The BBC has confirmed that most of the tickets for the final round of Eurovision in Liverpool next month have been sold out.
“Limited” tickets to 3 live performances and 6 previews went on sale at 12pm BST. Just over an hour later, the BBC reported that only a small number were available. These are primarily single seat and hospitality packages for premieres and rehearsals. Tickets for the semi-finals and finals are sold out. In March, the first ticket sold out in 90 minutes, disappointing thousands of fans. On Monday, crowds of people once again lined up online, hoping to get their hands on the last remaining tickets.
BBC Eurovision tweeted at 13:25 Moscow time, “Most of the Eurovision 2023 tickets sold today have already been sold. “There are still tickets left for some performances. “Those who have tickets, see you in Liverpool. And everyone else, see you on BBC One! A replica of the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool, where the Eurovision Song Contest will be held. This is the first time the UK is hosting an annual competition in 25 years. About 6,000 fans are expected to enter the arena for each performance. Prices ranged from £90 to £290 for the live semi-final and from £160 to £380 for the live grand final.
Previews range from £30 to £280. The preview show is an all-TV broadcast that doubles as a rehearsal for production, with all members performing live from the arena. There are 6 preview shows and 3 live performances. All competing broadcasters pay a Eurovision entry fee (see below for details). However, since there are only 26 slots in the Grand Finals, there must be a playoff stage. This year there will be two semi-finals on Tuesday 9th and Thursday 11th May.
Ten songs from each of the two qualifying rounds advance to the finals. Several countries known as the Big Five (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom) automatically qualify for the finals because they donate more money to organize the competition. Last year’s winners also qualify without advancing to the semifinals. This year this honor goes to Ukraine. The City of Liverpool has announced several events related to Eurovision this year. Kiev hosts a two-week festival that includes a simultaneous submarine parade and rave. Liverpool’s Pier Head Hosts Official Eurovision Village Not far from the M&S Bank Arena is the Eurovillage, the tournament’s official fan area that draws thousands of people. During the live TV broadcast, fans can watch both the semifinals and finals (tickets available) on the big screen. This is also where some artists will perform on stage for a week.
There will also be extensive coverage on the BBC. Who pays for Eurovision? The UK government has provided £10m to cover the costs of running the singing contest, such as security and visa processing. It says the vast majority will be spent on “showcasing Ukrainian culture” but would not give further details. In comparison, the Italian government did not pay anything towards the event last year. The King and Queen Consort will unveil the Eurovision stage for the first time on Wednesday 26 April Local authorities in Liverpool have also pledged £4m for the event, which is £6m less than officials put forward in Turin in 2022. The bulk of the cost will fall to the BBC which is expected to put forward between £8m and £17m as host broadcaster.
The 37 broadcasters taking part all pay a fee to enter, which in recent years has totalled a combined sum of about £5m. The BBC does not disclose donations.
