Bulgaria has become the latest country to announce that it will not participate in next year’s Eurovision Song Contest, the BBC reports, citing Agerpres.
Broadcasters from North Macedonia and Montenegro have already confirmed they will not take part in the 2023 edition due to increased entry fees.
BBC News reported that the countries were asked to pay more to make up for the money lost after Russia was kicked out of the competition.
The EBU, which organizes the competition, has confirmed the list of 37 participants for the 2023 competition.
The amount each participating broadcaster pays to sign up is not disclosed, but the total cost between all participants is typically around €5 million, with the host paying an additional amount.
Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Montenegro failed to advance to the semi-finals of this year’s competition.
Liverpool was chosen as the host city in part because of its “cultural offering that puts Ukraine at the heart” of next year’s event, the BBC reports.
Russia used to make a significant financial contribution to the production, but was excluded from competition after the invasion of Ukraine.
Organizers told BBC News: “The EU is committed to making the costs of participating in the Eurovision Song Contest as affordable as possible. Each participating broadcaster pays a fee which is calculated according to the number of countries taking part in the show that year and their total contribution to EBU membership. Annual membership fees and membership dues are calculated according to factors that take into account the relative size and financial status of the member.
From Ukraine, “Eurovision-2023” will be held in Great Britain, in Liverpool
The Eurovision Song Contest in 2023 will be held in Great Britain from Ukraine due to the war started by Russia. The event will be held at the Liverpool Arena and will consist of two semi-finals, on 9 and 11 May, with the final taking place on 13 May 2023.
Great Britain, which has hosted Eurovision eight times, has not hosted the European music competition since 1998, when the show was held in Birmingham, a city in central England.
After the first place at the competition organized in Turin in May of this year, in June Ukraine was withdrawn by the European Radio and Television Union (EBU) the right to hold the 67th Eurovision Song Contest due to non-compliance with security conditions. Ukraine after this country was captured by Russia on February 24.
On July 25, the EBU and the UK government announced an agreement with the BBC to host the competition next year in Great Britain, the country that came second in the 2022 ranking behind Ukraine, which won with the Kalush Orchestra. At that time, 20 British cities took part in the competition for Eurovision 2023 from Ukraine.
Recognized by UNESCO as a City of Music in 2015, Liverpool is synonymous with the history of The Beatles and has a rich music scene. In 2008, Liverpool hosted the MTV Europe Music Awards and is also home to a prestigious orchestra, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.
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Read also: The reversal of the situation: Romania will participate in Eurovision 2023 / What is happening with the scandal with the canceled vote this year
Source: Hot News RO
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