Eurovision 2023: 'Maybe we'll forget the Ukraine war for two hours'

Eurovision successful Liverpool is simply a jubilant celebration, but successful Ukraine - the state the contention was meant to beryllium held successful - the temper is precise different.

The metropolis has taken connected hosting duties connected Ukraine's behalf due to the fact that of the Russian invasion.

And portion determination person already been joyous scenes astatine the instrumentality portion alongside the River Mersey, the representation successful Ukraine this play volition beryllium worlds apart.

Marina Grebinna is simply a ocular effects creator surviving successful Kyiv and she's been waking up astatine 05:00 this week owed to explosions.

Similarly to the UK, she says radical usually stitchery to ticker Eurovision unneurotic outside.

"Normally successful Kyiv determination are large screens extracurricular wherever you tin spot and much successful the bars and restaurants," she tells Newsbeat.

"But this clip we person curfews truthful we're not capable to beryllium extracurricular aft 12pm."

But Marina says the warfare isn't going to halt her and her friends from watching Eurovision.

"It doesn't mean that we're not going to spot it, we volition proceed surviving our lives," she says.

"And we're going to get unneurotic with my friends and ticker it contempt each of the circumstances.

"It's conscionable not the aforesaid arsenic before."

Marina says she is gladsome the UK is capable to bask the contest, contempt the information it means her location state missing out, having won the contention for a 3rd time.

"We've already had Eurovision present twice. And it was a truly large solemnisation of the euphony and everything," she says.

"It doesn't consciousness truthful bully due to the fact that surviving each time successful the authorities of warfare and having this contention determination extracurricular Ukraine, it's not the same.

"I'm truly blessed for the radical of Great Britain that you'll beryllium capable to person this enactment of Eurovision and we truly admit that your state is helping america to negociate each of this.

"But for radical present who are wrong Ukraine, there's not that overmuch celebrating this year."

Ukrainian instrumentalist Denis Stoff, who was the pb vocalist of British stone radical Asking Alexandria successful 2015, besides lives successful Kyiv.

He says helium plans to ticker Eurovision astatine location "if we're not getting bombed".

"The powerfulness of euphony [has] ever manifested bully things," helium says.

"I'm blessed that we won past twelvemonth and I'm blessed that the UK's hosting Eurovision this year, truthful I'm definite it's going beryllium amazing."

Denis says the contention volition "spark up a batch of bully emotions for radical and besides for a batch of Ukrainians".

"Because they're going to beryllium watching it and they'll hide astir the war, possibly conscionable possibly for a mates of hours," helium says.

"And we'll beryllium capable to bask the nighttime and ticker thing decent."

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