Eurovision just got a royal visit. Ahead of the song contest extravaganza kicking off in Liverpool next month, King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla visited the host city to unveil the spectacular Eurovision stage.
His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen Consort visited Liverpool Arena today to see city in full bloom as it prepares for the Eurovision Song Contest 2023. They unveiled the now complete stage, ready to welcome contestants from 37 countries next month.
The royal party also chatted with Eurovision 2023 hosts Julia Sanina and Hannah Waddingham.
The #Eurovision2023 stage in action for the first time ?
— wiwibloggs (@wiwibloggs) April 26, 2023
King Charles and the Queen Consort have turned on the lights in the arenapic.twitter.com/lIXUZZTHaO
Eurovision 2023 stage revealed by King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla
The soon to be coronated monarch of the United Kingdom met with Tim Davie, BBC Director-General to tour the Liverpool Arena. The royal couple animated the arena with the set designer and sound and lighting directors, revealing Liverpool’s Eurovision stage to the world for the very first time.
Designed by Julio Himede, the impressive stage was designed on the principles of togetherness, celebration and community. Across more than 450 square metres of staging, the stunning set brings together another 220 square metres of independently moving and turning video screens, as well as over 700 video tiles integrated into the floor and more than 1500 metres of LED lights.
The set was revealed to a soundtrack of the Eurovision theme composed by Michael Nekrasov, our Ukrainian composer.
Blue Peter presenters Abby Cook, Joel Mawhinney and Mwaksy Mudenda were on hand to present their Majesties with a Gold Blue Peter badge each – the programme’s highest award.
Charles and Camilla also chatted with UK 2023 entry Mae Muller and some of the Eurovision hosting team, including Ukrainian singer Julia Sanina, Emmy-Award winning actress Hannah Waddingham, and BBC Radio 2 commentators Rylan and Scott Mills. They also met with music director of Eurovision 2023 Kojo Samuel.
Tim Davie, BBC Director General, said: “It is an honour that His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen Consort have come here today to reveal the fantastic staging for our Eurovision Song Contest programming. This set will be the focal point for all of the celebrations and we cannot wait to see it lighting up Liverpool and TV screens across the world.”
Martin Green CBE, Managing Director of Eurovision, said: “We are thrilled His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen Consort have unveiled this landmark moment for 2023 Eurovision. It has been a fantastic collaboration between all of our partners and the BBC to get to this point and now the stage is officially set to capture everyone’s imaginations and bring together audiences from across the world.”
Following the visit to the Arena, Her Majesty The Queen Consort dropped into The Big Eurovision Read pop-up reading den outside Liverpool Central Library. Led by The Reading Agency and supported by BBC Arts, the Big Eurovision Read is a reading-for-pleasure campaign celebrating music and reading, to mark the Eurovision Song Contest 2023.
Eurovision festivities begin in Liverpool next week as artists travel to the city for their first rehearsals. The semi-finals air on BBC One at 8pm on Tuesday 9 May and Thursday 11 May, with the grand final set for 8pm on Saturday 13 May.
What do you think of the Eurovision stage? Are you impressed with Liverpool’s staging? Let us know in the comments section below.
Is there always a formal unveiling event for the staging? If so, has there usually been a local dignitary doing a similar button press?
Sorry for the comment, but staring at this stage, I can only reflect and be certain that Chanel should have been the runner up
Nope. We saw how rude the Spanish Eurofans were towards the artists at the preparty in Spain this year.
Não sou espanhol
It’s a lovely stage, full of colour! The UK will do a great job hosting on behalf of Ukraine. Some or too many ESC fans are becoming a little bit of a headache with their complaints and negative tone and stance, the EBU organisers are noticing this too. Just live with it and enjoy the show.
what in the national selection is this
The green room SOMEHOW, I don’t know why, reminds me of Germany 2011 which I really like. Overall, I’m extremely positive about the visual quality and beauty of the performances, this year. At least, I should be, last year’s staging partially didn’t work at all, lmao.
Ah yes, the stage being “small” every year. Fans just cannot shut up about this every single year. Wait till it looks absolutely massive on screen. It always does.
Unfortunately, people are right this time haha It really is too little for such a big show, and performances will suffer for sure, Loreen being one of the biggest losers as her MF staging was the winning esc kind of a performance, so she definitelly won’t top that one. Well, we will be seeing a lot of shift, some positive and some negative surprises for sure
Yes, it is a smaller stage. For the live audience at least. On TV it will look properly big, using the magic of television. Same magic that was used in 2019. I don’t know about others, but I really don’t care how the stage looks in real life, if it looks nice on screen then I’m happy.
Euro fans complaining about “small” the staging is as if it actually matters. Turin was a small stage yet you all forgot about that when it came to the performances. Stans need to realise that life if about enjoyment, go find some.
I did not forget xD Turin is still my least favourite year because of the stage and production in general
I think Liverpool stage looks small because of the massive wide green room sofas. The stage itself is not small nor bad and I think it will look great on television 🙂
@Sultan ahahaah troll!
