The second round of New Order’s outdoor shows will be an all-day event and homecoming performance held at Manchester’s Wythenshawe Park on August, 24. The exciting hometown show will feature UK artists Johnny Marr and Roisin Murphy as supporting acts.

We are pleased to announce two UK shows, at Cardiff’s Alexander Head with @thecharlatans, and at Wythenshawe Park in Manchester with @Johnny_Marr and @roisinmurphy.

Presale tickets are on sale at 10am on 04/12 General on sale begins at 10am on Tuesday 05/12.#NewOrderLive pic.twitter.com/ddJvOEZoxy

— New Order (@neworder) November 29, 2023

In 2023, the iconic synth-pop band celebrated the 40 year anniversary of their legendary track “Blue Monday”, and announced a reissued edition of their best selling compilation album Substance 1987 to celebrate the occasion.

Moreover, founding member of the group Bernard Sumner recently joined forces with American band Gorgol Bordello to cover Angelic Upstarts’ classic punk hit “Solidarity” in order to donate profits to a relief charity in Ukraine.

When it was first recorded, the song was written in support of the anti-Communist Solidarity movement in 1980s Poland, and went on to be the band’s most famous hit. Now, Gogol Bordello have introduced a new, alleged modern meaning to the original track, with the lyrics relating to ongoing attack on Ukraine.

Sumner had also spoke out on his feelings towards the conflict in Ukraine in his recent collaboration with Mella Dee on the song “Riptide”. When speaking to NME about the song, he said: “It was all about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and I was just seeing that all of the time. I’d been in a vacuum so I wrote it about politics, really, and the war. I wanted to write it about something that meant a lot to me,” he added: “I didn’t know what else I could write a song about. It was a bit like that scene out of A Clockwork Orange where he’s got his eyes pinned back and he’s made to watch all these horrible films.”

Presale tickets for New Order’s outdoor UK shows will become available at 10am on December, 4, with general sale for tickets starting at 10am the following day on December, 5. You will be able to purchase your tickets here.

Tour dates:

22/08/2024 – Cardiff Bay – Cardiff
24/08 – Wythenshawe Park – Manchester

The song, titled “Eurovusion (Open Up)” can be heard below:

New Zealand’s Eurovision bid is being backed by a Kiwi brewery, Yeastie Boys. The brewery owners have started a petition to let New Zealand join the Eurovision contest, alongside their Australian neighbours who are already included.

Nearly 50k views on our song to launch Aotearoa New Zealand’s bid for an invitation to @Eurovision. https://t.co/gL3JDv9Tox

Surely it’s time @bbceurovision gave it some airtime. If this was in the competition it would be a finalist, for sure.

— Yeastie Boys (@yeastieboys) May 8, 2023

Stu McKinlay, founder of Yeastie Boys, said, “We’ve become big Eurovision fans since arriving here in the UK but we really miss having our own country to cringe at while simultaneously supporting unwaveringly.”

Discussing Australia being included but not his native New Zealand, McKinlay continued, “I was the youngest of five kids and whenever my older siblings went to gigs, I was too young to join them. Australia being in Eurovision, when New Zealand hasn’t been invited, gives me the same vibes and I don’t like it.”

He added, “New Zealanders grow up with a sense of social justice being very important and Australia being invited to Eurovision without New Zealand is like inviting someone to your wedding but not giving them a plus one! Everyone loves New Zealand and finds us cute and non-threatening and that makes us a sure thing for doing well in the public vote. I mean who really likes Australia?”

On the petition page, McKinlay writes, “New Zealand is a country with a rich musical heritage that could bring a lot to the Eurovision party. Just ask Lorde, Crowded House or Dane Rumble.We have taken it upon ourselves to highlight this injustice and right this wrong by inviting fellow New Zealand pals Two Hearts to launch the first ever official unofficial Eurovision entry.”

Ultimately, New Zealand asks, “Why the hell are Australia in it? Can New Zealand come and play too?”

The UK is set to host the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest next week, honouring Ukraine who won last year. The 2023 finals will take place on 9th May and 11th May, with the grand finals on 13th May.

The event will be hosted in Liverpool, with Liverpool-based band Frankie Goes to Hollywood reuniting to open this year’s contest.

Eurovision co-host Alisha Dixon has called this year’s event “so much more than a competition” as the nations gather to honour Ukraine. Dixon said the event is “very important. We feel that sense of responsibility to do it with joy, love.”

Mae Muller is the official UK entrant for 2023, releasing “I Wrote a Song” in hopes of scoring as highly as last year’s UK contestant, Sam Ryder. Listen to Muller’s song here:

The singer and television personality has told the BBC that this year’s event is “so much more than a competition“, adding that “It’s very important. We feel that sense of responsibility, to do it with joy, love“.

