Kalush Orchestra Raises $900,000 for Ukraine War Effort by Auctioning Eurovision Trophy

Boris Johnson has said Ukraine should be given the chance to host Eurovision 2023 after it was confirmed that talks were underway to potentially bring next year’s contest to the UK.Ukrainian group Kalush Orchestra won this year’s song competition with a huge 631 points, and it was therefore set to be staged in the country in 2023.However, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) announced “with deep regret” yesterday (June 17) that it will not be possible to do so amid the threat of the ongoing Russian invasion.In a statement, the EBU also revealed that it “will now begin discussions with the BBC, as this year’s runner-up, to potentially host the 2023 Eurovision song contest in the United Kingdom”.“It is our full intention that Ukraine’s win will be reflected in next year’s shows,” the update continued. “This will be a priority for us in our discussions with the eventual hosts.”The competition was last held in the UK in 1998 after the UK won with Katrina And The Waves’ ‘Love Shine A Light’ the previous year.

Eurovision Song Contest looks set to be hosted in the UK after organisers ruled that Ukraine are not able to host the event.Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra won this year’s event with a massive 631 point and as is tradition with the competition, it was set to be staged there in 2023.But the event’s organisers have now said “with deep regret” that it will not be possible to provide the security and operational guarantees required to host the contest in Ukraine.The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organises the competition, added: “Following objective analysis, the Reference Group, the ESC’s governing board, has with deep regret concluded that, given the current circumstances, the security and operational guarantees required for a broadcaster to host, organise and produce the Eurovision Song Contest under the ESC Rules cannot be fulfilled by [Ukraine’s public broadcaster] UA:PBC.The @EBU_HQ has issued the statement below regarding the hosting of next year’s #Eurovision Song Contest.Find it online here ➡️ https://t.co/mAxSdReBj3 pic.twitter.com/JYqy58eHqV— Eurovision Song Contest (@Eurovision) June 17, 2022“The EBU would like to thank UA:PBC for their wholehearted cooperation and commitment in exploring all scenarios in the weeks since Kalush Orchestra’s win on 14 May in Turin and share their sadness and disappointment that next year’s Contest cannot be held in Ukraine.”The organisers went to say they will now begin discussions with the BBC, to potentially host the 2023 Eurovision song contest in the United Kingdom after Sam Ryder came second in the competition.They added: “In accordance with the rules and to ensure the continuity of the event, the EBU will now begin discussions with the BBC, as this year’s runner-up, to

Eurovision is likely to be organised by the BBC if Ukraine decides to ‘resign’ the chance of hosting the event, according to the president of Spain’s state broadcaster RTVE. Eurovision fever stormed the continent last month, with the latest edition of the song contest attracting 189 million streams. It was won by Ukrainian act Kalush Orchestra, who rose up the leaderboard with their track Stefania, just weeks after the nation was invaded by Russia.

Fingask Castle is the base of the six-strong cast of The Fingask Follies, five singers and a pianist who each year bring fresh theatrical entertainment to the Threipland family home in Rait, Perthshire.

Eurovision 2022 trophy earlier this month, has auctioned off the statue to support their country’s armed forces.According to the band’s Instagram story, they raised $900,000 after crypto group WhiteBIT made the high bid.“Friends, you are unreal. Thanks to everyone who donated and especially @whitebit_ua, they bought the trophy for $900,000,” the band shared.The crypto group also turned to social media to announce their auction win, explaining the funds will help buy drones for the Ukrainian armed forces, currently engaged in a war with Russia.“Today there was a drawing of two lots from Kalush Orchestra and the Charitable Foundation of Serhiy Prytula,” read a post on the crypto group’s page.

The Ukrainian winners of the Eurovision Song Contest have sold their trophy to raise almost $1M for the war effort.

This year’s Eurovision Song Contest winners Kalush Orchestra have auctioned off their trophy from the competition in order to raise money for the Ukrainian army. The winning bid of 500 Ethereums – roughly $900,000 – was placed by Ukraine-based cryptocurrency exchange WhiteBit.Announced last week, the auction took place on Sunday, hosted by TV presenter Serhiy Prytula, with the band also announcing the winner of a raffle to win the pink bucket hat frontman Oleh Psiuk wore on stage at this month’s Eurovision show.Tickets for the raffle cost five euros a pop, and raised a further $370,000.

Kalush Orchestra‘s Eurovision trophy has been auctioned off online to raise funds to buy drones for Ukraine’s ongoing war against Russia.The Ukrainian rap group triumphed over the UK’s Sam Ryder at the Turin ceremony earlier this month, receiving a massive portion of the public vote.As BBC News report, the winning trophy – a crystal microphone – has now been auctioned off on Facebook with the aim of buying drones for Ukraine’s armed forces with the proceeds.It is tradition for the winning nation of Eurovision to host the competition the following year. Due to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine at the hands of Russia, much doubt has been cast over whether the country will be in a position to be able to do so.

TURIN, Italy -- Ukrainian band Kalush Orchestra won the Eurovision Song Contest, a clear show of popular support for the group's war-ravaged nation that went beyond music.The band and its song “Stefania” beat 24 other performers early Sunday in the grand final of the competition. The public vote from home, via text message or the Eurovision app, proved decisive, lifting them above British TikTok star Sam Ryder, who led after the national juries in 40 countries cast their votes.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the victory, Ukraine's third since its 2003 Eurovision debut.

