that was narrowed down to seven, and now a final two. Glasgow was a bookies' favourite from the off, with its OVO Hydro venue having a capacity of 14,300. The arena would be a fitting setting in some ways after being filmed for the exterior of the venue in Will Ferrell's 2020 Netflix movie Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga. And of course, Glasgow lass Lulu won the 1969 Contest with Boom Bang-a-Bang. She says it's "the perfect place... and it's about time". Fellow Glaswegian Scott Fitzgerald came second in 1988 when he was beaten to the top spot by none other than Celine Dion. The leader of Glasgow City Council said the city has "everything it takes" to host Eurovision. "The competition has been very strong but Glasgow has an unrivalled track record for successfully hosting major global events," Susan Aitken said. The city centre venue is also next to exhibition centres that could be useful for facilities like a press centre, and has a nearby station and hotels. It has previously hosted BBC Sports Personality of the Year and events during the 2014 Commonwealth Games. The home of The Beatles has a rich musical history that attracts thousands of international visitors every year. Its past major events have included the MTV Europe Music Awards in 2008. Sonia came second in the contest back in 1993 with Better the Devil You Know. The city has also been represented by Jemini, who sadly got nul points in 2003. Eurovision would be staged at the 11,000-capacity dockside M&S Bank Arena, which is next to a conference centre and near the city centre's hotels and rail links. Liverpool Mayor Joanne Anderson said she was "absolutely delighted" the city had made the final two. "Nowhere throws a party quite like us," she tweeted. "The people, communities & businesses of our city are ready to put on a show - for Ukraine, the UK & for Europe." Ukraine is expected to have a big part in putting the show together. The 67th Eurovision Song Contest will be held in May 2023. ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/640x360/p06604lj.jpg
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bluetornados
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Post by bluetornados on Oct 7, 2022 23:03:33 GMT
Eurovision 2023: Liverpool beats Glasgow to be song contest host city.Liverpool has been chosen to host the first Eurovision Song Contest to be held in the UK for 25 years. The home of The Beatles, Frankie Goes to Hollywood and The Wombats will stage the spectacular event on 13 May after beating off competition from Glasgow. The show is coming to the UK after this year's winner, Ukraine, was unable to take up hosting duties due to the war. In a message to Ukraine, Liverpool's mayor said the event, at the M&S Bank Arena, would "do you proud". www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-63174493
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Post by Nobbygas on Oct 9, 2022 15:10:08 GMT
Apparently holding the Eurovision will create a lot of jobs. The scousers are livid!
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bluetornados
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Post by bluetornados on Mar 3, 2023 9:04:15 GMT
Fuming Eurovision fans slam 'ridiculous' 2023 ticket prices amid cost of living crisis..Eurovision Song Contest 2023 fans are absolutely raging over the cost of tickets, branding them too expensive. As the annual event, which is being held at the 11-000 capacity Liverpool Arena, edges closer, details about how to snap up a much-coveted seat were released on Thursday. But shortly afterward there was a backlash on Twitter, as it was revealed attending a Semi Final Show would cost from £20 to £290, while Grand Final shows will set you back between £80 to £380. Music lovers blasted the high amounts on social media, with many saying the Eurovision was unaffordable, particularly during the ongoing cost of living crisis. A fan fumed: ‘Cost of living crisis?? Tickets waaaay more expensive than last year. Ticketmaster booking fees will make tickets min £100 for final. It’s the true fans that suffer. Let’s hope @mayorlpool does more for priced out fans.’ A second remarked that tickets should be capped at £45 to £50, given the financial climate, while another demanded to know why the ticket prices were so high. ‘It’s actually ridiculous that #Eurovision is literally the next city over but the cost of even a few days in Liverpool is 2 or 3 times more expensive that flights/hotel/tickets than when I had a week in Turin/Stockholm/Vienna,’ an account complained. Tickets for the nine live shows will go on sale at 12:00 (midday) GMT (13:00 CET) on Tuesday, March 7th and will only be available to purchase at www.ticketmaster.co.uk. A total of 37 countries will be competing in this year’s contest, six of which are automatically qualified for the final. These six are last year’s winners Ukraine, which was unable to host the Eurovision due to the ongoing invasion with the honours falling to the runners up, the UK, along with the ‘Big 5’ – the main financiers of the contest – France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK. The other countries will compete in the semi-finals for a place in the grand final, with the top 10 from each semi-final qualifying. For the first time ever the semi-finals will be shown on BBC One, with the results being decided entirely by televote – although the UK will be able to vote in the second semi-final on May 11th. The final will see a mix of jury votes and televotes combined to decide the eventual winner – who will have the honour of being the host country in 2024. Alesha Dixon, Graham Norton and Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham will be hosting the Grand Final, alongside Ukrainian singer, composer and Hardkiss band frontwoman Julia Sanina. The Mis-Teeq star, 44, opened up about the prestigious gig on Lorraine, telling the Scottish host: ‘It’s such an honour to be asked to host what might arguably be the event of the year.’ ‘It’s wonderful!’ Lorraine gushed, with Alesha continuing: ‘I can’t wait. We’ve got big responsibility, obviously stepping in for Ukraine. ‘We want to be responsible and respect their culture. And the fact that it’s in Liverpool, the heart of music!’
