Eurovision Song Contest 2021

The Eurovision Song Contest 2021 is set to be the 65th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. The contest is set to take place in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, after the country won the 2019 edition. The Netherlands was due to host the 2020 contest, before it had been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and host broadcasters AVROTROS, Nederlandse Publieke Omroep (NPO) and Nederlandse Omroep Stichting (NOS), the contest will be held at Rotterdam Ahoy and will consist of two semi-finals on 18 and 20 May, and the final on 22 May 2021.[2]

Eurovision Song Contest 2021
Dates
Semi-final 1	18 May 2021
Semi-final 2	20 May 2021
Final	22 May 2021
Host
Venue	Rotterdam Ahoy, Rotterdam, Netherlands
Executive supervisor	Martin Österdahl
Executive producer	Sietse Bakker Astrid Dutrénit[1]
Host broadcaster	AVROTROS Nederlandse Omroep Stichting (NOS) Nederlandse Publieke Omroep (NPO)
Website	eurovision.tv/event/rotterdam-2021
Participants
Participation map      Confirmed countries that have selected their song and/or performer     Confirmed countries     Countries that participated in the past but not in 2021

The EBU discussed carryovers between the 2020 and 2021 contests, and several participating countries allocated the same artists who were due to represent them in 2020.

Location

Rotterdam Ahoy, the venue of the Eurovision Song Contest 2021.

The 2021 contest will be held at Rotterdam Ahoy in Rotterdam, Netherlands, following the country's victory at the 2019 edition with the song "Arcade", performed by Duncan Laurence. The announcement was made during the broadcast of Eurovision: Europe Shine a Light, which aired on 16 May 2020.[3]

It will be the fifth time that the Netherlands has hosted the contest, the last time having been the 1980 contest. Rotterdam Ahoy had previously hosted the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2007.

Preparations

Prior to the announcement and following the cancellation of the Eurovision Song Contest 2020, the EBU began talks with the Dutch public broadcasters AVROTROS, NOS and NPO, as well as the city of Rotterdam, which were to organise the 2020 contest, on the possibility of staging the 2021 contest in the city.[4] On 23 April 2020, the municipal council of Rotterdam approved an increased budget after Dutch media reported that the city would require an additional €6.7 million to host the contest.[5][6] The decision was imminent as it was required that the EBU be informed by late April if Rotterdam was willing to host contest. AVROTROS, NOS and NPO had until mid-May 2020 to find an alternative if Rotterdam declined to host the event.[7] In May 2020, the Dutch authorities decided to tighten up local laws for holding mass events until the vaccine for COVID-19 was found, making the event's staging uncertain, however, AVROTROS had continued talks with the Dutch government.[8]

Format

Dates

The 2021 contest is set to be held on 18, 20, and 22 May 2021.[9]

Stage design

During the announcement of the dates of the 2021 contest, Sietse Bakker, executive producer of the 2021 contest, stated that the planned 2020 stage design will also be used in the 2021 contest.[10][11] The design is inspired by the slogan "Open Up" and the typical Dutch flat landscape. The Eurovision stage was designed by German stage designer Florian Wieder, who also designed the stages for the contests in 2011–12, 2015, and 2017–19. Unlike the 2019 contest, the green room was placed inside the main performance venue.[12][13]

Executive supervisor

In January 2020, the EBU announced that Martin Österdahl would become the executive supervisor for the Eurovision Song Contest after the 2020 edition, succeeding Jon Ola Sand.[14] Before his appointment, Österdahl had been an executive producer for the 2013 and 2016 editions, and had been a member of the Eurovision Song Contest reference group between 2012 and 2018.[15]

Entries

Following the cancellation of the 2020 contest, the EBU explored the option of allowing the songs selected for the 2020 contest to compete in the 2021 contest, which need to be discussed with the Eurovision Song Contest reference group and the national broadcasters.[4] Victoria, the planned participant for Bulgaria in 2020, publicly expressed her support for such a move.[16] However, on 20 March 2020, the reference group decided that, in accordance with the rules of the Eurovision Song Contest, the 2020 songs would not be eligible to compete in the 2021 contest.[17]

Backing vocals

On 18 June 2020, the EBU announced that pre-recorded backing vocals will be allowed for one year. The use of recorded backing vocals will be entirely optional. Each delegation can choose to use backing singers, whether on or off stage. A combination of live and recorded backing vocals will be also allowed. All lead vocals performing the melody of the song, including an eventual use of a so-called lead dub, shall still be live on or off stage in the arena.[18][19]

Opening and interval acts

Lenny Kuhr,[20] one of the winners of the 1969 contest, and Alexander Rybak,[21] winner of the 2009 contest, who were both due to perform at the cancelled 2020 contest, have expressed willingness to perform at the 2021 event.

