Summary

  • After months of build-up, Liverpool finally takes the reins as official host of this year's Eurovision Song Contest

  • Countries discovered which semi-final they will be in and who their rivals will be for a place in the final

  • The handover ceremony was hosted by AJ Odudu and Rylan in the city's St George's Hall

  • Ukraine won last year and should be this year's host - but the war means they cannot - so the UK will host on their behalf

  • The semi-finals, and the final, will be held in the city in May

Live Reporting

Edited by Emma Owen

  1. Just what is the Eurovision Song Contest?

    Daniel Rosney
    Eurovision reporter, BBC News

    It does what it says on the tin, it’s an international song contest with some absolute bangers.

    The Eurovision Song Contest has been on every year since 1956 (we don’t talk about 2020 when it was cancelled due to the Covid pandemic).

    It’s the world’s most-watched entertainment show, with 160 million viewers and one of the most complicated programmes to make in the world, with weeks and weeks of rehearsals.

    This year, 37 countries will send a representative to Liverpool.

    It’s actually broadcasters who are part of the European Broadcasting Union (a group of public service broadcasters who share content) that enter the contest. So for the UK, it’s the BBC and for Ireland it’s RTÉ, etc.

  2. What to expect from tonight's show

    Eurovision allocation draw coverPA Media

    Tonight kicks off the Eurovision season

    The main event this evening will decide which countries will compete in the two semi-final events.

    AJ Odudu and Rylan will conduct the live draw assisted by young people from a local school and Ukrainians who have settled in the city since the outbreak of the conflict.

    The programme will also see the Mayor of Turin, Stefano Lo Russo, hand over the official keys of the Eurovision Song Contest, known as the Insignia, to the Mayor of Liverpool, Joanne Anderson.

    You can watch the show at the top of this page at 19:00, or on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer.

  3. Welcome, bonjour, pryvit!

    Eurovision poster

    Hello and welcome to our coverage of the draw for the semi-finals, and official handover of the Eurovision competition to Liverpool.

    Tonight kicks off the journey for the acts to the Grand Final on 13 May.

    Thirty-one countries will find out which semi-final they will compete in to join the ‘big five’ (Spain, the UK, France, Germany and Italy) and Ukraine, who would have been this year’s hosts but for the war, in the final.

    Stay with us as we build up to the draw and Eurovision in the UK kicks off.