Traditionally, Ukraine will be the winner to host the upcoming song contest following the victory of Ukrainian folk rap group Kalush Orchestra with their song “Stefania” in May.
The UK came in second in this year’s competition thanks to Performance of “Space Man” by Sam Ryder.
BBC Director-General, Tim Davie, said in a statement on Monday: “It is with great regret that our colleagues and friends in Ukraine were unable to host the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest.
“To be asked to host the largest and most complex music competition in the world is a great privilege.”
He went on to say that the BBC is “committed to making this event a true reflection of Ukrainian culture while showcasing the diversity of British music and creativity.”
Davie confirmed that the next steps will be to find a host city to partner with for the annual singing competition. Organizers say the bidding process will begin next week.
Although Ukraine won’t be able to host, the country will automatically qualify for the grand final along with the so-called “big five”, organizers said. The five major countries, including France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK, are the biggest contributors financially to the competition.
Mykola Chernotytskyi, head of the board of directors of Ukrainian television station UA: PBC, expressed confidence that the two countries can work together to “add Ukrainian spirit to this event and unite the whole world once again”. Europe around our shared values of peace, support and celebration of diversity and talent.”
The BBC has hosted the Eurovision Song Contest eight times – more than any other broadcaster.