Dixon will host this year’s Eurovision Song Contest alongside actress Hannah Waddingham, perhaps best known for her role in the comedy series Ted Lasso, and Julia Sanina, front woman of Ukrainian alternative rock band The Hardkiss, with the trio set to be joined by television presenter Graham Norton for the final.

Sanina has also stressed the competition’s importance, telling the BBC, “Even last year, when people were watching Eurovision from bomb shelters, lots of them were still voting and wanted to win“.

Waddingham added, “We have to always balance the joy and the love with what Julia just said. People voting from the bomb shelters hits me more than anything and there’s the reason I wanted to get involved“.

The competition was originally supposed to be hosted by Ukraine, given that the country, represented by rap group Kalush, won the event last year with the song “Stefania“, receiving the most amount of votes the competition has seen in its history. Organisers decided, however, that it was too dangerous to host this year’s event in the war-torn country following the Russian invasion, and Liverpool has stepped in to play host.

Watch Kalush in the 2022 Winner’s Performance below:

This motto for this year’s contest, ‘United by Music’, encompasses fully what responsibility the event has for the country, and indeed for the people, of Ukraine. Staunchly anti-war and a vehicle of peaceful protest, the contest is set to be a proud example of what the world of music can do in the face of injustice and indiscriminate violence, standing tall for the values of peace and prosperity and upright and strong with Ukraine in the face of hostile adversity.

Watch the video for Mae Muller’s “I Wrote a Song“, the official UK entry to the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, below:

The competition is set to commence on May 9th with the first of the semi-finals, with the other being on May 11th. The final will then be held on May 13th. Full coverage of the event will be provided by the BBC. See here for a full breakdown of all the songs that will be performed.

Hosted in Liverpool and broadcast by the BBC, the event will be taking place on the 9th and 11th of May. The final being on the 13th of May. The semi finals have been split between two days since 2008, due to the large amount of acts that participate in the majestic show. In the past, the show has reached up to 52 participating countries. This year’s edition comprises of only 37. Still a generous amount for such a short-lived event.

The first showcasing on the 9th of May includes Norway singing “Queen Of Kings”, Malta playing “Dance (Our Own Party)”, Serbia playing one of their own “Samo mi se spava”, Latvia performing “Aija”, Portugal playing on of their classic “Ai Coraçao”, Ireland playing “We Are One”, Croatia with their own “Mama ŠČ!”, Switzerland playing “Watergun”, Israel playing “Unicorn”, Moldova playing “Soarele si luna”, Sweden singing in English “Tattoo”,  Azerbaijan who will be showcasing “Tell Me More” also in English, the Czech Republic performing “My Sisters Crown”, the Netherlands “Burning Daylight” and finally Finland performing the final “Cha Cha Cha”.

The second semi finals, hosted on the 11th of May, will include Denmark singing “Breaking My Heart”, Armenia performing “Future Lover”, Romania playing “D.G.T. (Off and On)”, Estonia playing “Bridges”, Belgium playing “Because Of You”, Cyprus on “Break A Broken Heart”, Iceland playing “Power”, Greece performing “What They Say”, Poland on “Solo“, Slovenia will be singing in their language “Carpe Diem“, Georgia on “Echo”, San Marino playing “Like An Animal“, Austria on “Who The Hell Is Edgar?“, Albania playing “Duje“, Lithuania “Stay” and Australia due to finish off with “Promise“.

The six countries to be playing at the finals involve Italy playing “Due Vite”, Germany “Blood and glitter”, France “Évidemment“, Spain “Eaea“, United Kingdom with “I Wrote A Song” and Ukraine “Heart Of Steel“.

The official compilation album of the competition has already be set. Named Eurovision Song Contest: Liverpool 2023. Having been put together by the European Broadcasting Union it was officially released on the 14th April by the Universal Music Group on all digital platforms. The physical editions are to be available on the 28th April.

Click here for more information.

She wrote in her message “I don’t think any of us have ever known a year like this one. Life became incredibly frightening in the pandemic but just as we think it might be over soon, it seems to keep going. It’s a bombardment – the horrific war in Ukraine, the famines, the droughts, the floods… and we lost our Queen. Many of my friends were surprised at how upset they were at her death especially as we aren’t royalists, but I think her passing became a focus of grief, for unexpressed loss that so many people felt during the pandemic.” 

Furthermore in her message, she writes, “I wonder where on earth we’ll all be at the end next year, I hope the war will end. I hope that the nurses will be in a position where they are appreciated – they should be cherished. Let’s all hope that next year will be better than this one.”

One of her best highlights of the year which she described as a “crazy, roller coaster” was the success of her famous 1985 song ‘Running Up That Hill as it topped the charts in both the UK and Australia. Thanks to the iconic scene in Stranger Things featuring Max’s Song as she faces Vecna.

