As we enter the home stretch of August, Eurovision fans have one question on their minds: Which city will host the Eurovision Song Contest 2020?
As you’re all well aware, several Dutch cities wanted to host ESC 2020, but only two of them are still left in the race: Maastricht and Rotterdam. We already knew the winner would be revealed on the 30th of August. And now we know when and where the announcement will take place. Dutch broadcaster NPO has revealed on its web site that it has reserved a slot on NPO1 to announce whether MECC Maastricht or Ahoy Rotterdam will have the honour of hosting the event. The prize for the winning venue is massive exposure — around 200 million people will tune in to see the show unfold.
In the past, Eurovision winner Duncan Laurence has admitted that he prefers Rotterdam over Maastricht because it’s closer to where he grew up.
Will Duncan announce the host city?
Eagle-eyed Eurovision fans spotted Duncan filming videos in both Maastricht and Rotterdam earlier this summer. The chances are that these were announcement videos filmed in advance, and that one of them will be shown during the two-minute broadcast. The announcement will come just before NOS Journaal, the most-watched news broadcast in the country. A spokesperson for NPO said that more information would be shared during the week about what the announcement will look like. They may also make clear what will be broadcast later in the evening at 7:58pm.
Host city problems solved
MECC director Rob van de Wiel remains hopeful about Maastricht’s bid, following NPO’s recent call for additional information about logistics and stage rafters. After the selection committee’s visit to the MECC, he announced that manufacturers still had to consider the load-bearing capacity of the trusses which help support the roof. When asked whether that was solved, he said: “The bid book and the cooperation agreement have been submitted — that says enough.” Rotterdam also had to submit a supplement to their proposal, but Ahoy has not made any statements about this so far.
No visit from the EBU
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which is responsible for the Eurovision Song Contest shows and the TV broadcast, has not yet visited Maastricht or Rotterdam. According to a spokesperson for the EBU, the organization requires the Dutch broadcasters NPO, NOS and AVROTROS to first submit at least two cities with suitable locations. The EBU is then involved in the final choice. “In this case, it is not necessary to visit the candidate cities before the decision is made. In recent years the EBU has visited candidate cities in Israel and Ukraine, but not in Portugal and Sweden.”
Do you prefer Maastricht or Rotterdam to host ESC 2020? Are you just as excited as we are? Let us know in the comment section down below!
All I see online is that Rotterdam has big glass buildings tbh it is not a beautiful city at all. I checked Mastricht, which actually looks very lovely. I want to stay over in Mastricht.
It’s probably nice to stay in Maastricht, but for a good TV show, we got Ahoy in Rotterdam. As somebody who watched from afar, we won’t really care about which one’s comfortable to stay.
I am pro Maastricht because I have a friend living there and in addition it’s much nearer to my hometown than Rotterdam 🙂
I heard its probably gonna be Maastricht. Yeaaaaa
Poor kate miller Heidke if Maastricht wins
Countries built entire stadions in 9 months. It is not fair to already show a hall which isnt finsihed, they have plans to turns this around. In some cases around this time there wasnt even a building, there was a construction side. Be honest
Why play with time when it’s only 9 months left, Rotterdam already have an arena with seats and can put on a show with 15 million euros. Why spend double of that and risk delays?
Whether it’s Rotterdam or Maastricht, ESC 2020 will happen. However, I do think characteristics of performers we’ll get will be an interesting topic to predict.
As stereotypical as this is gonna be, Rotterdam’s Ahoy would have a chance to attract bigger names and conceive tighter-looking show, like the usual Eurovision in big arenas.
It’s more interesting to see what types of acts would be invested onto Maastricht. There can be a shift towards either a cast of indie/underground artists, or maybe having a more ethnic/cultural cast, perhaps?
Just announce Maastricht please. Will be amazing 😀
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Maastricht also has an airport and other airports in the area, enough hotels because it is a tourist destination, the city is smaller so everything is on walking distance, you can plan a daytrip to Germany or Belgium, its a very beautiful old historic city with lots of sights. Xoxo
If maastricht had a proper arena with more than 12m height, it would’ve been in the race but for now #Rotterdam2020
I feel like if the EBU has the last say they will look at the bigger picture and the story they can bring. Maastricht has history and location on their side, Rotterdam has a better venue and has a “big city vibe”. That is why I think Maastricht will be chosen.
If you think it through you know the EBU just wants to sell the product, especially with “Americavision” (?), Eurovision Asia (??), Netflix streaming and that movie.
that makes no sense
Its so annoying, that people are saying that 200 mln watching Eurovision. Official numbers say that around 200 mln watched at least for one minute and its all together three shows. So every show and whole show was watched by way smaller number of people.
That’s just how ratings work.
The problem is that most opinions are based on what they know. They know Rotterdam, but never heard of Maastricht and thats enought to make a choice. Or just because somebody lives there it is the best choice. Its only human to do this, but it is not a fair thing to do. Maastricht is a tourist city with lots of sights. Not only the event, but also the city is important. This beautiful city with its medieval towers, relaxing atmosphere, lots of bars is in the top 5 of tourist cities in the Netherlands for a reason. It is… Read more »
Nobody here cares about the city. It’s all about the venue.