Eurovision entry Subwoolfer have shared a ‘Jolene’ parody about their time in Turin.The duo, who comically donned yellow wolf masks in this year’s tournament, were 50-1 to win in Italy with their track ‘Give That Wolf A Banana’.They finished the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 in 10th place with 182 points, some way off the winners, Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra and UK runner up Sam Ryder.Now, to mark their time in Italy they have posted a video of themselves, which you can view below, goofing around in Turin performing a parody of Dolly Parton‘s famous hit ‘Jolene’.The clip sees the duo on the streets of the city, changing the lyrics of the track to: “These yellow ears beyond compare, we’re breathing in Italian air, we’re eating pizza almost every meal / We’re saving grandmas everyday, we ate a few along the way but Italian grandma skin is hard to peel,” before they declare: “Turin, Turin, Turin, Turin, we’re begging of you – join us to the moon.”Meanwhile, UK Eurovision runner Sam Ryder, has announced details of a new 2022 London show at brand new venue Outernet on November 24. Tickets for the event go on sale this Friday (May 20) at 9am here.In Ukraine meanwhile, their win was said to bring “incredible happiness” to a country under invasion by Russia.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Instagram that the courage of the war-torn country “impresses the world” and congratulated Kalush Orchestra on their victory.He then went on to promise to host Eurovision in the future in a “free, peaceful and rebuilt” Mariupol, a city currently largely under Russian control.

Eurovision entry Sam Ryder has announced details of a new 2022 London show.Ryder came second during the weekend’s Eurovision Song Contest in Turin, with Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra winning the event with a massive 631 points. It was the UK’s best performance result since 1997.Viral TikTok sensation Ryder went into the competition as the bookmakers second-favourite to win with his song ‘Space Man’.He will now play brand-new London venue Outernet in London on November 24.

Eurovision Song Contest in 2023, following the victory of Kalush Orchestra this weekend.Kalush Orchestra were the bookies’ favourites for Eurovision glory with their rousing folk-rap song ‘Stefania‘, before they went on to take the top spot by scoring a massive 631 points – largely from the public vote – to overhaul the UK, who were winning after the jury votes at the grand final in Turin.It is tradition for the winning nation of Eurovision to host the competition the following year. Due to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine at the hands of Russia, much doubt has been cast over whether the country will be in a position to be able to do so.

Eurovision Song Contest in Turin, according to Italian officials.Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra beat UK entrant Sam Ryder to win the 2022 contest, picking up a massive 631 points – largely from the public vote – to overhaul the UK, who were winning after the jury votes.According to Reuters, the Italian government’s cybersecurity department blocked attempts from the ‘Killnet’ and ‘Legion’ groups to hack the competition’s voting systems.A further report in Forbes says ‘Killnet’ had threatened prior to the contest to “send 10 billion requests” to the competition’s online voting platform and “add votes to some other country” instead of Ukraine.In a statement to MailOnline, a Eurovision spokesperson said that the “voting system has a wide range of security measures in place to protect the audience participation from outside influences.”In Ukraine meanwhile, the win has brought “incredible happiness” to a country under invasion by Russia.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Instagram that the courage of Ukraine “impresses the world” and congratulated Kalush Orchestra on their win.He then went on to promise to host Eurovision in the future in a “free, peaceful and rebuilt” Mariupol, a city currently largely under Russian control.At the end of their performance at the show’s finale, Kalush Orchestra said: “I ask all of you, please help Ukraine, help Mariupol, help Azovstal right now.”Speaking to NME this week, frontman Oleh Psiuk explained how their taking part was a “huge responsibility”, given the ongoing war with Russia.“To represent Ukraine in the international arena is always a responsibility, but to represent it during the war is just the highest responsibility possible,” he said.“The song [‘Stefania’] was composed

Sam Ryder has detailed how he prepared for the hit singing competition Eurovision on Saturday 14 May, explaining that he didn't have a single drink in the lead up to the big event.The 32 year old TikTok sensation left the UK in a state of immense pride as he sang Space Man and came in second behind Ukraine's Kalush Orchestra, who played Stefania. Now, Sam has spoken out on how "laser-focused" he was in preparing to represent the UK as he told Radio X's Chris Moyles: "I didn’t drink whatsoever.

TURIN, Italy -- Ukrainian band Kalush Orchestra won the Eurovision Song Contest, a clear show of popular support for the group's war-ravaged nation that went beyond music.The band and its song “Stefania” beat 24 other performers early Sunday in the grand final of the competition. The public vote from home, via text message or the Eurovision app, proved decisive, lifting them above British TikTok star Sam Ryder, who led after the national juries in 40 countries cast their votes.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the victory, Ukraine's third since its 2003 Eurovision debut.

Following his second place finish at the Eurovision Song Contest last night, Sam Ryder is set to soar into the UK Top 10 for the first time this Friday with SPACE MAN. 

Kalush Orchestra beat UK entrant Sam Ryder to win last night’s (May 14) Eurovision Song Contest in Turin.Bookies’ favourites Ukraine picked up a massive 631 points – largely from the public vote – to overhaul the UK, who were winning after the jury votes.In the wake of the second placed finish, fans online have been hailing Sam Ryder and sharing their confused delight at the result.“SECOND PLACE! This is an incredible moment, no time to be too disappointed,” one wrote. Sam Ryder did himself and everyone SO damn proud.