Manchester
Manchester 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 Manchester 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.
Birmingham | Glasgow | Leeds | Liverpool | Manchester | Newcastle | Sheffield
Y'all right our kid? Finding global fame as the heart of the Industrial Revolution, Manchester has a proud history in science, politics, music, arts, and sport.
If you explore Manchester’s city centre you’ll find it packed not only with remnants of this history but also with unique and independent restaurants, bars, shops, museums, galleries and hotels, all gathered in districts with their own distinct personalities.
Mancunians are known for their friendliness, and are a pretty diverse bunch. 200 languages are spoken in the city which is also home to one of the UK’s largest LGBTQ+ populations, whose community heart lies in the famous Canal Street area, affectionately known as ‘The Village’. There you can expect to find a flourishing queer scene with entertainment on any night of the week.
Further out from the city, the surrounding boroughs of Greater Manchester offer some entirely different experiences including charming market towns, traditional country pubs and beautiful green spaces and waterways.
Birthplace of the world famous Haçienda night club and the ‘baggy’ genre, Mancunian musical heritage glitters with some of the biggest names in dance, rock and pop, including: New Order, The Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, Blossoms, Chemical Brothers, Oasis, M People, The Hollies, 10cc, Take That, Autechre, Hurts, The Smiths, and Lisa Stansfield.
Lyn Paul, from the UK’s second placed act in the 1972 Eurovision Song Contest, the New Seekers, also originally comes from Manchester.
And where do the biggest names in pop perform in the city? At the AO Arena, one of the busiest venues in the world, attracting over one million visitors each year.
Salford, part of Greater Manchester, was made the official home of the United Kingdom’s BBC Eurovision HQ last year, with results from the UK jury vote being delivered by AJ Odudu from MediaCity.
Leader of Manchester City Council, Bev Craig, had this to say:
‘We are thrilled to have made it through and be named a shortlisted host city. Manchester stands ready to put on the biggest party in the UK at the city's AO Arena, taking our place in Eurovision's unique history.
We have a large and proud Ukrainian community in Manchester. It would be our privilege to host this iconic celebration on their behalf and we will do everything we can to honour them throughout.’
You can find out more about Manchester and their bid on the Visit Manchester Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and website.
And don’t forget to sign up to the official Eurovision Song Contest newsletter and subscribe to our social media channels (YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and Facebook) to be the first to find out how to secure tickets for the Eurovision Song Contest in 2023.