Well the topic is about which city. If I go to the Eurovision I also wanna have a great time between the venue. So for me the city is important as well. After research I changed my mind from Rotterdam to Maastricht.
they will choose Rotterdam trust me, it’s like choosing between H&M and Givenchy
Sometimes, casual works better than chique.
5 more days!
Although the organisation this year had many probelms, KAN managed to do a show that was far more interesting to watch than the Portuguese. I am sure dutch people know how to organize big events but i wanna see entertaining interval acts or even continue the eurovision switch song which was a great idea
Does anyone know what time the announcement will be
11:58 cet
As for Eurovision fans here in the UK it’s 10:58 GMT (Greenwich Mean Time)
They will choose Maastricht, even though we all know Rotterdam would be the better choice. Just wait and see.
What confuses me is that in the beginning, Maastricht was seen just as good (or bad) as all the other candidate cities such as Utrecht. Then, all of a sudden, Maastricht has become a front runner, the venue has become suitable etc. What is the real situation? Have they made some changes to the arena or is it just me who feels like the capacity is growing all the time? Please, if someone knows more, tell me.
It’s the symbolic value of Maastricht as a beacon of European integration that its main selling point.
It will be rotterdam
They will choose Maastricht, but i don’t understand why.There is a tiny room with 12 meter ceilings.
no they wont..
Please can you tell me where I can watch the broadcaster??…I went to their website and I found out that people can watch the broadcaster only in the Netherlands…
It’s a 2 minute promotion clip with duncan which they’ve shooted already. My expectation is that they will upload it to the official eurovision youtube channel around the same time when it’s on tv.
Thank you very much 😉
#teamrotterdam FOREVER!!!!!!!!!
What seems to be known, is that Dionne Stax will also host the show; Dutch telly can’t stop talking about it, and even Stax made no sort of denial. I’d also love Eva Jinek to host; she’s American, Czech and Dutch all in one brilliant packet! In one of her latest talkshow programmes (Jinek, 23 August, NPO1) she was asked about it by her guests, and everyone was rooting for her! Fingers crossed! All they need now is a cute but edgy gay/bisexual guy (Douwe Bob?) and someone with a darker shade of skin, maybe Giovanca; she’s got music in… Read more »
I have been to Rotterdam like yesterday and I gotta say if Rotterdam doesn’t get it I dont know what went wrong. It’s such a modern, diverse and dynamic city and it has everything to host the contest. For the last time, I’m BEGGING you, host it in Rotterdam!
If Amsterdam can’t/won’t hold it, than please let Rotterdam make it the best party ever! A pity for 020 (Amsterdam) but a great opportunity for 010 (Rotterdam)! Best of luck from someone from the 020/072-zone (Amsterdam/Alkmaar-zone). Rotterdam, you can do it!!! Make our country proud! 😀
Everything seems to be pointing at Rotterdam!
Nearby airport
Shares the same story as Eurovision
Arena adapted for large events
Transport
Located near most Dutchies like me
International city with multiculturalism
Modern Exciting Architecture
Financial support from the whole of Zuid-Holland
Enough rooms for 13,000+ spectators
Largest port in the world
Logistics & security programs
As if a tourist cares about financial support or if it has the largest port in the world? I looked up Maastricht and it has also an airport, also transport, also enough rooms, Maastricht is also an international city. Just look it up. I dont understand your defence at all.
Financial support is important for the hosting broadcaster cuz they can’t have all their costs of their own. And a lot of Ferries for tourists from UK goes to Rotterdam which is great. Maastricht has a little airport that doesn’t go to remote places like Armenia, Belarus or Australia, Eurovision needs that and Schipol is the only airport in NL to serve those destinations. Maastricht has not enough hotel rooms in different price categories.. And Rotterdam is more known outside of netherlands than Maastricht. Sorry but Maastricht is a wannabe Cologne, and Rotterdam is more suitable and has more experience… Read more »
I am from Maastricht, and what you say is true, but all we have is smaller: stand alone city of 120k inhabitants (Maastricht) versus 600k city integrated into “Randstad” with millions (Rotterdam), the past/conservative vs future/diverse, and the smallest airport of NL vs close to 4th airport of Europe. They have enough hotels to house the artists, delegations, in Maastricht, but dont even realise thousands of fans would also be coming, as their picture of Eurovision is outdated. Even though from Maastricht strongly hoping for Rotterdam because i care too much about ESC
They still call Eurovision “Eurovisie Songfestival” up there? I like it. I wish the contest would be hosted in English and Dutch next year.
There’s many versions of Eurovision name, usually derriving from the world for “vision” in the given language. For example in Polish it’s “Eurowizja”. And Dutch, beautiful as it may be, shouldn’t be used as an additional language. Teaching audience a few expressions, like “welkom”, “hallo” or “dank u” would be fine, but we already had a trilingual system in 1991 and it was a huge mess.
