Since the announcement that the UK would be hosting the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 on behalf of Ukraine, there has been much speculation on whether or not Cardiff would be putting itself forward to host the event.
However, it has now been confirmed by Cardiff Council that the city’s bid to host the music competition won’t go ahead.
In a joint statement released this week, it said it would not feasible for the Principality Stadium to host the event due to the busy schedule of events already planned for next year. To host the Eurovision Song Contest, it would mean cancelling a number of events in the calendar to accommodate the contest.
The joint statement in full:
“Since it was confirmed that the UK would host the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest, Cardiff Council, the Welsh Government and Principality Stadium have been working at pace to establish the feasibility of a bid to host the event in Wales’ capital city.
“Cardiff’s very strong track record in hosting major events, and the world-class Principality Stadium, would have made it a natural fit for such a significant production.
“The BBC, as the event organisers, have released detailed specifications for each city wishing to bid to host the event. As partners, we have been working through these in detail. It is clear that on many of these Cardiff would have a very strong case to become the host city for Eurovision 2023.
“However, the complexity of staging the event means that a significant number of scheduled events in the Principality Stadium during Spring 2023 would have to be cancelled as a result. These include the European Wheelchair Rugby Championships, ‘The Road to Principality’, a key event in the WRU Community rugby calendar, and a major international artist contracted to appear, among other events.
“We have been in rapid discussion with the BBC to explore any potential options which might have been able to accommodate the event alongside the existing schedule. Unfortunately, we have not been able to find a workable solution, and therefore we have collectively agreed that it will not be possible for a Cardiff bid to go forward. We thank the BBC for their positive engagement with us, and we wish the winning city all the best in staging the 2023 competition.”
