Eurovision host city narrowed down to Liverpool or Glasgow

Watch: Liverpool and Glasgow remain in competition to host Eurovision Song Contest 2023

Eurovision 2023 will be hosted in Liverpool or Glasgow, the BBC has confirmed.

With the announcement, it means that Manchester, Sheffield, Leeds and Birmingham are no longer in the running to host the singing competition.

In a statement, the BBC said: "Further discussions will now take place with officials from Glasgow and Liverpool and a final decision will be made within weeks."

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The broadcaster also said that Liverpool and Glasgow made "the strongest overall offer".

The UK was chosen to host Eurovision after it was decided that Ukraine, as winners of the 2022 version of the competition, would not be able to host due to the current conflict with Russia.

The UK finished runner-up in this year's competition which was held in May with Sam Ryder representing Britain.

Initially, twenty cities put themselves forward to host Eurovision before that was whittled down to a shortlist of seven.

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The shortlisted cities were judged on a variety of criteria including suitability of venue and ability to showcase Ukrainian culture and music.

Glasgow, with its 14,500 seat OVO Hydro arena is a hot favourite with the city's council leader Susan Aitken saying Glasgow "has all the right ingredients to deliver a Eurovision the world will remember".

The city also produced the 1969 winner in Lulu who has said: "Glasgow's the perfect place for Eurovision - and it's about time."

Glasgow has previously hosted the 2014 Commonwealth Games and BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

If Liverpool won the right to host the city, it would take place at the M&S Bank Arena which holds 11,000 people.

Steve Rotheram, who is mayor of the city said: "It's safe to say that Liverpool wouldn't be Liverpool without music — and music wouldn't be music without Liverpool. No region in the UK has had more number one hits - and nowhere can throw a party quite like us.

"I can think of nowhere more qualified, more experienced or more fitting to host the Eurovision."