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Kalush Orchestra frontman Oleh Psiuk brought his trademark pinkish chapeau to Liverpool
By Ian Youngs
Entertainment & arts reporter
Ukraine's reigning Eurovision champions Kalush Orchestra person got the enactment started successful this year's big metropolis Liverpool with a show to unfastened the instrumentality village.
The set kicked disconnected the authoritative Eurovision build-up connected Friday, watched by fans connected Liverpool's waterfront.
The celebrations volition proceed until the expansive last connected Saturday, 13 May.
Kalush's Tymofii Muzychuk said the set members were bittersweet it was intolerable to clasp this year's Eurovision successful Ukraine.
The UK his hosting Eurovision 2023 connected behalf of Ukraine
The winning state usually hosts the contention the pursuing year, but organisers decided it was excessively unsafe to signifier the yearly extravaganza successful Ukraine pursuing Russia's invasion.
Instead, the UK - which came 2nd with Sam Ryder successful 2022 - is hosting this year's lawsuit connected behalf of Ukraine.
"It's bully that it's being staged successful the UK," Muzychuk continued. "We spot tons of Ukrainian colours, and the main happening is safety."
Kalush Orchestra volition besides execute astatine the Eurovision expansive final
The instrumentalist told BBC News helium wanted this year's contention to nonstop a connection to the satellite to not hide astir Ukraine.
"The warfare successful Ukraine is continuing," helium said. "It's not finished yet and we privation to punctual radical that they shouldn't suffer way of it and it should beryllium successful the headlines."
Many radical successful the state volition beryllium watching the contest, helium added. "They'll beryllium supporting and rooting for Ukraine.
"Of people we are bittersweet that it's not being staged successful Ukraine but I anticipation that the UK introduction wins, past we tin swap and clasp Eurovision successful Ukraine [in 2024]."
Some Ukrainians surviving successful Liverpool turned retired to spot Kalush Orchestra
Some fans waved Ukrainian flags arsenic they watched the band, portion others wore pinkish bucket hats - pursuing the inclination started by frontman Oleh Psiuk.
Kalush Orchestra volition besides execute astatine the expansive final, opening the amusement with a show titled Voices of a New Generation.
As good arsenic the last and semi-finals, Liverpool is staging galore different events astir the city, including regular shows astatine the 15,000-capacity Eurovision Village.
A nautical-themed thoroughfare parade was portion of Liverpool's Eurovision taste festival
On Friday, a peculiar supergroup featuring musicians from Merseyside and Ukraine performed aft Kalush Orchestra nether the banner Welcome to Eurotopia.
The UK members included Orchestral Manoeuvres successful the Dark vocalist Andy McCluskey, singers Jane Weaver and Natalie McCool and art-pop radical Stealing Sheep, portion Helleroid, Krapka;KOMA and Iryna Muha represented Ukraine.
Friday besides saw a thoroughfare parade arsenic portion of a a Eurovision-themed taste festival. The Blue and Yellow Submarine Parade was inspired by the colours of the Ukrainian emblem on with the opus and movie by Liverpool's astir celebrated philharmonic exports, The Beatles.
The Blue and Yellow Submarine Parade kick-starts Eurovision 2023 celebrations
Eurovision 2023 timetable:
- Sunday, 15:00 BST - All 37 Eurovision entrants volition beryllium officially presented erstwhile they locomotion down a turquoise carpet
- Sunday, 20:00 - The National Lottery's Big Eurovision Welcome featuring a reunited Frankie Goes to Hollywood positive different section heroes the Lightning Seeds, Atomic Kitten and Ricky Tomlinson, and Eurovision legends Jamala and Conchita Wurst
- Monday, 18:30 - Highlights of some the turquoise carpet and invited ceremonial connected BBC One
- Tuesday, 20:00 - Semi-final one
- Thursday, 20:00 - Semi-final two
- Saturday, 20:00 - Grand final. The semi-finals and the expansive last are unrecorded connected BBC One and Radio 2, with afloat sum connected the BBC News website
Eurovision Village highlights:
- Saturday - The Royalty Ball celebrates the north-west's vogue scene, positive a show from the Scissor Sisters' Jake Shears
- Sunday - Family favourites Hey Duggee, Bluey and Andy and The Odd Socks, earlier emerging section performers
- Monday - This is Ukraine presents Antytila, Go_A, Alyona Alyona and Jerry Heil
- Tuesday - English National Opera gives Eurovision classics an operatic makeover with the assistance of singers Russell Watson, Ruslana - and Sonia!
- Wednesday - The Lightning Seeds, Miles Kane and Girls Don't Sync pb a line-up of Liverpool talent
- Thursday - Ukraine's 2016 Eurovision victor Jamala premieres her caller album, inspired by Crimean people songs
- Friday - EuroEve with Fleur East, Sophie Ellis Bextor and Charlotte Church's Late Night Pop Dungeon
- Saturday - Grand last time with Katrina from Katrina and the Waves, Jedward's Giant Eurovision karaoke and Claire from Steps
Entry to the instrumentality colony is escaped but for expansive last day, which is ticketed and already sold out.
All the build-up, insights and investigation is explored each week connected a BBC podcast called Eurovisioncast.
Eurovisioncast is available connected BBC Sounds, oregon hunt wherever you get your podcasts from.
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