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UK national selection to be held in Brighton - with a Swedish twist!

16 November 2017 at 12:59 CET
Lucie Jones will represent the United Kingdom at the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest. Charlie Clift
The UK national selection for the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest, 'Eurovision: You Decide' will be held on Wednesday 7th February at the world-famous Brighton Dome. The show will be hosted once again by Mel Giedroyc who will be joined by Swedish Eurovision winner Måns Zelmerlöw!

Lucie Jones represented the United Kingdom in the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest after winning Eurovision: You Decide. In Kyiv she scored the UK's best placing for years with the song Never Give Up On You and now the search is on to find her successor! 

Eurovision: You Decide 2018 will be broadcast on BBC Two on Wednesday 7th February. It will be broadcast live from Brighton Dome, the site of ABBA’s 1974 Eurovision Song Contest win with Waterloo. Joining the BBC Eurovision family, 2015 Eurovision Song Contest winner Måns Zelmerlöw will co-host the show alongside Mel Giedroyc. Tickets for the show are now on sale - via the Brighton Dome website

A night to remember

"I’m really, really looking forward to hosting Eurovision: You Decide together with Mel this year," said Mäns. "I’m sure we’ll have a great show and I would love to see the UK achieve a great result in Eurovision 2018. I can’t wait to be part of the You Decide journey and make both You Decide as well as the Eurovision Finals, a part of every UK home."

Mel Giedroyc said: "My favourite time of year has come round again! I can't wait to hear the songs and meet the artists.  And what a thrill to host proceedings with THE hero of my time - the Måns Zelmerlöw all live from the Brighton Dome. It will be a night to remember!" 

Guy Freeman, Editor, Special Events and Formats, BBC Studios said: "We are so happy to be able to bring the show to such an iconic Eurovision venue.  It will be the perfect home for what is shaping up to be a very exciting contest."

The format in 2018

The 90-minute show will feature performances of six brand new songs. The artists will compete for the honour of representing the United Kingdom at the Final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 in Lisbon, Portugal. The performers will take to the stage in a bid to impress both the viewers at home and a professional jury at Brighton Dome. 

After each performance, a panel of experts will be on hand to provide their critique about the songs and the artists, and give their view on how the songs could translate to the Eurovision stage in Portugal for the Grand Final next May. The winner will be revealed on the night after the results from the live public vote have been combined with the results from the professional jury.   The six competing songs and artists will be revealed to the public in January 2018.   

As in 2017, BBC Four will broadcast both live semi-finals of the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 on Tuesday 8 and Thursday 10 May. The Grand Final will be broadcast on BBC One on Saturday 12 May 2018. Visit the BBC's website for more information.