🇧🇪 RTBF would host Eurovision 2023 if requested by the EBU

BELGIUM – Following rumours that the European Union is drafting a proposal to hold Eurovision 2023 in Brussels as a show of solidarity with Ukraine, RTBF said that they would be happy to host the competition if requested.

RTBF General Manager Jean-Paul Philippot announced that he would address this notion with the EBU at their General Assembly next Thursday. If selected, RTBF would work with other public organisations to organise the event. This is also supported by the City of Brussels.

RTBF has previously hosted three Eurovision contests. The Eurovision Song Contest was held in Brussels in 1987, followed by Eurovision Young Musicians in 1992.

The Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2005 was held in Hasselt, East Flanders, 2005 by RTBF and VRT, the Dutch-language Belgian national broadcaster.

Both networks also worked together on Eurokids, the Belgian national final for the competition that same year.

The EBU declared earlier this month that Ukraine will not host the Eurovision Song Contest in 2023 owing to the country’s continuing civil strife.

The EBU has given the United Kingdom the hosting responsibilities for the 2023 competition, although the BBC has yet to say whether or not they would accept the offer.

If the United Kingdom agrees to host the 2023 competition, it would be the fifth time the country has done so after the original host nation failed to do so, after the Netherlands in 1960, France in 1963, Monaco in 1972, and Luxembourg in 1974. It would also bring the United Kingdom’s total number of hostings to nine.

The following cities have indicated an interest in hosting the 2023 competition so far:

Aberdeen, Belfast, Birmingham, Brighton, Cardiff, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Sheffield, Sunderland and Wolverhampton

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