BBC Eurovision Party coming to Times Square

The city will be awash with sequins and colourful outfits as the Eurovision Song Contest party takes place on Saturday, May 13.

Starting at 4pm, at Times Square, crowds will be able to enjoy more than three hours of spectacular entertainment, including live music, DJs and special guest appearances. 

The Eurovision final, which draws millions of viewers from across the globe, will then be broadcast on a big screen from 8pm after a special Eurovision-themed episode of BBC One's The One Show.

Last year, Newcastle made the shortlist to become the host of the international event on behalf of 2022 winners Ukraine but narrowly lost out to Liverpool.

Now, Newcastle has been chosen among a handful of cities across the country to stage an official Eurovision party, which will be hosted by Newcastle City Council in partnership with the BBC and the European Broadcasting Union.

Michelle Percy, Director for Place at Newcastle City Council, said: “Eurovision is one of the biggest television events of the year and there is a real buzz with the contest being held in the UK this year.

“We were thrilled to have made the shortlist to host the event and although we weren’t successful, we couldn’t have been prouder of residents, businesses and communities for coming together to get behind our campaign.

“During the bidding process we made fantastic links with the Ukrainian community and we have been immensely proud to see Newcastle give a big Geordie welcome to those who fled their home country to make a fresh start in our city.

“The Eurovision Song Contest party is set to be an amazing event and we look forward to putting on a great show for our residents and Ukrainians living in our city.”

Tickets for the Eurovision party cost £5, with a proportion of free tickets being given to Ukrainian residents in the city.

Tickets are now on sale at www.fatsoma.com/newcastle-eurovision-2023

Residents can also watch the Eurovision semi-finals at Times Square on Tuesday, May 9 and Thursday, May 11 from 8pm for free.