GREEN MP Caroline Lucas has endorsed the council’s bid to host next year’s Eurovision Song Contest.
The MP for Brighton Pavilion said that while she hopes Ukraine will be able to host the contest, Brighton would be the perfect city to welcome Eurovision.
She said: “I hope Ukraine will be in a position to host Eurovision next year but, if that’s not the case, of course I’d love to see Brighton take up the mantle in a way that honours Ukraine.
“Eurovision is a celebration of all things which Brighton and Hove embodies - diversity, unity, and popular culture.
“The people of our city have stood in solidarity with the people of Ukraine as they’ve faced devastating war - now is our chance to keep the flame of unity and Eurovision burning bright.”
All three of Brighton’s MPs have now announced their support for a bid, with Hove MP Peter Kyle telling The Argus that a “Eurovision-by-the-Sea will be the envy of the world” and Kemp Town MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle “hopeful” the bid will be successful, adding: “I’ll have my sequined spandex on and singing along with the rest of Brighton if Eurovision decides to return to us.”
The BBC is currently in talks with the European Broadcasting Union, organisers of Eurovision, about hosting the event, after the body ruled it could not go ahead in the war-torn country as planned.
Brighton and Hove City Council leader Phelim Mac Cafferty announced last week that the city would express interest in hosting Eurovision for the first time in almost half a century to “share some of our lucky stardust with the next global superstars”.
The city hosted the 1974 competition at the Brighton Dome, which saw Swedish pop group ABBA win with the song Waterloo, catapulting them to international success.
Brighton is facing competing bids from cities from across the country, with London, Manchester, Cardiff, Glasgow, Belfast and Liverpool also expressing interest in hosting next year’s contest.
However, Brighton’s lack of a high-capacity venue to host thousands of Eurovision fans, as well as a green room for the contest’s participants, could prove to be a major hurdle in the city’s hopes of welcoming the competition for a second time.
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