Suspilne has confirmed that Eurovision 2004 winner Ruslana will be featuring in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 in Liverpool.
Following an Instagram post earlier today in which Ruslana questioned her exclusion from this years Eurovision Song Contest, the Ukrainian broadcaster has confirmed she will feature in the contest in Liverpool. In a statement the broadcaster confirmed:
The BBC together with the European Broadcasting Union are organising Eurovision 2023 in consultation with Public Broadcasting. On the initiative of Public Broadcasting, Ruslana, the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 2004, was included in the program of the competition. We know for sure that the singer and her team know about these plans, and what’s more, they have already made the necessary preparations.
For today, we can only emphasize that Ruslana will perform in a number of formats that will take place before and during the Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool, in particular in the final of the contest. As far as we know, the BBC intends to include Ruslana in the Eurovision 2023 final.
Ruslana’s victory in 2004 was a symbolic event for the entire country and initiated high standards of representation of Ukraine at the contest for almost 20 years , inspired subsequent participants to new victories. So, of course, Ruslana’s participation in the show held on behalf of Ukraine is important and justified.
Ruslana had taken to the social media to express her surprise at being the only Ukrainian winner of Eurovision not to be performing at Eurovision 2023, which is being hosted on behalf of Ukraine by the BBC. The following Ukrainian artists have already been confirmed as performing or featuring in the show:
- Julia Sanina – Host of the Contest & performing “Mayak” in Semi-Final One
- Alyosha (ESC 2010) – Performing in the interval of Semi-Final One
- Mariya Yaremchuk (ESC 2014) – Performing in the interval of Semi-Final Two
- Otoy – Performing in the interval of Semi-Final Two
- Zlata Dziunka (JESC 2022) – Performing in the interval of Semi-Final Two
- Kalush Orchestra (Eurovision 2022 Winners) – Opening the Grand Final
- Go-A (ESC 2020 & 2021) – Performing in the Flag Parade in the Grand Final
- Jamla (Eurovision 2016 Winner) – Performing in the Flag Parade in the Grand Final
- Tina Karol (Eurovision 2006) – Performing in the Flag Parade in the Grand Final
- Verka Serduchka (Eurovision 2008) – Performing in the Flag Parade in the Grand Final
Eurovision 2023
Liverpool will host the next edition of the Eurovision Song Contest at the M&S Bank Arena. The decision comes after multiple rounds of shortlisting various UK cities, as the winners of the 2022 contest Ukraine were not able to host. Eurovision 2023 will be held on May 9, 11 and 13.
Liverpool is known globally as the birthplace of the Beatles, as well as music events such as Africa Oyé, Liverpool International Music Festival and Sound City. The city is home to just under 500,000 people and is known for its iconic music venues and cultural events. The city is connected to the world via Liverpool John Lennon Airport.
The 2023 contest will be the first contest since 1979 in which the winning nation was unable to host the following contest. It is the sixth occasion overall on which a different country has hosted after the original host nation was unable to, following the Netherlands in 1960, France in 1963, Monaco in 1972, Luxembourg in 1974, Israel in 1980 and Ukraine in 2023. The 2023 contest will also extend the United Kingdom’s record of hosting Eurovision to nine times.
Image Source: Eurovision.tv | Source: Suspilne
