عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Entertainment

Britain’s King Charles Unveils Eurovision Competition Stage

Britain's King Charles and Camilla, Queen Consort pose with the presenters of this year's Eurovision Song Contest, Scott Mills, Hannah Waddingham, Julia Sanina and Rylan Clark, in Liverpool, Britain April 26, 2023. (Reuters)
Britain's King Charles and Camilla, Queen Consort pose with the presenters of this year's Eurovision Song Contest, Scott Mills, Hannah Waddingham, Julia Sanina and Rylan Clark, in Liverpool, Britain April 26, 2023. (Reuters)
TT
20
TT

Britain’s King Charles Unveils Eurovision Competition Stage

Britain's King Charles and Camilla, Queen Consort pose with the presenters of this year's Eurovision Song Contest, Scott Mills, Hannah Waddingham, Julia Sanina and Rylan Clark, in Liverpool, Britain April 26, 2023. (Reuters)
Britain's King Charles and Camilla, Queen Consort pose with the presenters of this year's Eurovision Song Contest, Scott Mills, Hannah Waddingham, Julia Sanina and Rylan Clark, in Liverpool, Britain April 26, 2023. (Reuters)

Britain's King Charles and his wife Camilla unveiled the stage for next month's 2023 Eurovision Song Contest during a visit to the venue in the northern English city of Liverpool on Wednesday, saying he would be watching.

Charles and the Queen Consort, whose coronation will take place a few days before the competition, also met Britain's entrant Mae Muller and took part in the recording of a segment for the children's television entertainment show Blue Peter.

"We'll be watching with great interest, egging you on," the king told Muller.

Liverpool is set to host the competition, on behalf of last year's winner Ukraine after it was unable to stage the competition because of the Russian invasion. Britain was the runner-up last year.

Following a countdown by onlookers, Charles and Camilla unveiled the competition stage by pressing a large pink button which initiated a series of colorful dancing stage lights and a pulsating beat.

Next month will see a series of celebrations across Britain, with the formal coronation ceremony for Charles at Westminster Abbey on May 6 and a concert the following day after at Windsor Castle.

In February, Britain's government said it would make 3,000 tickets for the Eurovision Song Contest available to displaced Ukrainians and provide 10 million pounds ($12.47 million) of funding to help host the competition.

The song contest will be hosted between May 9 and 13.

Most Viewed

 
Entertainment

Universal to Open First European Theme Park Near London

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivers a speech about the building in the UK of the first Universal theme park and resort in Europe by US media giant Comcast Corp during a visit to Bedford, north of London, on April 9, 2025. (AFP)
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivers a speech about the building in the UK of the first Universal theme park and resort in Europe by US media giant Comcast Corp during a visit to Bedford, north of London, on April 9, 2025. (AFP)
TT
20
TT

Universal to Open First European Theme Park Near London

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivers a speech about the building in the UK of the first Universal theme park and resort in Europe by US media giant Comcast Corp during a visit to Bedford, north of London, on April 9, 2025. (AFP)
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivers a speech about the building in the UK of the first Universal theme park and resort in Europe by US media giant Comcast Corp during a visit to Bedford, north of London, on April 9, 2025. (AFP)

US media giant Comcast Corp has chosen an area north of London for its first Universal theme park and resort in Europe, pledging to build rides and attractions based on its movie franchises that it hopes will rival Disneyland Paris.

The group, which owns the Jurassic Park and Back to the Future movie franchises and the Harry Potter theme park license, said the park in Bedford would create 20,000 jobs during construction and a further 8,000 across the hospitality and creative industries when it opens in 2031.

It is expected to attract 8.5 million visitors in its first year, a number currently only exceeded in Europe by Disneyland Paris to the east of the French capital.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and finance minister Rachel Reeves joined Comcast bosses to announce the theme park on Wednesday.

"This will drive growth here and across the country," Starmer said.

The Labor government has pledged to boost investment in infrastructure since it was elected last year, and Britain's economy needs fresh momentum after the highest tax-raising budget since 1993 in October dented business confidence.

The government has pledged to speed up planning decisions and the announcement comes after it approved the expansion of Luton Airport, which is about 20 miles (32 kilometers) from the Universal site, boosting the area's international connectivity.

"This (theme park) is our 'Plan for Change' in action, bringing investment, bringing opportunity, growth, jobs and, of course, joy to Britain," Starmer said.

Universal has five resorts and parks, in the US states of California and Florida as well as in Singapore, Japan and China, offering rides and attractions based on its movie franchises.

Plans for the new site include a park, featuring several themed lands, a 500-room hotel and a retail, dining and entertainment complex.

Comcast President Mike Cavanagh showed Starmer the plan in London on Tuesday, saying he "could not be more excited" to create a Universal theme park and resort in the heart of the United Kingdom.

Comcast bought a 500-acre former brickworks in Bedfordshire, about 55 miles north of London, in 2023 and had been in talks with the government since last year. It already owns Sky, which is Europe's biggest pay-TV business.

The theme park and resort are subject to planning permission, the government said.