Friends, it’s long been a dream of mine to attend a Eurovision final, ever since I lived in England and saw the glorious camp music contest live on TV for myself. The best acts are the ones where you can tell it’s a cultural tradition to participate in the show, but the government really doesn’t want the hassle of hosting the event next year (it’s tradition that whoever wins has to host next year), so they just go weird. If I may digress for a moment, this is by far one of my favorite performances of the past 15 years, what I refer to as the “Falsetto Vampire” (real name Cezar) from Romania:
It’s just *chef’s kiss,* utter perfection, and the flashing lights and dancers in full body tights that cover their faces, as well, really seal the deal. I don’t think it will surprise you to know that with an introduction like that, Cezar did not win. I believe the Romanian government breathed a sigh of relief that night.
On to this year’s 2023 Eurovision, though. See, last year, Ukraine won, and given that Russia is hellbent on waging war there right now, you can’t exactly host a Eurovision contest there. So, the second-place winner, the United Kingdom, will host for Ukraine. Now, no one really expected the U.K. to come in second here because, ever since Tony Blair dragged the U.K. into the Iraq war, they have done terribly in Eurovision. It’s a running joke that they always land towards the bottom of the leaderboard, except for last year.
My personal conspiracy theory is people voted for the U.K. because everyone wanted Ukraine to win. Since the U.K. has always historically done poorly, it was a safe bet they would do poorly again, and thus, they had their best result in the past 20 years.
So, this all leads me to this: Tickets are going on sale on Tuesday, March 7, for Eurovision 2023 in Liverpool. Unfortunately, this will be available via Ticketmaster U.K., boooooo. Here are the details, per the BBC:
Fans will be able to pay to attend nine shows – two live semi-finals and the grand final, as well as six previews doubling up as dress rehearsals.
Prices range from £90 to £290 for the live semi-finals and £160 to £380 for the live grand final.
OK, so if you want to buy tickets, this is how you can do it, per the above source:
Tickets will be made available from 12:00 GMT.
An account must be registered on Ticketmaster UK – regardless of the country tickets are being purchased in.
Only tickets for one show at a time can be purchased by users.
If you’re wondering how much the tickets will cost, here are the details. Per the BBC:
Prices range from £90 to £290 for the live semi-finals and from £160 to £380 for the live grand final.
Preview shows range from £30 to £280.
My advice? If you’re going to aim for just one show, go to the finals. That’s the big one, it’s televised, where the winner is crowned, and if I could go (and I’m not ruling that out yet), it’s the one I’d aim for. This is the dream, my friends. I’ve always said if Eurovision ever made it to the U.K., I would be there. Unfortunately, my bank account does not agree with me, so it might be time to dip into my savings account, a.k.a. the Beanie Babies I keep in my closet that I save for a rainy day. They’re worth something, right? They have to be!
Finally, I would be remiss if I did not share with you the two songs that are the cause of Eurovision 2023 in Liverpool, so friends, here they are. Enjoy:
Ukraine’s entry by Kalush Orchesta:
The United Kingdom’s entry by Sam Ryder:
(featured image: EBU/Corinne Cumming)