She owes the success of RUTH to her fans in the younger generation, especially the new fans who thought she was a new artist for reviving the song’s popularity and getting all the attention and recognition it deserves.

Kate Bush is currently trending on Twitter as her wonderful message has users blooming with love and support for Kate. One Twitter user said, “Kate Bush has posted a beautiful Christmas message on her website. Accompanied by a picture of a robin, she reflects on Ukraine, the death of the Queen, her hope that nurses are finally cherished (yes, Kate!) and the huge success of Running Up That Hill. Merry Christmas, Kate!”

Another Twitter user said, “Kate Bush gave the best Christmas message and I love her. Merry Christmas Kate!! And we should appreciate the nurses working to fight the ongoing pandemic like she said. Plus Kate is not a royalist confirmed!”

Liverpool will host #Eurovision 2023 on behalf of Ukraine…and it’s gonna be proper boss

Find out all about Liverpool 2023 right here: https://t.co/a1zGojGfbr pic.twitter.com/7sZ7SaYjg2

— Eurovision Song Contest (@Eurovision) October 7, 2022

Popular British talk show host Graham Norton made the announcement on Friday 7th October 2022, whilst appearing on The One Show; the host of Eurovision stated, “The city that will host the 67th Eurovision Song Contest in 2023 is Liverpool“. Norton went on to praise Eurovision 2022 contestant Sam Ryder for abolishing “the curse of Eurovision” for Britain. The 59-year-old presenter then urged viewers to tune in and stated, “pop that in your calendar”.

As per Eurovision tradition, the previous year’s winning country is responsible for the following year’s hosting duties. At the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest, Ukraine’s entry Kalush Orchestra was announced as the winner at the ceremony held in Italy’s Turin. However, due to recent conflict and issues that have arisen in Ukraine, the event and producers from the Europen Broadcasting Union made a decision that it would not be safe to hold the event in Ukraine.

A statement issued by the group states,  “We are very pleased that next year’s Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Liverpool. Though we haven’t had the privilege of visiting yet, the musical heritage of the city is known all over the world. Playing in the same place that The Beatles started out will be a moment we’ll never forget! Although we are sad that next year’s competition cannot take place in our homeland, we know that the people of Liverpool will be warm hosts and the organisers will be able to add a real Ukrainian flavour to Eurovision 2023 in this city.”

Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, has also given a statement, “While we came up against stiff competition from Glasgow, who deserve more than the nil points they have received on this occasion, nowhere is more experienced or qualified, and nowhere throws a party quite like we do. We want to put on a show that Ukraine would be proud of, and we have been working closely with Liverpool’s sister city of Odesa to ensure that this is their event as much as our own.“

He continues, “Now the hard work begins. Putting on a show that will give millions a night they will never forget in one of the most turbulent and trying years for our continent is no mean feat. If anywhere is capable of it, it is the Liverpool City Region, with a little help from our friends in Ukraine.”

Although the country is unable to host the event, Ukraine’s involvement in the 2023 contest will still be honoured, an official logo for the 67th year of Eurovision has been released to celebrate the country. Whilst the confirmation of Liverpool’s hosting duties was announced, the new logo design was also released. The new image features Ukraine’s flag encased within a heart; the new logo shows that although the UK will host The Eurovision Song Contest 2023, it will be hosting the event on behalf of Ukraine.

Speaking on the new logo and its meaning, the head of Managing board of UA: PBC, Ukraine’s public broadcaster Mykola Chernotytskyi, has stated, “It is symbolic that the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Liverpool, a twin city of Odesa. The organisation of a contest of this level sets super demanding requirements. I am confident that the city recognised as the capital of pop music will meet them in the best way and will deliver the celebration of music that will amaze both delegations and fans of Eurovision.“

In an interview with BBC News, Ryder said he used an “old-fashioned mailing list situation,” and “sent out an email saying ‘hey do you wanna come and sing with us?” Fans could sign up via a link to get an invite to join Sam and his team. “A bunch of people came down,” he said “we just sang the song over and over again. I think I sang it about 50 times today.”

His two singles are the first released from his upcoming album There’s Nothing But Space, Man! which is set to be released on 14th October. ‘Somebody‘ is co-written by Sam with Jon Green and Max Wolfgang who also co-wrote Sam’s Eurovision 2022 entry. “I didn’t really know that I was making the album,” he told NME, “Last year, I wrote about 100 songs, and not all of them are good, it’s just the nature of writing songs.” “Some of my favourites we’ve put together for an album. It’s done, you’re just curating the thing. You’ve got this collection of work and you’re putting it together now, and then making the final touches and then listening back to ones and going, ‘God, that line’s a shocker, I’ll have to change that next week’.”

