Andre Rieu, Europe's Strongest Man and Magic Mike Leeds Arena shows could be at risk if city wins Eurovision bid

The Yorkshire Evening Post understands that, should Leeds be chosen as the host city for Eurovision 2023, a number of concerts scheduled at the First Direct Arena next spring could be affected.

A source at Leeds City Council confirmed the organisers had told the authority that they would need access to the arena for six weeks before the event, which is expected to take place at some point between late April and the end of May.

This means possible cancellations could include rock band Don Broco, the Europe’s Strongest Man contest, the Magic Mike Arena Tour and legendary violinist André Rieu.

A spokesperson for the First Direct Arena said this was merely a “hypothetical scenario” at this stage, however, it would commit to reschedule shows or fully reimburse ticket holders if this was not possible.

According to the Eurovision organisers, the possible start dates for the five-day event, which includes semi-finals, range from April 25 to May 23.

The opportunity for a UK city to host the competition follows the victory of Ukraine at this year’s contest, with organisers deciding that holding next year's event there would be unsafe due to the ongoing war with Russia.

Leeds was shortlisted along with six other cities to host the event this week, with a decision expected in the autumn.

The arena spokesperson said: “The Eurovision scenario is a hypothetical one, however over the past couple of years there have obviously been a number of events rescheduled and cancelled due to Covid-19.

“In this instance, we liaise with the promoter to find alternative dates to host the event and all tickets remain valid for the new date.

Full list of events within six weeks of the possible start dates:

- March 23: Don Broco (with Papa Roach and Dance Gavin Dance)

- April 1: Europe’s Strongest Man 2023

- April 17: Sabaton

- April 22: Michael Starring Ben

- April 29: Magic Mike: The Arena Tour

- May 11: André Rieu