Eurovision 2023 - BBC

[Jon]

The EBU have said the host venue should accommodate about 10,000 spectators, be within easy reach of an international airport and have enough hotel accommodation for at least 2,000 delegates, journalists and spectators.

This should and if they have a successful Commonwealth Games should stand Birmingham in good stead, given it’s proposed venue has its own international airport on site. Presumably as part of their bid they can show how they’ve plastered the city centre in Games branding and say that’s what they’re do for Eurovision too. Given it’s proposed venue has its own international airport on site.

[Ash101]

Surely Graham Norton is a shoo-in to host this?

He’s certainly my first thought from a UK host point of view. He’s got the international profile for it to work just fine alongside a few Ukrainian hosts.

[Brekkie]

More info here:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/2022/e...ion-plans/

Looks like we can expect a host city by autumn.

Thankfully that confirms the focus will be on the UK produced contest but "in solidarity" with Ukraine, with touches throughout the week but not an overriding arc.   That is the best way forward - it would potentially end up a mess if we did our version of a Ukrainian Eurovision.   Moments across the week will actually bring a tighter focus on the situation without it being ever present.

Should also surely mean all three shows air on BBC1.

[Rob]

I'm sad for Ukraine that it couldn't host the contest but it would be a big security risk if it did Putin would probably of orders his army to blow the venue up while it was going on.

A very inappropriate comment to post, hence why you've been issued with a warning.

[Jon]

I'm sad for Ukraine that it couldn't host the contest but it would be a big security risk if it did Putin would probably of orders his army to blow the venue up while it was going on.

A very inappropriate comment to post, hence why you've been issued with a warning.

It’s perhaps been put in a bit of clumsy way, but that’s exactly why the contest was taken off Ukraine.

I don’t think the poster is making light of the situation at all, just pointing out the very real thought behind the EBU’s decision.

[The_IT_Technician]

The EBU have said the host venue should accommodate about 10,000 spectators, be within easy reach of an international airport and have enough hotel accommodation for at least 2,000 delegates, journalists and spectators.

This should and if they have a successful Commonwealth Games should stand Birmingham in good stead, given it’s proposed venue has its own international airport on site. Presumably as part of their bid they can show how they’ve plastered the city centre in Games branding and say that’s what they’re do for Eurovision too. Given it’s proposed venue has its own international airport on site.

Agreed - If Birmingham put a bid in, the airport complex with the arena and exhibition halls next door, would be a good fitting location, easy to get to by train, plane and erm automobile. 

[telebox2001]

The language of the EBU suggests UABC may well be there as a co-producer, and the BBC won't be entirely going it alone.

[Brekkie]

It states they'll be involved with any of the Ukrainian focused aspects, which is to be expected. The BBC will be the main producer of the show.

[telebox2001]

I assume even the BBC will need some outside assistance though. Given the circumstances I reckon it's a given we'll see Opertec return to do the specialist cameras.

[Brekkie]

I suspect like most international events Eurovision is pretty much produced by the same team from one venue to the next.

[valley]

I assume even the BBC will need some outside assistance though.  Given the circumstances I reckon it's a given we'll see Opertec return to do the specialist cameras.

Not necessarily, the U.K. has a number of similar providers (Alan Wells, Luna, Panavision, ACS…) who can provide similar services. Wouldn’t surprise me that given the Ukraine connection Opertec do it, though.

[gottago]

The EBU have said the host venue should accommodate about 10,000 spectators, be within easy reach of an international airport and have enough hotel accommodation for at least 2,000 delegates, journalists and spectators.

This should and if they have a successful Commonwealth Games should stand Birmingham in good stead, given it’s proposed venue has its own international airport on site. Presumably as part of their bid they can show how they’ve plastered the city centre in Games branding and say that’s what they’re do for Eurovision too. Given it’s proposed venue has its own international airport on site.

I don't think having an airport right next door to the venue is that much of an advantage in the grand scheme of things. Almost all of the cities that have put themselves forward have good airport connections and that's what counts rather than total immediacy of airport access.

I actually think Birmingham having the Commonwealths and wall to wall coverage might make the BBC consider giving another city the chance to get some international spotlight but we'll see.

I reckon any Scottish, Welsh or NI bids might be at a bit of a financial advantage given they would probably get local, national and UK government (if there is any) funding whereas English bids would be reliant on local and UK funding.

[Inspector Sands]

I assume even the BBC will need some outside assistance though.  

It's been a long long time since Eurovision host broadcasters did it all in house

[Brekkie]

Politically Scotland would be very interesting with the Scottish Government and Westminster Government probably thinking staging it there helps their opposing causes ahead of a possible independence referendum.

Much depends on where the burden to fund the event lies - do the BBC make it a condition of the tendering process that the cities themselves have the additional finances in place rather than seeking them themselves direct from government, who no doubt would expect to be hands on in any decision making if that's the case. I think the cities getting the government to underwrite their bids takes the politics out of the decision for the BBC and EBU as I can't see it going down well at all should potential funding be refused for any realistic bidder.

[telebox2001]

Glasgow are exceptionally keen to have it, but I do worry the political situation could make it ugly. It's a "United Kingdom" event, not a "Scotland" event. Sturgeon being keen to host on behalf of a union she wants shot of could be read as being rather crass. On the flipside, separatists do generally regard themselves as extremely European.

However, let's remember absolutely none of this is remotely new. Ukraine had a total nightmare last time they hosted, Israel had a few months of stand-off between KAN and the Government, Rotterdam had to seek fresh funding to defer their hosting by a year... it happens. We'll just hear more of it because it's local this time round.

The important thing for me is that the BBC absolutely smash it. Auntie needs to blow Stockholm 2016 - still widely regarded as the Gold Standard of production - right out of the water.

EDIT - In a valedictory Q&A from his home during the pandemic, Jon Ola Sand expressed regret at not getting a chance to work with the BBC. With the producer of SVT's two spectaculars in the executive chair and a BBC hosting, I'm looking forward to seeing these particular planets collide.