Production

The Eurovision Song Contest 2021 will be a co-production between three related Dutch television organisations — AVROTROS, Nederlandse Omroep Stichting (NOS), and Nederlandse Publieke Omroep (NPO) — of which each assumed a different role.[22] Sietse Bakker and Astrid Dutrénit will serve as executive producers, while Emilie Sickinghe and Jessica Stam will serve as deputy executive producers[23]

Provisional list of participating countries

Returning artists

After the cancellation of the 2020 contest, the following countries' participating broadcasters announced that, for the 2021 contest, they would internally select the same artists initially selected for 2020: Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Georgia, Greece, Israel, Latvia, Malta, Moldova, the Netherlands, Romania, San Marino, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland and Ukraine.[24]

Discounting 2020, so far, the contest is set to feature two representatives who also previously performed as lead vocalists for the same country, and three artists who participated in other Eurovision events or as backing vocalists for the same of for another country. Natalia Gordienko represented Moldova at the final alongside Arsenium in 2006.[25] Senhit represented San Marino at the semi-final in 2011.[26] Destiny Chukunyere won the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2015 for Malta and provided backing vocals for Michela Pace for Malta in 2019.[27] Stefania for Greece, represented the Netherlands in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2016 as part of the group Kisses.[28] Vincent Bueno provided backing vocals for Nathan Trent for Austria in 2017.[29]

Semi-finalists

The following countries have confirmed their intent to participate in the 2021 contest.

Country	Artist[24]	Song	Language(s)
Australia	Montaigne
Austria	Vincent Bueno
Azerbaijan	Efendi
Belgium	Hooverphonic
Bulgaria	Victoria
Croatia[30]	TBD February 2021[31]	TBD February 2021[31]
Cyprus[32]	TBA November 2020[33]
Czech Republic	Benny Cristo
Denmark[34]
Estonia[35]
Finland[36]	TBD February 2021[37]	TBD February 2021[37]
Georgia	Tornike Kipiani
Greece	Stefania
Ireland[38]
Israel	Eden Alene	TBD February 2021[39]
Latvia	Samanta Tīna
Lithuania[40]
Malta	Destiny
Moldova	Natalia Gordienko[25]
Norway[41]
Romania	Roxen
San Marino	Senhit
Slovenia	Ana Soklič
Sweden[42]
Switzerland	Gjon's Tears
Ukraine	Go_A

Finalists

Country	Artist[24]	Song	Language(s)
France[43]
Germany[44]
Netherlands	Jeangu Macrooy
Spain	Blas Cantó

Other countries

Further information: List of countries in the Eurovision Song Contest

Eligibility for potential participation in the Eurovision Song Contest requires a national broadcaster with active EBU membership that would be able to broadcast the contest via the Eurovision network. The EBU issues invitations to all active members. Associate member Australia does not need an invitation for the 2021 contest, as it had previously been granted permission to participate at least until 2023.[45]

Active EBU members

•  Andorra – In November 2019, Democrats for Andorra, the ruling party of Andorra, stated that the country would eventually return to the contest, with a cost assessment as a prerequisite.[46] Susanne Georgi, the 2009 Andorran representative, stated in May 2020 that she had secured the funding required for the country to return to the contest.[47] Later that year, on 1 August 2020, Georgi explained on Eurovision fan website Wiwibloggs’ podcast that she had held a meeting with Prime Minister of Andorra Xavier Espot Zamora, in which they verbally agreed to make a return to the Eurovision Song Contest in 2022 (as they did not want to participate under the circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic).[48]
•  Luxembourg - In July 2020, RTL Télé Lëtzebuerg confirmed that Luxembourg would not participate in the 2021 contest, stating that they have no "focus on entertainment and music shows" and that participating in the contest "would put the broadcaster under a financial strain".[49]
•  Morocco – In response to rumours that the EBU had been in discussions with Morocco regarding participation in the contest, Karim Sbai, the Director of Communications of Morocco's Société Nationale de Radiodiffusion et de Télévision, stated in February 2020 that Morocco's possible return to the contest had not yet been discussed.[50]
•  Slovakia – In July 2020, a spokesperson from Radio and Television of Slovakia (RTVS) stated that the broadcaster was unlikely to participate in the contest.[51] RTVS confirmed their non-participation in August 2020.[52]
•  Turkey – In May 2020, Faruk Kaymakcı, Turkish Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs & Director for EU Affairs, stated that he hoped that Turkey would return to the contest.[53]

Associate EBU members

•  United States – In January 2020, the EBU said that it would evaluate the United States participating in the contest if the upcoming American Song Contest became a success. Several broadcasters in the United States are associate members of the EBU.[54]

Non-EBU members

•  Liechtenstein – In July 2020, Liechtensteiner broadcaster 1 FL TV announced that they had ruled out debuting in the 2021 contest. The broadcaster had attempted to become an EBU member in the past but halted its plans when its director, Peter Kölbel, unexpectedly died. It would also need the backing of the Liechtenstein government to be able to carry the cost of becoming an EBU member and paying the participation fee for the contest.[55]

Broadcasters and commentators

All participating broadcasters may choose to have on-site or remote commentators providing an insight about the show to their local audience and, while they must broadcast at least the semi-final they are voting in and the final, most broadcasters air all three shows with different programming plans. Similarly, some non-participating broadcasters may still want to air the contest. These are the broadcasters that have confirmed their broadcasting plans and/or their commentators:

Country	Show(s)	Broadcaster(s)	Commentator(s)	Ref(s)
Participating countries
Australia	All shows	SBS		[56]
Malta	All shows	TVM		[57]
Norway	All shows	NRK1	Marte Stokstad	[58][59]
San Marino	All shows	San Marino RTV and Radio San Marino		[60]

See also

• Eurovision Choir 2021

References

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External links

• Official website