Why Newcastle should host Eurovision 2023

We love Newcastle, because it’s been the home of Eldon (now NRL) since 1965. That’s almost 60 years in the vibrant North East city, supporting our customers with translation and interpreting services as their trusted language solutions provider.

With Ukraine unable to host the 2023 singing event after taking the victory in Italy this year, the race is on to decide which UK city will support the Ukraine team to create a worthy event that best represents Ukraine and their values.

Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield were recently announced as the host city shortlist who will now battle it out to determine the 2023 location. But when it comes to who should host the Eurovision Song Contest in 2023, for us there can be only one clear winner – Newcastle.

Newcastle and music

There’s no shortage of venues across the city to catch a gig or listen to music on any day of your choosing, and visitors to the Toon can expect a very warm Geordie welcome. It’s that Geordie welcome that spectators who head to the city to watch the Eurovision Song Contest can expect to receive next year, if the region wins the rights to host the 2023 event.

The Utilita Arena, which is the proposed host venue, has the capacity to house 11,000 people – and local businesses and hotels have joined forces to offer their support to facilitate the large-scale song contest.

Music is also in the blood of local residents from across the region as well – with home-grown talent including Dire Straits; Hank Marvin from The Shadows; The Lighthouse Family; Neil Tennant from The Pet Shop Boys; Bryan Ferry from Roxy Music; Brian Johnson from AC/DC; Maxïmo Park; Sam Fender and Sting.

Newcastle and language

When it comes to being multi-lingual, Newcastle has that covered too. With languages such as Chinese, Bengali, Urdu, Polish, Arabic, Punjabi, Persian, Cantonese and French often heard out on the streets thanks to the region’s rich diversity. Locals would also argue that Newcastle has a language of its own – as out of towners can sometimes struggle to understand people talking in Geordie!

Whilst each year hundreds of international students temporarily call Newcastle their home, as they relocate to attend university and settle into local life. To help facilitate their move, our team here at Eldon (now NRL) are delighted to provide documentation translation to get them registered for their course.

Newcastle and Ukraine

The people of Newcastle are proud to support citizens of Ukraine, with close to 100 households hosting displaced families when the Government’s Homes for Ukraine Scheme launched.

As news from around the world hit our screens and newspapers, local people and businesses immediately sprang into action to raise much needed funds and collect items to distribute to help impacted families. Despite being more than 1,700 miles away, local residents wanted to do everything they could for their European neighbours, giving wherever they could.

Deciding the winner

The final 7 potential host cities will now be assessed against a strict set of criteria to establish the deserving winner. Including their suitability to host a world class event of this scale, and the financial and physical commitment to bring the event to life. As well as their capability to showcase the Ukrainian music and culture.

This autumn the final host city winner will be announced, and until then we’re keeping our fingers crossed for Newcastle as the Eurovision winner.