It may be a few more weeks until we can all pop our corks and get out the sparklers. But today the team in Rotterdam are playing with some other very special kit: hard hats and hammers. That’s because construction of the Eurovision 2021 stage inside the Rotterdam Ahoy has finally started!
On Sunday morning the Dutch host broadcasters welcomed around 35 journalists to the construction site for a tour of what’s going down and what’s going up. Our Dutch blogger Esma is among the crowd and has been grabbing pics and video, which you can see below and on our Instagram.
As you can see, the construction crane is inside the arena and equipment is spread across the floor as the crew dig into the first phase of building the glorious stage and its surroundings.
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Eurovision 2021: Covid testing facility by the Ahoy
Eurovision is, of course, taking place with unprecedented measures to prevent the spread of Covid. Before participants, their teams, staff, crew and journalists can enter the facility, they must undergo testing in a special facility next to the arena.
As the EBU and Dutch broadcasters confirmed last month: “The testing strategy is being developed based on the guidelines of the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment and the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport in the Netherlands.”
Sietse Bakker, Executive Producer of the 2021 show, has said: “Our goal is clear: to prevent transmission of the virus during the event. If someone tests positive, our isolation protocol comes into effect, we support the relevant authorities with track and trace research and we take additional measures where necessary. If a participant is unable to perform live as a result, the backup recording will be used.”
Here’s what it looks like inside the #Eurovision test pavilion. As you can see it’s very orderly and there is plenty of room for people to socially distance as they wait to take their test. pic.twitter.com/W7SCCurY5y
— wiwibloggs (@wiwibloggs) April 11, 2021
Speaking at today’s event, Sietse said: “After almost two years of preparation, the Eurovision Song Contest finally descends in host city Rotterdam. Together with our suppliers and our partners, we are working hard to make Rotterdam Ahoy our home base. We cannot waiting to show everyone what we have worked so hard on with the team!”
Jolanda Jansen, General Director of the Rotterdam Ahoy, added: “The time has finally come and the construction of the Eurovision Song Contest in Ahoy has started. We have worked long and hard with the entire team on the preparations for this ‘once in a lifetime’ spectacle. We are all set to welcome everyone to this largest event in Ahoy in our 50th anniversary. ”
We’ll be back with a video tour on YouTube and an interview with Sietse Bakker a little later. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel so you don’t miss the videos. You can check out more footage on our Instagram page.
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Augmented Reality will be used to make it more spectacular
Tbh I’m afraid some contestants get covid once in Rotterdam even with those high safety stardars. That would devastating for some delegations and the fans. We all also know some back-up performances won’t be as good as the it could be (Spain for example).
Do the wiwi team know yet if they will be allowed in the press area? It’s always a highlight getting to look behind the scenes and hear all the gossip in the run up to the live events from team wiwi, particularly William, Deban, Padraig.
It’s so sad that we won’t see the arena full just like it was planned in 2020.
Anyway, i hope the stage is massive so they can hide the empty seats.
If I understand correctly, it won’t really show on tv. The event has a maximum number of visitors possible for being a covid-safe test event, but the audience won’t have to keep distance from each other once inside the venue. Only the higher ring of seats in the arena will remain empty but I would expect they’ll embed that in the stage design and avoid it on the camera angles.
I’d sell my soul to el diablo + a kidney if I can get my saturday family show ticket again.
Me: OMG! OKAY IT’S HAPPENING! EVERYBODY STAY CALM
Some Rando: What’s the procedure?
Me: STAY THE F*** CALM! EVERYBODY CALM THE F*** DOWN!
Everything looks so professional and well organised.. Well done Netherlands!
I find it so odd that the plans for Eurovision 2021 don’t mention vaccines at all. As if they don’t exist. I know that not everyone has access to them yet, but those who can get them should.
Yeah I thought ebu would buy some doses for the artists and the delegations but it seems it’s not their plan
2 doses are needed and it takes weeks for the immune system to react fully after the second dose. Delegations arrive about 2 weeks prior to the show, not 2 months so it would be pretty pointless. The only thing they could have enforced is that all the members of delegations had to be fully vaccinated prior to arrival but I guess they weren’t comfortable with that because some countries have managed to get much more vaccines than others. What’s strange to me is that neither James nor Hurricane have mentioned getting the jab even though both the UK and… Read more »
Actually all three girls from Hurricane got their second doses weeks ago and they talked about it publicly few times in the interviews.
Oh, really? Sorry, I didn’t see that.
I have a bad feeling that maybe not all the participants can be there.
Hope i’ll be proven wrong.
I doubt Montaigne will come on the stage, don’t think they would take the risk that she brings covid to Australia
She have time to got vacine against Covid.
That’s true
Montaigne says she has every intention of being in Rotterdam – there would be quarantine for her on her return
Still, the australian team should very very limited this year. But to be honest, if Montaigne can make it, then Flo Rida can also make it to Rotterdam?
Australia knows how to organize things right. Their delegation might be vaccinated, or they might put a fool-proof quarantine situation in place. If anything, if a delegation were going to be absent, my guess would be Russia.
I am so excited for my homecountry the Netherlands. Hopefully i can buy tickets for the live show in Rotterdam.
So there will be any audience in there? Or they still don’t know?
It depends on the decision of the government mid-April. Could be any time now. They want to see how the number of COVID cases are developing.
The current plan is to let 3.500 Dutch people in the arena per show, but if the situation grows worse in the Netherlands, changes can be made 🙂
Yeeey, finally
Omg I was waiting for this
subtext said it right:
its happening people