“Eurovision returns to normality in 2021” say the Dutch hosts

Two years without Eurovision is too much for the legion of staunch fans of the song festival, but after the worst of the pandemic, there is already a horizon. Eurovision, which was to have been held a month ago in Rotterdam (Netherlands), and which was canceled for the first time in its 64-year history due to the health crisis, already has a new date: from May 18 to 22, 2021. And It will do so on the stage where it was scheduled to be held this year, the Ahoy Arena in the Dutch city (which was converted into a field hospital for a few weeks to treat Covid-19 patients), which has the capacity to 16,000 people. On the other hand, the children’s edition, Junior Eurovision, which is going to be held this year in Warsaw (Poland) on November 29, will change its format and will be converted into a program done on a set instead of in a large venue before thousands of people due to health and safety restrictions.

« We have a whole year ahead of us to analyze in detail the possible scenarios with the parties involved and make the show take place despite the circumstances, making adjustments if necessary. We’re still aiming very high, ”executive producer Sietse Bakker said Monday. The organization has yet to decide the conditions for the celebration of the festival, but at the moment nothing has been ruled out and the possibility that there will be no restrictions due to the pandemic by then is being considered. Rotterdam had already invested 15 million euros to organize Eurovision this year and the city will have to invest 6.7 million more to readapt it next year, according to local authorities quoted by TVE on its website about the festival.

The European Broadcasting Union is already working to determine if they will keep elements that were already prepared for this year, such as the stage (always one of the attractions of the gala). “The stage will be moved to next year, because it was already prepared. Other than that, a lot depends on what is possible at the time, on the availability of everyone involved and what fits with the spirit of 2021, « said Bakker. In the 2021 edition, the songs that had been chosen this year will not be able to be presented, but the participants will be able to repeat.

Source: explica