BRIGHTON will officially express an interest in hosting next year’s Eurovision Song Contest after organisers concluded the competition could not be held in Ukraine.

If successful, Eurovision could come to the city for the first time since 1974 when Abba famously won.

Brighton and Hove City Council leader Phelim Mac Cafferty said "it would be an honour to host Eurovision on behalf of Ukraine".

The council is to contact the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the BBC about the possibility of hosting. 

The Argus: Pop group ABBA congratulate each other in Brighton, after winning the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest for Sweden with "Waterloo"Pop group ABBA congratulate each other in Brighton, after winning the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest for Sweden with "Waterloo"

Brighton and Hove City Council leader Phelim Mac Cafferty said: “It would be an honour to host Eurovision on behalf of Ukraine.

“Of course, it was in Brighton and Hove that ABBA launched their global career when they won with Waterloo at the Brighton Dome in 1974.

“We’d love to see the event come back to the city and share some of our lucky stardust with the next global superstars.

“We will now approach the European Broadcasting Union and the BBC to formally express our interest.

“We know that many other cities will be interested in hosting and we look forward to hearing which city will be successful.

“After all, as ABBA have said, the winner takes it all.”

The Argus: Ukrainian band Kalush Orchestra won this year's competition with their song StefaniaUkrainian band Kalush Orchestra won this year's competition with their song Stefania

Traditionally, the winners of the contest host the following year’s show.

But the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) said that the “security and operational” guarantees to host the event cannot be fulfilled by Ukrainian broadcaster UA:PBC amid the continuing Russian invasion.

The EBU is now in talks with the BBC for the 2023 contest to take place in the UK for the first time since 1998.

Glasgow, London and Manchester are among the cities to throw their hats in the ring to host the contest if it comes to the UK next year.

Should the UK host, it would be the ninth time the country has welcomed the competition, taking place four times in London and once in Brighton, Edinburgh, Harrogate and Birmingham.

Hove MP Peter Kyle has thrown his support behind the bid and said Brighton and Hove is the “perfect city to open its arms and say "this is Ukraine’s show but we’ll do them proud’”.

He said: “We are such an open, tolerant, fun city and therefore perfectly placed to run not only a brilliant competition but to use it to continue to highlight the crisis and support our refugees.

“We have the skills and experience in such a creative city, as we’ve seen in the hosting of events from rugby to football to conferences, that I’m 100 per cent confident a Eurovision-by-the-Sea will be the envy of the world.”

Brighton and Hove will welcome football fans from across the world as it hosts three games in this year’s European Women’s Football Championship, and has previously hosted games from the Rugby World Cup in 2015 and political party conferences.

A total of 19 countries have so far confirmed their participation in next year’s Eurovision Song Contest, including Greece, San Marino, Ukraine and Sweden.

Australia is also likely to return to the competition once again, despite not being in Europe, after being given an invitation to participate until at least 2023.