Sam’s success at Eurovision means the UK is set to host the 2023 edition of the contest. “It’s really exciting that it’s on home soil,” he told the BBC, “but it’s also really important to remember why it’s being held here and the responsibility that we have to throw the best party that shows off and celebrates all of the beauty and rich history of Ukrainian culture.”

Founding member and clothing line owner Syke completed the athletic feat by swimming, running and cycling, three features which make up a traditional triathlon. The 35-year-old singer took to social media to announce his participation and shared pictures from the event. Within the post, Syke stated, “We did it! Thank u so much to everyone that sponsored us in our first triathlon 4 @ukraine.pride means the world. I’m going to leave up the donation page til tomorrow would be sick to double our goal (link in bio) but yeah sick thank u!”

Fellow founding member Nicholls also posted about the triathlon via social media, the 36-year-old musician said, “Had a great time today doing this. All for a good cause. Thanks to everyone that donated, me and Ol are dead chuffed to have smashed the target we set for the fundraising.”

Sykes and Nicholl’s band, Bring Me The Horizon, have shown support for the people of Ukraine before. On March 2nd 2022, the metal group took to the stage of O2 Brixton Academy to perform at this year’s BandLab NME Awards. Whilst displaying the Ukrainian flag upon the drumkit, they dedicated their six-song set to those affected by the current conflict in Ukraine. Before closing their show with “Throne”, Sykes addressed the audience, “I guess it’s better being here in a room full of influential people: they need to use their voice every single day until this crisis is over, If Kyiv does not survive, international peace will not survive,”

UKRAINEPRIDE took part in this year’s London Pride event, the charity took to the streets in the capital with a 50-strong group. A statement on the organisation’s website describes the cause, “UKRAINEPRIDE is a propatriotic queer movement. We nurture our cultural identity and defend it to share it with our soulmates from various countries, who belong to different nationalities and ethnicities, who have diverse complexions or practice varied religions. We preserve and protect our culture to tell the entire world about it.”

The mission statement continues, “Due to the opposite direction from imperial Russia chosen 8 years ago, currently we have the opportunity to attain equal rights for the LGBTQ community as well as all discriminated groups. We are not afraid of anything. We are defending our land. Glory to Ukraine, Glory to our Heroes!”

Bring Me The Horizon are set to perform in Finland on 13th August 2022 for Knotfest, the band will next appear at German Highfield Festival on 19-21 August 2022. The “Mantra” rockers are scheduled to perform at two more European festivals this month before heading home for their set at Reading Festival. The band will take the stage at the festival on 27th August 2022 and will make their appearance at the festival’s Leeds campus on 28th August 2022. On 22nd September 2022, Bring Me The Horizon will perform at Louder Than Life Festival in Louisville, USA, the group will then embark on an extensive tour consisting of the US, Australia and Europe.

Click here to make a donation to Oliver Sykes Justgiving.

Bring Me The Horizon Uk tour dates

27/08/2022 – Reading Festival – Reading
28/08 – Leeds Festival – Leeds

Click here to purchase tickets.

This year, Sam Ryder, an online viral sensation, came second prompting EBU (European Broadcasting Union) to open talks with the BBC in June. Ryder provided the UK with their best result since 1998, whilst Kalush Orchestra took Ukraine to the top of the leaderboard with their song “Stefania”. Their win automatically qualifies them for the Grand Final, along with the Big Five, which includes the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain.

Whilst it has been confirmed that the UK will host the contest, the host city has yet to be decided. The EBU specifies that the host venue should be able to accommodate approximately 10,000 audience members, have a good distance to an international airport and have enough hotel accommodation for a minimum of 2,000 delegates, journalists and spectators.

Early interest has been expressed by several UK cities, London, Sheffield and Manchester have already confirmed they will be putting in an official bid. Glasgow has also announced that they have been “working hard” on a bid since last month and it appears to be the Scottish favourite. Their 14,000-capacity OVO Hydro was the world’s second busiest music venue in 2019 and has hosted a number of notable events including the MOBO Awards, the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards and the MTV Europe Music Awards. The bidding process is set to begin this week and The BBC and European Broadcasting Union (EBU) will publish the longlist later this summer. 

The news was welcomed by Boris Johnson and Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries. “Following a request from the European Broadcasting Union and the Ukrainian authorities, I’m delighted that the BBC has agreed to step in and host next year’s contest,” she said, “I’m just sorry that due to Russia’s continued acts of bloodshed it has not been possible to host the event in Ukraine, where it should be.”

The Grand Final usually takes place in May and last year tickets were available for nine shows, including the semi-finals and the grand final. Fans can expect tickets to go on sale late this year, or early 2023. Tickets massively varied in price last year with some fans managing to snap up tickets for just €10 (£8.50), whilst the most expensive sold for around €350 (£297).