Someone tell me why Rylan Clark is on Eurovision this is the guy who was a a panel
On flop Eurovision you decide who back surie flop and Michael Rice flop who didn’t put through holly but crap Michael Rice he also cheated on his husband when do eurovision what a lovely guy I think people have forgot that he was on Eurovision decide and to be honest the BBC should be shame themselves while him on Eurovision
He’s part of the commentary team for the BBC.
It’s a pretty bog standard talent show-esque stage, but since the BBC is hosting on behalf of Ukraine I feel as though this isn’t a year to take risks, so a simple stage is perfect!
If Sweden or Finland win, I hope they take a risk with their staging next year (which i’m sure they will do anyway) and create something unique.
I’m ready for your stones, but I always liked smaller stages. I want the center of the attention to be on the act, not the stage. Also, if the arenas are smaller, poorer countries like Moldova and Albania will be able to host properly if the win someday. Good job Liverpool!
I totally agree with you. Back in 2018, when there was a chance of Cyprus winning, I remember reading on this site people claiming: Cyprus couldn’t win, because they didn’t have a big stage to organize the contest, nor enough accommodation… This kind of thinking always upsets me! Look, Cyprus is the size it is & that won’t change. Should Cyprus one day win, they would organize the contest in a smaller venue and that’s all. No big drama! Eurovision adapts to Cyprus, hardcore fans adapt to Cyprus. As long as it looks great on tv, the rest is secondary.
Disagree 🙂 Copenhagen had a big stage, yet it it could do so much to accommodate each song
It feels real now, I’m so excited!!
…and I just can’t hide it!
italy was the best stage ever
The stage literally didn’t work.
The EBU didn’t want it to work…
True, it was actually working, but too slow to acommodate, so they just ditched it. Still the design and execution – horrendous! Looked ugly af!
Ah yes, Italy was the victim of EBU’s sabotage. It’s not like Italy was being lazy and late on every aspect of hosting. Espresso breaks were too important.
Sure Jane
I agree with you, Alessio. It was very beautiful & I didn’t give a sh*te if it was broken or not. Konstrakta looked amazing & that’s all that mattered to me. I seem to remember to have watched a short video of what her stage show was supposed to look like if the stage had functioned properly… It just wasn’t as good. Thank god, the “sun” was broken!
#WiwiBookClub
Might look small, but i like it. It feels more intimate this way. I dont like it when the stage is too big and then looks quite empty.
Agree. Tel Aviv had one of the smallest stages, yet it was one of the best in recent years.
I miss the grand stagings like Dusseldorf, Copenhagen and Baku though.
Charles: and how is the winner selected?
Rylan: all participating countries award points from voting juries and public televoters, it’s super exciting!
Charles: oh, how appallingly common. It would be much more civilised to just select whichever artiste has the most well connected family, and give it to them.
Rylan: I don’t think the people would love that too much, sir…
Charles: Well they all love me.
I think Lys Assia’s grandson should be the current champion, with the House of Assia being based in Lugano. Close to Geneva, home of the EBU parliament, who do all the work.
Now wouldn’t it be iconic if this year’s Junior Eurovision stage were to be unveiled by the one and only Marine Le Pen?
Wtf!?
It wouldn’t be iconic or amazing. Why her?
Hopefully the Swedish royals will come next year to unveil the Eurovision stage.
Or in case Austria wins, the Habsburgs.
And if Finland wins… they also have some kind of royalty
They do, Mr. Lordi.
This is not a new thing. The last King to visit the arena was only two years ago. Even Tsar Putin visited in 2009.
The UK is doing a great job so far and I get so high expectations for the show we are about to watch! Especially after last year fiasco.
Really reminds me of Kiev 2017, both the shape and the size (of the arena also), which is good. I liked quite much back then! Congrats to all 37 countries!
It’s true that it looks a bit small, but I don’t think that will be a problem. It looks beautiful and open, not “claustrophobic” like the 2015 one, and I’m sure the BBC will make it work nicely with a really good camera work.
Looks like 1970’s science fiction. Close Encounters of The Third Kind comes to mind..
Not bad though. Really good even, especially for a small arena. And if it¨s anything like the movie it will be an amazing light show:)
I agree, the green room last year was amazing!
While my personal preference for style in general is strict lines and forms (i.e., straight lines, cubes), the stage looks quite simple yet fulfills the slogan. I like the idea of artists getting the front seats (green room) next to the stage. Obviously, decisions taken there are neither innovative nor plesantly shocking, but it will do its thing. I simply cannot let the idea into my head there is a chance Liverpool or any other host city could do worse than Torino with its sun of the death! My favourite stage remains to be the Dutch from 2020 and 2021… Read more »
Not like I know enough about stage design to judge but it looks cool to me.
First thoughts: Small arena. I’m sure it will look better on tv
Eurovision 2011 stage is still the best! it was AMAZING!
True, the last real Eurovision until 2020.
People complaining about the size – 2015 was one of the smallest stages but had some of the best stagings
Honestly I hate this stage and arena. It looks so small and yet so claustrophobic. Stage looks so plaint, as if it was some local festival. That circle in front is so weird and then those two sides of the stage that keep is close annoy me a lot. Haha. Really not a fan of it.