I wasn’t advocating for trilingual. French can be spoken when the French win. Or rather: If the French ever win again. I know, tradition, yada yada. But I’d like to hear the sound of the country that is hosting all of us. No hate intended against France though. Brigitte and Emmanuel would make awesome hosts.
I always preferred Ding Dinge Dong to Ding-A Dong
Please let it be Rotterdam!
It just occurred to me that actually Rotterdam’s venue is named “Ahoy”, which is how I greet my friends. Guess I’ll have to join in the Rotterdam supporting choir after all. Yes, I literally just figured that out. The picture helped.
Ohh…where are you from???…I’m from the Czech Republic and in Czech hello means ahoj 🙂
And in Slovakia the same ! Ahoj =Hello ! 🙂
Jee…super videt fanouska ze Slovenska!!! 🙂
Dakujem! Nie je ich tu asi vela. Dúfam že Slovensko sa jedného dna vráti do sútaže vo velkom …
No je pravda ze ?eských a slovenských fanoušk? tu není moc…také doufám že se slovensko vrátí na eurovizi protože podle m? má eurovizi co nabídnout 🙂
Áno to máme :). Len záujem na Slovensku nie je. Dúfajme že sa raz ?esko a Slovensko stretnú v jednom finále a vzájomne si vymeníme body.
Bylo by opravdu krásné vid?t ?eské a slovenské reprezentanty v jednom finále 🙂 …zájem o eurovizi v ?esku a na slovensku je malý ale alespo? u nás se podle m? zájem zvýšil po úsp?chu mikolase josefa v lisabonu 🙂 …to byl také první rok kdy jsem eurovizi sledovala
Áno ?esko malo ve?ký úspech minulý rok, aj tento. Slovensko malo najvä?ší potenciál s pesni?kou Horehronie a nevyužili sme ho naplno…. 🙂
Ano tuhle píse? jsem znala ješt? p?ed tím než jsem zjistila že byla v eurovizi…máte pravdu že potenciál m?la…a up?ímn? mám ráda když na eurovizi slyším mate?ské jazyky zemí…angli?tina má také n?co do sebe ale na mate?ské jazyky nedám dopustit…nap?íklad se mi letos velmi líbilo ma?arsko které se bohužel do finále nedostalo
Ano je to pravda. Kazdy jazyk má nieco do seba. Madarsko má vzdy pekne pesnicky. Za posledne roky sa uroven jednotlivych piesní ako aj celej sutaze dost zvysila.
Uroven se hodne zvysila…to je pravda…ale mrzi me ze naprilad spoustu lidi v cesku si mysli ze eurovize je podradna soutez ktere se ucastni jen velmi vystredni zpevaci…berou ji jako prehlidku bizaru…v nekterych clancich kvuli vzhledu nebo orientaci zkritizovali bilala hassaniho a hatari coz me hodne mrzi…tyto clanky vetsinou pisi lide kteri eurovizi v zivote nevydeli…
ano, u nas je to rovnake…. ludia si stale myslia, ze Eurovizia je bizarna a politicka sutaz . Bizarna bola pred niekolkymi rokmi, ale uz ma vyssiu uroven … tiez u nas clanky o Eurovizii moc nepisu. Ked vyhralo Holandsko tento rok, prva vec co napisali, bolo, ze vyhral bisexual…
Tak si myslim, ze Slovensko sa tak skoro nevrati do sutaze, nema ani podporu u nasich ludi.
Cesko na eurovizi bylo dlouho neuspesne…skoro vzdycky skoncilo posledni v semifinale…a v te dobe nemelo v cesku temer zadne fanousky…zacalo se to zlepsovat po uspech gabriely guncikove ktera je jako prvni ceska dostala do finale a po uspechu mikolase josefa z minuleho roku…myslim si ze kdyby se slovensko do eurovize vratilo a zazilo by prvni vetsi uspech tak by to na slovensku fanousky prilakalo
I couldnt care who gets chosen… each city deserves a chance to host the magnificent contest known as eurovision.
If Maastricht will be chosen I will be Disappointed, I’m ready for some cool open air video shoots and arena atmosphere feeling! 🙂
I think everybody is after the camera shots of this year ? Really hoping for Rotterdam i want to go to arena not an expo center?
If The Netherlands Antilles aren’t chosen, Eurovision is canceled.
Actually, that’s a good question – could Eurovision be organized outside of Europe on the winning country’s overseas territory, like e.g. New Caledonia for France, or Netherlands Antilles for the Netherlands? Of course there’s a time difference argument, but for the supposed venue in Saint Helena, Reunion or Madeira it wouldn’t be such a problem.
Technical Logistics would be expensive af.
¡Islas Canarias 2020!
If that becomes the case then the EBU would have to let Australia host because then the location argument has lost its standing.
I feel like Eurovision in Maastricht would be interesting and would provide the Eurovision bubble fell, but Rotterdam is the obvious choice
if Maastricht will be chosen Eurovision is canceled.
I’ll still watch. I’d only cancel Eurovision if singers were not required to sing live anymore.
*christer bjorkman enters the chat*