The keys have been handed over, and Malmö's hosting of Eurovision has kicked off

A key in a giant keychain is the symbol of the handover of the hosting of the world's largest music competition from one city to another. Thuesday, the Mayor of Liverpool handed over the key to the chairman of the municipal board in Malmö during a ceremony at the City Hall.

The traditional Eurovision ceremony, officially called the Handover, took place at the City Hall on Tuesday evening. The host of the event was the chairman of the municipal council, Carina Nilsson.

However, it was the chairman of the municipal board, Katrin Stjernfeldt Jammeh, who received the key from Liverpool's former mayor and now regional mayor, Steve Rotheram.

– It is an honor to start the Eurovision journey together with you all, not the least with our honorable guests from Liverpool! Liverpool, you set the bar high, and it's indeed a hard act to follow! were the opening words from Katrin Stjernfeldt Jammeh.

Katrin also looked back at the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö when the May sun was hot, and parks and streets were bustling with Eurovision fans and residents of Malmö.

As Eurovision returns to Malmö, the city's ambition is for music to unite people in the same way once again. Malmö has a global population and a university, a business sector, and a cultural scene that attract people from all over the world. This will be evident both in interactions with all visitors and among the hundreds of volunteers and in the city's own programs during the week in May.

– We want to create memorable experiences for all guests who choose to visit Malmö, and make sure that our city remains open and welcoming for all, said Katrin Stjernfeldt Jammeh.