Good Evening Europe, Liverpool calling! Are you as excited as we are for Eurovision 2023, the world's largest singing contest? This year the show will be hosted by the United Kingdom after Sam Ryder 'Space Man' wins Runner-Up for the nation at the 2022 song contest hosted by Italy. As the rules state the winner of each year is awarded host nation for the following competition. However, this year due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the runner-up will host the nation for Eurovision. This means that the UK is to host the competition in 2023, with Liverpool being the selected destination.
Want to travel to the competition? Alternative Airlines make it simple to search and book flights that you'll need to get there. We offer hundreds of airlines and airports, helping you get from point a to point b with ease. We offer flights with hundreds of European and international airlines helping to get you to Liverpool in 2023. With the cost of Eurovision tickets, why not use one of our many 'buy now, pay later' payment options and spread the cost of your flights over a few weeks or months? To find out more and book, use the flight search or contact a member of our customer service team.
The Eurovision Song Contest is the oldest singing competition in the world, dating back to 1956 as a way to unite a post-war Europe. The contest started out with Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands and Switzerland all competing to win in Switzerland. Today the contest has grown to include over 40 countries in the 2022 show, even having Australia as an entrant. The show is known for its Europop genre and campy theatrics loved internationally and watched globally by over 180 million people. Love it or hate it I'm sure you will have heard some of the songs and artists who have previously performed. In 1974 Swedish band ABBA (Yes, that ABBA!) won with 'Waterloo', Céline Dion won for Switzerland in 1988 with 'Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi' and Katrina and the Waves won the 1997 competition with 'Love Shine a Light'.
The contest is hosted every year and the winner of the previous year is awarded host nation. A country enters a bidding phase where any city can put in an offer into the national broadcaster to be the host for the contest the following year. British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has announced that the city of Liverpool had been successful in the bidding process and was awarded host city for the Eurovision Song Contest 2023. It has been confirmed by the EBU that 56 countries have entered the competition for 2023, with the big 5 (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and UK) and Ukraine automatically being entered into the grand final.
The UK is domestically well-connected. There are a number of airports where you can fly domestically across the UK. This makes it easy for you to travel across the UK on a flight and arrive in Liverpool to enjoy the Eurovision Song Contest. If you live in the UK and looking to attend the Eurovision Contest there are also various train networks to Liverpool. Cities operated from Liverpool include:
✈ Belfast-city, Belfast International, Dublin
Liverpool airport also offers numerous services to other European destinations. The airport has direct routes to the UK, France, Spain, Germany, Greece, Netherlands, Ireland, Poland, Romania, Hungary and Bulgaria. This makes Liverpool an easily accessible destination for a range of Eurovision fanatics across the continent. Routes to Liverpool include:
✈ Alicante, Amsterdam, Antalya, Barcelona, Belfast-City, Faro, Geneva, Isle of Man, Jersey, Krakow, Lanzarote, Madrid, Malaga, Nice, Palma de Mallorca, Paris, Tenerife, Bodrum, Dalaman, Grenoble, Herakolionm Derry, Frankfurt, Beauvais, Bergamo, Fuerteventura, Malta, Vilnius and many more.
If you're flying internationally for the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 it's best to fly into London Heathrow, London Gatwick or Manchester Airport. Unfortunately, Liverpool has a limited amount of international destinations, making it more difficult to fly straight into Liverpool. If travelling from further afield you may find it easier to fly to a different airport and transfer to Liverpool by train, car or by another method of transport.
Liverpool has multiple airports within a short radius, with Liverpool airport being the closest and approximately 25 minutes by car. Manchester, Birmingham and London are all major cities also close to Liverpool which offers a wide range of international and European services.
Liverpool Airport is the closest airport to the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 as it is the primary airport for the city of Liverpool. The airport is approximately 15km from the city centre and has a handful of domestic and European services for you to choose from. Transport links from Liverpool John Lennon Airport make it easy to transfer from the airport to the city centre or Eurovision host stadium.
Distance to Liverpool: 15km (25 mins by car approx)
✈ Domestic British airlines: easyJet
✈ International airlines: Loganair, Lufthansa, PLAY, Ryanair and Wizz Air
Manchester Airport is one of the best airports to fly to for the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 due to its connectivity with European destinations. There are a number of domestic and international airlines that fly to Manchester Airport. The airport is 62km from Liverpool city centre, which is approx a 55 min car journey. It's super easy to get to Liverpool from Manchester Airport, with train services only a 10-minute walking distance. If you're looking for a more relaxed journey you can also get a taxi ride for £70.
Distance to Liverpool: 62km (55 mins by car approx)
✈ Domestic British airlines: British Airways, Jet2 & easyJet.
✈ International airlines: Aegean Airlines, Aer Lingus, Air Canada, Air France, Air Transat, Aurigny, Austrian Airlines, BH Air, Biman Bangladesh Airlines, British Airways, Brussels Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Corendon Airlines, easyJet, Emirates, Ethiopian Airways, Etihad Airways, Eurowings, Flybe, Finnair, Gulf Air, Hainan Airlines, Iberia Express, Icelandair, KLM, Loganair, Lufthansa, TUI Airways, Turkish Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Vueling and many more.
