Liverpool and Glasgow are the two cities that remain in the competition to host the Eurovision song contest in 2023, when it will be held in the UK for the first time in 25 years. The two cities were selected after Birmingham, Leeds, Newcastle, Sheffield and Manchester were removed from contention to host the music event. The BBC said a final decision would be made “within weeks”. The Ukrainian group Kalush Orchestra triumphed at the 2022 competition in Turin, Italy, which would normally make Ukraine the 2023 host, but the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which produces the event, decided the next contest could not be held safely in Ukraine due to Russia’s invasion. Phil Harrold, the chair of the BBC’s host city selection committee, paid tribute to the seven shortlisted cities in what he said had been a highly competitive field. “The Eurovision song contest is a very complex event and Liverpool and Glasgow have the strongest overall offer; we will continue our discussions with them to determine the eventual host city,” he said. “We are determined to make the 2023 Eurovision song contest one that both reflects the winning position of Ukraine and is also an event that all of the UK can participate in.” Instead the UK, which came second with Sam Ryder’s song Space Man, was asked to host the 67th Eurovision. Twenty venues put in bids to host the largest and most complex music competition in the world, watched this year by a global audience of 161 million. In August, a list narrowed down from 20 UK cities which had submitted an “expression of interest” was released by the BBC, with applicants across all four regions demonstrating how they would reflect Ukrainian culture, music and communities. Of the seven cities named in August, six were in England and one in Scotland, with Belfast failing to make the cut for Northern Ireland. Requirements included “a suitable venue and sufficient space to deliver the requirements of the song contest”, necessary commitment to the contest including a financial contribution, and “alignment with the BBC’s strategic priorities as a public service broadcaster”. Liverpool, which has been a Unesco City of Music since 2015, is synonymous with the Beatles and has a rich music heritage. In 2008, the city hosted the MTV Europe Music Awards and it is also home to the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. “Absolutely delighted #Liverpool has made the final two for the #Eurovision2023 shortlist,” the mayor of Liverpool, Joanne Anderson, tweeted on Tuesday. “Nowhere throws a party quite like us. The people, communities & businesses of our city are ready to put on a show – for Ukraine, the UK & for Europe. Eurovision in Liverpool. Imagine.” Meanwhile, Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, voiced her support for Glasgow to host the event in June, with the city’s OVO Hydro arena, which features in the Netflix film Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, rumoured to be a favoured UK location to host the contest. The Scottish singer Lulu represented Britain at the Eurovision song contest in 1969 with Boom Bang-A-Bang. She was the joint winner that year as she shared the prize with France, Netherlands and Spain with 18 points apiece.