Bulgaria, Montenegro and North Macedonia will not participate in the Eurovision Song Contest next year. The event, which will take place in Liverpool, therefore only has 37 participating countries. That’s the smallest number since 2014, when the festival was held in Copenhagen.
This year, forty countries took part in the Eurovision Song Contest, which was organized by Italy in Turin. Next year there will be three less.
Today, the organization announced that Bulgaria, Montenegro and North Macedonia will not participate in 2023. The last two allow the event to pass by due to the high cost. Bulgaria did not give an official reason.
North Macedonia will not participate for the first time since 2003. Montenegro returned last year after a year of absence. Bulgaria was not there for the last time in 2019.
Of the 37 countries, 31will play in the semi-finals. Four of the so-called Big 5 (France, Germany, Italy and Spain) and host countries United Kingdom and Ukraine have already secured a place in the final.
The UK, normally one of the Big 5 countries, will provide the organization in 2023 together with Ukraine, the winner of the previous edition. Due to the war with Russia, A Song Festival in Ukraine is currently not possible. The Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Liverpool between May 9 and 13.