Leeds Bradford Airport serves the West Yorkshire region. This airport is only a 1 hour and 45 minutes car journey from Liverpool making it relatively close to the host city. Leeds airport only operates a couple of international destinations, however, if you're flying into Leeds you can fly directly from Alicante, Antalya, Barcelona, Budapest, Faro, Funchal, Krakow, Corfu, Split and many more. Please note that the national airline of the UK, British Airways doesn't operate to LBA.
Distance to Liverpool: 121km (1 hour 45 minutes by car approx)
✈ Domestic British airlines: EasyJet & Jet2
✈ International airlines: Aer Lingus, Aurigny, BH Air, EasyJet, Flybe, KLM, Ryanair, TUI Airways, Wizz Air
Birmingham Airport (BHX) is located within the city of Birmingham, close to numerous modes of public transport. This airport is about 2 hours away from Liverpool Airport. Due to Birmingham Airport being a smaller airport it only has a couple of European airlines operating to it.
Distance to Liverpool: 160km (2 hours by car approx)
✈ Domestic British airlines: easyJet, Jet2 & TUI Airways
✈ International airlines: Aegean Airlines, Aer Lingus, Air France, Air India, Aurigny, Austrian Airlines, Blue Islands, Brussels Airlines, Corendon Airlines, Emirates, Eurowings, Flybe, KLM, Loganair Lufthansa, Ryanair, SunExpress, Turkish Airlines, Vueling and Wizz Air
East Midlands Airport is approximately 2 hours away from Liverpool, making it an easily accessible alternative. The airport operates 7 airlines across Europe at varying price points. However, the airport doesn't currently offer any international routes so it may be beneficial to fly into a different airport if arriving from a further destination. You can connect at East Midlands Parkway train station, just 5 miles from the airport. Although the airport offers a smaller number of flights, there is sufficient public transport that can use to transfer to Liverpool City.
Distance to Liverpool: 163km (2 hours by car approx)
✈ Domestic British airlines: TUI Airways & Jet2
✈ International airlines: Aurigny, BH Air, Blue Islands, Flybe, Ryanair.
London Heathrow Airport is a hub for British Airways and Virgin Atlantic. The airport is about 3.5 hours away from Liverpool so it could be a good alternative option for you, depending on where you're flying from. London Heathrow may seem a little far for some, however, London Heathrow boasts a wide range of domestic, regional and international airlines, making this option very appealing if you are travelling from further afield. The airport has a well-connected rail connection and bus services that you can use to travel to Liverpool for the Eurovision Contest.
Distance to Liverpool: 211 miles (3 hours 30 mins by car approx)
✈ Domestic British airlines:
✈ International airlines: Aegean Airlines, Aer Lingus, Air Canada, Air France, Air Malta, Air Serbia, Air Astana, Aeromexico, EasyJet, Eurowings, Avianca, BH Air, British Airways, Brussels Airlines, Croatia Airlines, EgyptAir, El Al, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Iberia, Japan Airlines, JetBlue, Kenya Airways, KLM, Korean Air, LATAM Brasil, Loganair, Lufthansa, Malaysia Airlines, Oman Air, Royal Jordanian, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Royal Air Maroc, RwandAir, Virgin Atlantic, Vistara, WestJet, Vueling and Wizz Air
London Gatwick Airport (LGW) s a major international airport and is a focus city for easyJet, Norse Atlantic Airways, Norweigan Air Shuttle, Ryanair, Tui Airways and Wizz Air. This airport has numerous European and international airlines which service the airport whilst offering a diverse route network. You are able to fly to Canada and the US, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and numerous European destinations. Use our flight search tool to see which airport is best for you.
Distance to Liverpool: 390km (4.5 hours by car approx)
✈ Domestic British airlines: British Airways, EasyJet,
✈ International airlines: Aer Lingus, Air Arabia, Air China, Air Europa, Air Transat, Air Malta, Aurigny, airBaltic, EasyJet, Emirates, Iberia Express, Icelandair, JetBlue, Norse Atlantic Airways, Qatar Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Ryanair, SunExpress, TAP, Turkish Airlines, WestJet, Vueling and Wizz Air and many more.
This year marks the 67th year the competition is being held. The Eurovision Song Contest is due to be held in 3 parts, 2 semi-finals and 1 grand finale. The first semi-final is scheduled for 9th May 2023 and the second semi-final is on the 11th May 2023. Once these have been performed and the finalists selected, the grand final will be hosted on 13th May 2023.
As the UK was the runner-up of the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest in Turin, Italy, they will be the host nation. After a process of English cities bidding, it was announced that Liverpool will be the next host of the competition.
It is expected that tickets for the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 will go on sale at the end of 2022 or the beginning of 2023. Please visit the Eurovision website for more details and ticketing information.
Ukraine won this year's song contest with the rap group Kalush performing 'STEFANIA', winning 439 points crowing them the winners in Turin.
As the 2023 competition is being held in the English City of Liverpool, there are multiple airports you can choose from. Liverpool (LPL) is the closest airport followed by Manchester Airport. Further afield you can arrive into Leeds and Birmingham.
Albania, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.
*Due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine both the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus were suspended from the EBU meaning they were no longer able to compete.
Use the flight search tool at the top of the page and search. Set your departure airport and destination as one of the airports you wish to fly into (LHR, LGW, STN, LCY, LTN, BHX, LPL or MAN) as well as the class of travel, dates and amount of passengers and search. You can easily filter flights based on price, time, airport and airline to see what is best for you.
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