by The notion of “millions of hearts beating as one” and the use of music to push boundaries inspired the identity and stage design of the Eurovision 2023 show.
The BBC broadcast identity and stage design for the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 was revealed, inspired by the natural synchronization of human heartbeats with music and their ability to build bridges between nations.
Superunion and Ukrainian studio Starlight Creative are responsible for the visual identity, while New York-based specialist production design firm Yellow Studio oversaw the set design. Runner-up from last year’s competition, the 2023 event will be hosted by Great Britain in Liverpool on behalf of Ukraine this May.
The broadcast identity is based on the notion of “millions of hearts beating as one”, according to the BBC. The largest central heart spawns smaller hearts on either side, gradually getting smaller, creating a 3D effect.
The color palette is inspired by the Ukrainian and British flags. Hearts appear in vibrant shades of blue, navy and pink and are set against a yellow background.
Katherina Tudball, Creative Director of Superunion, says the studio’s response to this year’s theme was influenced by research showing that “human hearts beat in sync to beat together” when they experience live music together.
The studios opted for a sans serif typeface called Penny Lane, which is derived from 20th-century cast-iron signs bearing Liverpool street names and also serves as a nod to the city’s rich musical heritage.
Eurovision’s visual identity was designed to work in tandem with the competition’s new slogan: United by Music. It first appeared during the Handover and Allocation Draw programme, which aired on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer on January 31st.
In Liverpool, the identity will be featured on the outside of St George’s Hall and the Liverpool sign at Liverpool ONE shopping center before rolling out across the city in April.
Stuart Radford, Superunion’s Executive Creative Director, said: “We are delighted to create the visual identity for the 67th Eurovision Song Contest in partnership with Ukrainian agency Starlight and the BBC.”
Olena Martynova of Startlight adds: “For Starlight, it’s an opportunity to represent Ukraine on an international stage, demonstrate our creative and musical abilities and create something that honors our strength and the power of unity.”
Yellow Studio designed the 220 square meter staging to celebrate the uniqueness of this year’s competition, as it is the first time since 1980 that it will not be hosted by the winning country. According to Julio Himede, Director of Yellow Studio, the architecture is intended to appear like “a wide embrace surrounding the Liverpool Arena”.
The studio’s design spans the entire arena floor, connecting the stage, performers, audience and greenroom as one structure to provide multiple performance venues for participants and hosts.
This immersive approach aims to show how music “can transcend boundaries and bring people together as one,” says Himede.
