Eurovision 2023: hotel jobs boost

Tourism and hospitality chiefs across the UK are among those vying to see their cities chosen to host next year’s Eurovision song contest for 2022 winners Ukraine.

There’s a lot of prestige – and money to be made – on the back of being the venue for the event, with visitors expected to flock from across Europe, joining UK-based fans wanting to be part of the celebrations.

A big late-Spring boom in hotel and restaurant bookings is all part of the package, with hopes that those who visit for a short Eurovision stay will come back for more or extend their breaks. The winning city will be revealed in the autumn, but a provisional shortlist may well be announced by the BBC this week.

So far six cities have expressed a formal interest: Newcastle, London, Leeds, Sheffield, Manchester, and Glasgow. But others, including Birmingham, Liverpool, Belfast and Edinburgh also have their champions. At the time of writing, Glasgow, Birmingham or Manchester are the bookies’ favourites, although a people’s poll with 45,000 votes at Odds Eurovision 2023: Host city (eurovisionworld.com) has Liverpool leading the way from Leeds.

The final decision will be made by the BBC in conjunction with the European Broadcasting Union.