The 2023 Eurovision Song Contest arrives in Liverpool next week, with the host city expecting around 100,000 visitors and a television audience of 160 million for what has been described as Europe’s biggest party. NatWest bank estimates that visitors will spend £40 million during Eurovision week, while Liverpool City Council expects Eurovision to generate £25 million for the city this year and a possible £250 million over the next three years, as visitor numbers continue to rise on the back of the city’s global exposure during this year’s event.
These figures highlight just how important the competition is for Liverpool’s economy and international profile both now and in the coming years. The city’s tourism was booming prior to the Covid pandemic, particularly after Liverpool was European Capital of Culture in 2008, with international tourist numbers rising dramatically (by more than double the national average) in the decade before Covid. As in other parts of the UK, the city’s tourism was badly affected by the pandemic, and Eurovision 2023 is seen as the perfect opportunity for the sector to recover its previous momentum.
The city seems ready to do both the event and its own musical legacy justice, and the mayor of Liverpool, Joanne Anderson, has promised ‘the best party ever’. With Liverpool hosting the competition on behalf of Ukraine this year following the Russian invasion, the mayor went on to say, ‘Ukraine – you have my promise we will do you proud’. With excitement building in Liverpool and across Merseyside, Eurovision 2023 will undoubtedly see the city rise to the occasion with vibrancy, confidence and solidarity before the eyes of the world.