It’s a good stage, but I would have preferred some risks… It’s too simple for me. The circles remind me also the stage of sanremo, Marco will be happy ahahah
this?
I would have choose a different image but yes
Not sure whether we’ll be able to see much as we are in block 2 as far in the corner of the stage as you can get! Do you think most acts will use the circle?
I read an article yesterday think it was by one of the BBC producers that said that around 50% of the artists are utilising the catwalk and smaller stage. Some of the tickets released the other day stated restricted or limited view so if yours were not sold as this then hopefully you will be ok!!
The stage looks great. I just hope it is raised enough to block out all the phones that will be held up by the crowd. In fact, I think phones should be banned. All the effort that goes into making a good show for us should be respected.
The stage is perfect for this small arena. I wish there was not much noise around it though which resulted to many seats have obscured view (yet charting 300 pounds).
What is this obsession with big stages and arenas? Remember Moscow (although it was a great show) how tiny the singers were on that stage.
Moscow show was held in a stadium so the stage had to be big.
it was not a stadium but a sport complex
The logo colours look great this way.
But the stage seems really small. I even doubt whether there would be enough space for Loreen’s burger…
Dude its not THAT small… I think a lot of people are overreacting…
Loreen’s burger wasn’t happening anyways… roof mounted props not allowed in Eurovision.
Will King Charles and Queen Camilla watch the Eurovision though? I doubt it. But hey – at least the stage looks nice. I just hope the delegations will use it to the fullest so we have a spectacle of a show.
we don’t care if they watch ESC, Eurovision age group is younger than them
The contest is for everybody, young and old!
Yes, the King told Mae he will be watching.
They go to sleep at 7PM like Peppa Pig, so obviously they will not watch it.
Maybe the morning after on youtube.
What’s rude about going to sleep at 7PM
Well, I like it. Looks fantastic. Even the logo which I hated when it was revealed looks amazing from a different angle on the back screen. A big thank you to everyone involved in making this stage and good luck to all the participants which have been selected to represent their countries.
Looking forward to seeing the show now!
LTEVSVB
LTESCB
(oops. Typo)
I’m just hoping that if the stage is as small as it seems, there won’t be many wide shots than usual. It does look nice, though!
But I think this picture doesn’t reflect the reality, it’s as huge as it was on the concept arts. On the BBC vid showing the discover of the stage you can see that.
I really wanted it to be good but it just doesnt. It looks like something the BBC would use for a saturday night light entertainment talent show
The first impression I had with the picture was that it felt a bit Jesc.
Looks tiny but I’m sure it’ll look great on camera.
If the ebu had given the kinetic sun more time to spin between performances, last year’s stage in Turin would have been a truly classy stage, something innovative!
Only the lighting system in Turin was crazy! go see the technical video they posted on youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LqwdaJEUdQ&t=175s&ab_channel=EventElevator
Or a shorter voting time, less intervals, less talk… but no, the formula was rigid and can not be broken. Sad.
If the ebu had given the kinetic sun more time to spin between performances, last year’s stage in Turin would have been a truly classy stage, something innovative!
Only the lighting system in Turin was crazy! go see the technical video they posted on youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watchv=9LqwdaJEUdQ&t=175s&ab_channel=EventElevator
It is a pity. In terms of the stage design, I do feel it was much better last year. But the sun literally took too much time to function. As a result, regrettably, it became a drawback as it shadowed the background screen.
True!
1998 Stage + 2017 Stage = 2023 Stage! 🙂
Right when I thought this one looks somewhat familiar. This comment makes so much sense. 🙂
I think it looks great!
Looks great. It is not mind blowing, but it seems modern and functional.
Are you ready for it?
Well it’s still a song contest and not a dancebreak contest.
I wouldn’t even call it dancing tbh it’s just swinging her legs round in the air
i am but euroflops aren’t
Sure, but I don’t think the performance will be as good as you say. I was let down by the song already so I’m not so confident
Yes i am ready FOR THE SHOCK NQ!!
any video of it?
I am not a fan of square stages in general, I’d prefer different shapes. The circular part in the front also looks kinda weird. Of course we don’t know how it will be used yet and what its capabilities are, so I will also wait before judging it.
I actually liked last year’s stage design. But what ultimately happened with the black hole destroyed the final result. The water was a nice touch in my opinion and had the kinetic sun worked, it would offer a lot of staging possibilities. But yeah in the end things were underwhelming. This year I think the UK is sticking more to the basics.
But the sun worked!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LqwdaJEUdQ&t=175s&ab_channel=EventElevator
the black hole what ruined my queen Emma Muscat her backdrop last year, we never got to see what was behind the black sun and most likely ruined her mirror dress effect too 🙁
OMG!! I can already imagine Noa’s dancebreak and I’m getting excited, of course it will be on the small round stage. OMG thank you soo much Israel for this masterpiece!!
Stunning! I can’t wait to see it in action!
“U NI CORN U NI CORN U NI CORN U NI CORN I WINNING LIKE A….” 🙂
OMG!! finally!! after a month of waiting!! the queen is coming to take the trophy 🙂