Eurovision delivered £54m Liverpool economy boost after Glasgow misses out

The Eurovision Song Contest delivered a £54 million boost to Liverpool's economy after the city was picked over Glasgow to host the competition.

After last year's winner Ukraine was unable to hold it due to the Russian invasion, Liverpool was chosen to host the competition in May 2023. Glasgow had been the bookies' favourite to host the event, but in October last year it was revealed Scotland's biggest city had missed out.

Thousands of visitors headed to Liverpool instead in May - and although the contest did not see success for the UK, with entrant Mae Muller finishing second from last, research announced on Thursday showed it had left Merseyside businesses with something to celebrate.

Results of five independent evaluations - commissioned by a steering group led by Liverpool City Council - showed restaurants, accommodation providers, shops, bars and transport networks benefited from the £54.8 million boost to the city region economy.

The figures showed 473,000 people attended Eurovision events in the city, while 50,000 people and 367 organisations engaged with education and community programmes which ran alongside the contest.

Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram said: "From the hundreds of thousands of visitors who flocked to our region for a fortnight of fun and frivolity, to the tens of millions around the world who tuned in, we gave millions of people a Eurovision they will never forget.

"While that's an incredible result in itself, the contest was also a vital shot in the arm for our local economy, bringing in more than £54m, creating thousands of jobs and opportunities for local people and showcasing our brand to an international audience.

"None of this would have been possible without the hard work of