AJ Odudu to host National Lottery’s Big Eurovision Welcome party as ticket release plans announced

Apr 03 2023
Written by Will Stroude

AJ Odudu attends The BRIT Awards 2023 at The O2 Arena on February 11, 2023 in London, England.

AJ Odudu will host The National Lottery’s Big Eurovision Welcome party in Liverpool in May. (Samir Hussein/Gatty)

AJ Odudu has been confirmed as host of the The National Lottery’s Big Eurovision Welcome as ticket release plans are announced for the huge outdoor party in Liverpool in May.

Strictly Come Dancing star Odudu, 35, will help welcome the Eurovision Song Contest back the UK during the star-studded event on Sunday 7 May, with up to 30,000 free tickets set to be made available to the public on Wednesday 5 April from 10am BST.

Billed as a “spectacular live show” that’s expected to welcome well-known faces from the world of entertainment, The National Lottery’s Big Eurovision Welcome will see thousands congregate outside St George’s Hall in Liverpool to kick off Eurovision week.

With every nation’s Eurovision entry song and artist now confirmed and the Semi-Final running orders officially announced, all that’s left for fans to do is to count down the days to the contest and ensure UK entry Mae Muller and her infectious track “I Wrote a Song” are in heavy rotation ahead of the competition.

Eurovision Song Contest 2023: Handover and Allocation Draw hosts AJ Odudu (left) and Rylan Clark — AJ Odudu (left) and Rylan Clark hosted the Eurovision Song Contest 2023: Handover and Allocation Draw in January. (BBC)

TV presenter Odudu, who presented the Eurovision Handover and Allocation Draw with Rylan Clarke in January, said: “I’m so excited to be hosting The National Lottery’s Big Eurovision Welcome. It is going to be an incredible show with some amazing performances and all of the wonder that Eurovision has to offer.

“I can’t wait to get the Eurovision party started in one of my favourite cities – come along and celebrate with us.”

When and where to get tickets for the The National Lottery’s Big Eurovision Welcome party

15,000 pairs of tickets for the Eurovision welcome party will be available for free (subject to a small booking fee) for any National Lottery player who can claim a pair on a first come, first served basis. Those booking tickets will have to confirm that they have a National Lottery ticket that they can present on the day of the event.

A proportion of tickets will be made available to National Lottery players with a Liverpool City Region postcode in a pre-sale on Tuesday 4 April at 10am BST.

Mae Muller wears a black dress at the MTV 2022 VMAs, looking off camera, hands on her shoulders, and with her mouth open. — Mae Muller will represent the UK at Eurovision 2023 with the track “I Wrote a Song.” (Getty/ Dia Dipasupil)

Adam Chataway from The National Lottery previously said of the event: “This is a giant free Eurovision party for the people of Liverpool and beyond It’s our way of thanking anyone who has ever bought a National Lottery ticket.

“Their funding has been uniting people through music and other cultural projects for years and we can’t wait to host The National Lottery’s Big Eurovision Welcome.”

Mayor of Liverpool, Joanne Anderson previously stated: “The National Lottery’s Big Eurovision Welcome is the latest announcement in what is destined to be an extraordinary fortnight in May. No city throws a party or offers a welcome as warm as Liverpool, so this free event is going to be something very special.

“Not since the launch of European Capital of Culture in 2008 will St George’s Hall have seen such a big night out!”