The UK offered to host on behalf of the Ukrainian winners Kalush Orchestra, whose country has been invaded by Russia. The band supported the choice, adding that they knew Liverpool would honor their homeland.
It's that time of year again: Eurovision is upon us, but it isn't all about sequins and songs. Here are 10 times that politics trumped performance in the song contest.
It's rare in the Eurovision Song Contest's history that a song is a clear favorite weeks before the grand final. The fact that Ukraine's Kalush Orchestra is participating is more than a musical contribution.
After criticism over her planned performances in Russia, singer Maruv will no longer be traveling to Tel Aviv. It's not the first time Ukraine's Eurovision pick has stirred political controversy.