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bluetornados
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Post by bluetornados on Mar 8, 2023 9:22:14 GMT
Eurovision 2023: Tickets for Liverpool sell out after huge demand..
Tickets to the Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool in May sold out in 90 minutes after huge demand.
Grand final tickets sold out inside 36 minutes on Tuesday. Around an hour later organisers said the other public shows were also fully booked.
There will be six public dress rehearsals, as well as two live televised semi-finals and the final.
Fans across Europe faced long queues on the Ticketmaster UK website in the hope of securing a spot at one of the shows.
This will be the first time the UK has hosted the contest for 25 years, and it is doing so on behalf of 2022 winners Ukraine.
A BBC spokesperson said: "As expected, demand for Eurovision Song Contest tickets was extremely high and tickets for all nine shows sold out in 90 minutes.
"Congratulations to those who secured their seats to Liverpool Arena in May. We are now looking forward to putting on a brilliant show for our global TV audience and those watching on BBC One in the UK."
According to the broadcaster, this is believed to be the first time all nine shows have sold out on the first day.
About 6,000 tickets were on sale for each show - lower than the arena's 11,000 capacity because of the size of the set and the requirements of such a large-scale TV broadcast.
Standard ticket prices ranged from £30 to £380. Some tickets soon appeared on secondary ticketing sites, such as Viagogo, for around £9,000.
However, fans have been warned to be cautious about buying from unofficial resellers, as the tickets may not be genuine.
Last month, it was announced that 3,000 tickets would be distributed to Ukrainians living in the UK through a ticket ballot, at a subsidised price of £20.
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bluetornados
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Post by bluetornados on Mar 8, 2023 9:28:04 GMT
Eurovision 2023: Hotel phishing scam targets song contest fans..
Eurovision fans who have booked rooms for May's song contest in Liverpool are having their data put at risk by scammers targeting hotel chains.
Booking.com confirmed to BBC News that "some accommodation partners had been targeted by phishing emails" but denied it had suffered a data-security breach.
Customers are advised to speak directly to their hotels if they have concerns.
The travel company said "a number of accounts" had been affected by cyber attacks which were "quickly locked".
It claimed some businesses had "accidentally compromised their own internal systems by clicking on links contained in these messages".
BBC News has been unable to verify how scammers got customers data. However, a number of fans of the song contest contacted the BBC's Eurovisioncast podcast, outlining their experiences of almost falling for scams relating to accommodation booked for Eurovision in May.
Booking.com said it had "actively been supporting our partners, as well as any potentially impacted customers" and continued "to make security and data protection a top priority".
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eppinggas
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Ian Alexander
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Post by eppinggas on Mar 8, 2023 11:59:14 GMT
Madness to hold the event where there is only a 6,000 capacity. I know a lot of the larger indoor arenas were unavailable at such relatively short notice, but this is just dumb.
The Millennium stadium in Cardiff has a retractable roof and hosted numerous events (maybe this was also booked in advance)?
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bluetornados
Predictions League
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Post by bluetornados on Mar 9, 2023 8:48:26 GMT
Eurovision 2023: Mae Muller announced as UK act for song contest..ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/1182B/production/_128932717_mullergettyimages-1418863421.jpgMae Muller will represent the United Kingdom at this year's Eurovision Song Contest. The 25-year-old will perform her track I Wrote A Song at the competition in May, hoping to follow the success of Sam Ryder last year. "To compete in such a massive music competition is simply brilliant," she said, describing her involvement as "a dream". The UK is one of the last competing countries to reveal its song for 2023. Muller has previously supported Little Mix on tour as well as working with artists like Aitch and Sigala. "I'm a huge fan of so many of the artists that have found success at Eurovision, from ABBA to Måneskin," Muller said. "Sam Ryder was so amazing last year and proved the UK can be back on the left-hand side of the leader board."
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