Eurovision: 'Manchester and Ukraine eat, sleep and breathe music'

Manchester would be the "perfect place" for Eurovision, as both it and Ukraine "eat, sleep and breathe music", locals with links to the country have said.

The city is home to one of the UK's biggest Ukrainian communities and on the shortlist to host the 2023 event.

Those with links to both places said the shared heritage made Manchester and Ukraine "a very good combination".

Council leader Bev Craig said it would be a privilege to host for the city's "large and proud Ukrainian community".

As 2022 winners, Ukraine had been in line to host in 2023, but due to the ongoing war in the country, it has been moved to the UK.

The shortlist of UK cities that could host has now been revealed, with Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield in the running.

Bob Sopel, the chairman of the Ukrainian Cultural Centre Manchester, said it would be "ideal" to have the show in the city.

"It's a place where displaced people can come and feel safe and at home," the 71-year-old said.

"A great city, a great community and add to that, the power of a huge Ukrainian community, it offers a lot of potential."

He said the city also had "a huge satellite community as well, with people coming from Rochdale, Bury, Stockport, from right across the region", which had grown "even further over recent months with the arrival of refugees".

"Our Saturday school has gone from 90 children in February to 200 today," he said.

Third generation Ukrainian-Mancunian Myro Slava said the similarities between the country and the city made it a perfect blend.

"Ukrainians are like Mancunians; we eat, sleep and breath music," she said.

She said both sets of people also had "such similar culture".

"We both have a real worker attitude, everyone is treated the same, we treat music the same, it's a really nice authentic connection," she said.

She said that had made for a "vibrant, massive and diverse community here" and had meant that when the refugees "arrived earlier this year, they found a ready-made home".

She added that while she was "very excited" about the possibility of Eurovision being in Manchester, it would be a "bittersweet moment for Ukrainians, as it would have been so special [for the nation]".

"What we have to remember is that the UK is hosting the event on behalf of the Ukrainians, so it's important to include the community," she said.

Ms Craig said Manchester "stands ready to put on the biggest party in the UK" and would "do everything we can" to honour Ukraine at its proposed event.

"We have a large and proud Ukrainian community in Manchester," she said.

"It would be our privilege to host this iconic celebration on their behalf."

The successful city will be chosen by the BBC and Eurovision organisers, and will be announced in the autumn.

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