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Selfridges Building, Birmingham

Birmingham

Birmingham was one of seven cities in the United Kingdom shortlisted to host the Eurovision Song Contest in 2023. On Tuesday 27 September it was revealed that only Glasgow and Liverpool would remain in the race. The EBU thanked Birmingham and the other potential Host Cities for their enthusiastic, creative and high quality bids.

The successful Host City will be revealed in the Autumn by the BBC and the EBU.

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Alright bab? Birmingham proudly proclaims to be the ‘youngest city in Europe’, owing to the fact that nearly 40% of its population are under the age of 25 - but Brum, as it’s affectionately known, has a rich history stretching back hundreds of years. 

Just as its nickname at the height of the Industrial Revolution, ‘a city of thousand trades’, speaks of diversity and specialisms, Birmingham today echoes the past with the diverse nature of its tourism offer; museums, art galleries and historic houses proudly display internationally important collections.

Birmingham
Birmingham Birmingham City Council

Birmingham has a strong and diverse cultural sector and is home to world class performance venues and institutions such as the Birmingham Royal Ballet, Symphony Hall, The Hippodrome and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra to name but a few.

The city’s vibrant events calendar is underpinned by an eclectic range of festivals including the Sandwell and Birmingham Mela (the largest South Asian music festival in Europe), Birmingham International Dance Festival, B-Side Hip Hop, Pride and the Birmingham Weekender. 

Often cited as the home of heavy metal, Brum has given the world both Judas Priest and Black Sabbath, and the city’s rich musical heritage also boasts soulful synths from MOBO (Music of Black Origin) award-winning Laura Mvula, ska and reggae thanks to Musical Youth, The Beat and UB40, and plenty of pop from the likes of Duran Duran, Jamelia and the ELO.

Ilona Mandyradzhy, Gallery Assistant at Centrala Space, the only community-based organisation in the UK dedicated to promoting Central and Eastern European arts and culture, had this to say: 

‘Having arrived in Birmingham at the beginning of the year to study, I am proud to live in a city that has been so supportive of me and my fellow Ukrainians. This is why I am supporting Birmingham’s bid to host this iconic event on our behalf.’

 

Smithfield, Birmingham
Smithfield, Birmingham Birmingham City Council

You can find out more about Birmingham and their bid on Facebook and the Birmingham City Council website.

And don’t forget to sign up to the official Eurovision Song Contest newsletter and subscribe to our social media channels (YouTubeInstagramTikTokTwitter and Facebook) to be the first to find out how to secure tickets for the Eurovision Song Contest in 2023.