Eurovision Song Contest 2023 Liverpool: United By Music

The Olympic Games of music kick off in Liverpool on May 9, 2023 (67th edition) with the semi-final. Featuring, among others, our entry by Mia Nicolai and Dion Cooper with 'Burning Daylight'. Much has been said about this duo's first performances. Bookmakers place them in 21st position. So, first you need to make sure you finish in the top 10 countries in the first semi-final to reach the final. Will you be watching the show for three days, or would you rather read the blog?

Back to Turin 2022

The Eurovision Song Contest 2022 was the 66th edition of the annual Eurovision Song Contest. The Ukrainian group Kalush Orchestra won with Stefania. Kalush, also known as Kalush Orchestra, is a Ukrainian rap group that was founded in 2019. The group consists of founder and rapper Oleh Psiuk (also spelled Psyuk), multi-instrumentalist Igor Didenchuk (also spelled Didenchuk), and DJ MC Kilimmen. Didenchuk is also a member of the electro-folk band Go_A, which participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021. It was the third time the event took place in Italy. The theme in Turin was 'The Sound Of Beauty'.

In May 2022, the CEO of the Ukrainian postal service Ukrposhta announced that he wanted to honor Eurovision winners Kalush Orchestra with a special stamp. And that now looks a lot more likely with the launch of the 'Good evening, we are from Ukraine!' stamp contest. In an Instagram post, Ukraine Post shared that it had received more than 1500 sketches for the contest. It has created a shortlist of five designs, two of which explicitly refer to Kalush Orchestra. The first (listed as number 1 in the gallery below) shows the founder and rapper of the Kalush Orchestra, Oleh Psiuk, wearing his Eurovision outfit, including his signature pink fisherman's hat. He is depicted next to a Ukrainian soldier aiming his pistol. The fact that Oleh is holding a microphone is not just about music. He and his bandmates have used their platform to raise awareness about the war at home and to remind the world of the unique signature of Ukrainian culture. The second Kalush option (listed as no. 3 in the gallery below) shows a goose with a hybrid hat – one half is clearly Oleh's pink bucket hat, while the other half transforms into military camouflage. It once again suggests the important role the group played during the country's darkest hour. As far as I know, no stamps featuring the 2022 winners were issued in 2022.  

Liverpool as a music city

In 2001, the Guinness Book of Records declared Liverpool the 'City of Pop' due to the many number one records that originated from the city. The most famous band to come from Liverpool is the Beatles (who recorded 17 number one singles in the UK and 20 in the US). They played many of their early performances at the Cavern Club.

Many sea shanties refer specifically to Liverpool, such as 'Heave Away', 'Liverpool Judies', and ' Maggie May', which was later performed by the Beatles.

In the 1960s, the city was home to the development of Merseybeat, popularized by artists such as Gerry & The Pacemakers. But even before Merseybeat, Liverpool had successful acts like Frankie Vaughan, Lita Roza, and Billy Fury. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Echo & the Bunnymen, A Flock of Seagulls, Teardrop Explode, the Mighty Wah!, OMD, China Crisis, Frankie Goes to Hollywood (FGTH), and Dead or Alive emerged.

The enthusiasm is high in the city. No fewer than 2500 residents responded to the 500 volunteer vacancies.

Liverpool expects 100.000 visitors during the festival. Approximately 160 million people will watch it on television. Will you join us for three days of 'music & show'?

In the past, no one went on holiday to Liverpool, but due to Beatles tourism, many hotel rooms are fully booked.  

Eurovision Song Contest Liverpool 2023: United By Music

Due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the festival cannot take place in Ukraine. The runner-up of 2022, the United Kingdom, is taking on the organization. This is being done in cooperation with the Ukrainian broadcaster. Bulgaria, Montenegro, and North Macedonia withdrew for financial reasons. Two semi-finals on May 9 and 11, 2023, and the final on May 13, 2023. It will be another grand spectacle on stage. The design of the new stamp will be approved separately, as it must be aligned with the Eurovision Song Contest. The photo with the fisherman's hat and Azov stable against the background of the Ukrainian flag published by the CEO of Ukrposhta is an example of one of the options (it is not the final design of the stamp). The Ukrainian postal service (Ukrposhta) ultimately chose the 'Kalush Orchestra' design shown below in 2023.

Whether the Dutch entry will make the final is questionable, given the poor preparations for the Eurovision Song Contest. Sung out of tune! The arrangement has been changed and is being sung one and a half tones higher. I am more enthusiastic about the Belgian entry. Watch, listen, and keep your fingers crossed.

The slogan is 'United By Music' and demonstrates the unique collaboration between the United Kingdom, Ukraine, and host city Liverpool to bring the Eurovision Song Contest to an audience around the world and the incredible power of music to bring communities together. It also reflects the true origins of the competition, developed to bring Europe closer together through a shared television experience across different countries. The BBC is organizing the competition together with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) in consultation with UA:PBC, the Ukrainian public broadcaster, and the winners of last year's contest. Liverpool was chosen following a strong city bidding process that examined the venue's facilities; the ability to accommodate thousands of visiting delegations, crew, fans, and journalists; infrastructure; and the host city's cultural offerings as a reflection of Ukraine's victory in 2022.  

<strong> More info: </strong>

Official Liverpool site: https://eurovision.tv/ Dutch AVROTROS site: https://www.avrotros.nl/eurovisie-songfestival/home/ The best stories from all 2023 participants: https://eurostory.nl/ Previous Songfestival blogs (2019 t/m 2022): https://www.postzegelblog.nl/tag/eurovisie-songfestival/ Previous blogs by The Beatles: https://www.postzegelblog.nl/tag/the-beatles/