Thousands of Eurovision tickets made available for Ukrainian refugees

Thousands of tickets for the Eurovision Song Contest volition beryllium allocated to displaced Ukrainians surviving successful the UK.

The contention volition instrumentality spot astatine the M&S Bank Arena successful Liverpool successful May aft the metropolis was chosen to big the contention connected behalf of 2022 winners Ukraine due to the fact that of the Russian invasion.

As portion of the UK's committedness to honour Ukraine astatine the opus contest, astir 3,000 tickets volition beryllium made disposable truthful those forced from the state tin be the unrecorded shows.

The UK authorities has besides announced £10m successful backing to "help guarantee the lawsuit genuinely showcases Ukrainian culture" connected the day of Russia's penetration of the country.

The wealth volition enactment Liverpool City Council and the BBC's partnerships with Ukrainian artists and performers to make a amusement "celebrating euphony and however it unites radical from astir the world".

It volition besides enactment information and visa arrangements, arsenic good arsenic different operational aspects of the contest, and Liverpool City Council's schools, assemblage and volunteering programmes.

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said: "Putin's amerciable penetration of Ukraine means the contention cannot beryllium held wherever it should be.

"But we are honoured to beryllium supporting the BBC and Liverpool successful hosting it connected their behalf, and are determined to marque definite the Ukrainian radical are astatine the bosom of this event."

Ukrainian ambassador to the UK, Vadym Prystaiko, added: "The UK's steadfast enactment for Ukraine successful the look of Russia's penetration has been exemplary and this motion is different illustration of that commitment.

"We are grateful to the UK Government, Liverpool City Council, and the BBC for their efforts to honour Ukraine's civilization and radical done this event."

The Mayor of Liverpool, Joanne Anderson, said that Ukraine volition beryllium "at the heart" of each of the city's Eurovision plans.

She added: "We're delighted with the quality that displaced Ukrainians are being fixed the accidental to travel to the metropolis successful May - this is their Eurovision aft all."

Ukrainian folk-rap radical Kalush Orchestra, who were triumphant astatine past year's competition successful Turin, Italy, volition execute during the amusement arsenic portion of the tributes to the country.

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Ukrainian broadcaster Timur Miroshnychenko, who has commentated connected Eurovision successful Ukraine since 2007, volition besides look during the unrecorded shows to springiness penetration from Ukraine's commentary container successful the arena.

This announcement comes connected the anniversary of Russia's invasion which forced millions of Ukrainians from their homes, with galore uncovering refuge successful the UK.

Those who are based successful the UK done the Homes for Ukraine Scheme, the Ukraine Family Scheme and the Ukraine Extension Scheme volition beryllium capable to use for tickets for the opus contest.

Tickets for displaced Ukrainians person been subsided by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, with a £20 complaint to beryllium applied to each sale.

Spaces volition beryllium offered for each 9 unrecorded shows, including the semi-finals, the preview shows and the unrecorded last connected 13 May.