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King Charles III and Queen Camilla lit up the room at Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena—literally! On Wednesday, the royal couple unveiled the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest stage, which was designed on the principles of “togetherness, celebration and community.”
“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,” Tim Davie, BBC Director-General, said in a statement. “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.”
During their visit to the arena, the King and Queen were given a VIP tour of the venue and met with some of this year’s contest hosts, including Ukrainian singer Julia Sanina and Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham. The Emmy Award-winning actress wrote on Instagram, “And so the Pinch me moments continue! What an honour to see you again Your Majesty,in the run up to your long awaited, glorious coronation. So wonderful to have you here today to celebrate the beginning of @bbceurovision in sunny Liverpool. #thekingandtheshowgirl 🥰.”
© PHIL NOBLE/POOL/AFP via Getty ImagesUkraine’s Kalush Orchestra won the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest. It was announced last year that Liverpool would host the 2023 competition on behalf of Ukraine “after it was concluded that the event could not be held in the winning country for safety and security reasons.”
The 2023 Eurovision will begin on May 9, just three days after King Charles is crowned at Westminster Abbey. The grand final of the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest will take place on Saturday, May 13.
