Eurovision 2023: Who will perform at the semi-final? Line-up includes Rita Ora and Rebecca Ferguson

The BBC has announced which artists will perform at the semi-final of Eurovision. Fans of the European song competition will be pleased to hear that the likes of Rita Ora and Rebecca Ferguson are among those who will perform in Liverpool.

A mix of UK and Ukrainian artists will perform for the semi-final shows, which will air live across the country from Liverpool. The first semi-final show, which will be broadcast on Tuesday, May 9, will see two live interval performances.

Who will perform in the first Eurovision semi final?

Semi Final 1 will open with host Julia Sanina performing part of ‘Маяк’ by her band The Hardkiss. The title of the song translates from Ukrainian to English as ‘Lighthouse’.

The performance will symbolise the many ways the UK is ‘United by Music’ with Ukraine by hosting the 2023 contest on behalf of the 2022 winners. Global superstar Rita Ora will deliver a show-stopping medley of her biggest hits.

Rita – who holds the record for the most top 10 singles in the official charts by a British female artist and having accumulated 10 billion streams – will also perform an exclusive of her brand-new single, Praising You. She will perform as part of the same show on Tuesday, May 9.

Aloysha, a Ukrainian singer who represented Ukraine in Eurovision 2010, will perform alongside Liverpool’s own Rebecca Ferguson. Alyosha was forced to leave her country and loved ones behind (among many Ukrainian women in 2022) to seek refuge.

The singer will share her personal journey through a new, haunting arrangement of British heavyweight Duran Duran’s ‘Ordinary World’. Ayosha and Rebecca will tell a story of hope, courage and support for the people of Ukraine from across the world.

Who will perform in the second Eurovision semi final?

The second semi-final show, Semi Final 2, will air on Thursday, May 11, and sees two live interval performances. ‘Music Unites Generations’ will explore the connection between generations of Ukrainians and the music they love.

Mariya Yaremchuk, who represented Ukraine in Eurovision 2014, will lead a contemporary montage of some of the most well-known pieces of music from the country. The piece will end with a collaborative performance from rapper OTOY, 14-year-old Ukrainian Junior Eurovision representative Zlata Dziunka, and Mariya.

A performance called ‘Be Who You Wanna Be’ will celebrate how Eurovision is a place for everyone, no matter who you are. Three drag performances will lead into a routine of high-end pop performances along with a troupe of electric dancers, who will represent the range of fans who flock to Eurovision every year regardless of age, nationality or background.

Kate Phillips, BBC’s director of unscripted, said: “There won’t be a moment to miss during these very entertaining and very tense Semi-Finals. Good luck to all the countries involved as they compete for a place in what’s going to be an unforgettable Grand Final.”