The EBU cancelled Eurovision 2020 on Wednesday.
But since then questions from Eurofans have multiplied. And while we can’t recap them all, we’ve put together nine burning questions we’re left to wonder about now.
1. What happens on May 12, 14 and 16 now?
There are now three gaps in broadcasters’ schedules in May. Today the EBU confirmed they’re working on an “alternative” featuring this year’s acts which won’t be competitive in nature. But the final shape of the programming remains to be seen. Some have suggested a compilation of music videos. Others have asked for interviews with each of the artists.
2. Will the next contest be held in Rotterdam?
The city certainly hopes so, but there hasn’t been a definitive statement yet. After waiting so long, the Netherlands deserves the chance to host the competition and Rotterdam had put all the work in. But there are a lot of variables in play. A primary decider will be funding: The city government says they need just shy of €7 million to cover the cost of postponement.
3. Will the theme and branding be axed?
This year the Netherlands brought branding A-game. The slogan “Open Up” spoke to the opportunity to showcase and champion diversity across the country. And the branding nodded to Eurovision iconography of old, with a refreshing modern twist. But without a live broadcast, the materials have not been showcased to their full potential. Will the EBU scrap all of that now and go back to the drawing board? And what happens to pre-recorded material we never saw, like Spain’s postcard?
4. What happens with the stage?
The stage for this year’s now cancelled contest was unveiled in December. It promised a transparent 22-metre wide LED wall and a design that allowed the green room to return to the main performance venue. Stage construction had been set to start on April 6, but the cancellation means that now won’t happen. If venue and host city remain the same, there’s no reason the design couldn’t be used in 2021. But the stage reveal is a key part of the Eurovision calendar and if anything changes with hosting, the stage could be subject to change.
5. How will the tickets be handled?
Many fans had already secured tickets for the 2020 shows, with a third wave due to go on sale on March 26. Ticket holders’ status is now up in the air. “Freezing” those purchases has been mooted: That is to say those with tickets will be able to use them at next year’s shows. Which raises questions about what happens with the original “final” third wave. Will they be sold in one batch? Or several smaller ones? And does it mean more heartbreak ahead for fans who failed to secure tickets first time around?
6. How will the semi-finals work?
We had a semi-final allocation draw a few weeks ago, but never got as far as a running order. In theory the same sorting could stand next year, but in practice it is liable for change. Participation at Eurovision involves financial firepower and many smaller broadcasters will now be out of pocket. If they invested this year, and failed to recoup their costs, it will be difficult to participate for them next year. That means it is possible we can expect withdrawals, which could unbalance the semis and prompt a new draw.
7. Do broadcasters just re-select this year’s acts for 2021?
Some countries – e.g. Spain, Greece, the Netherlands – already have. But the picture is complicated across Europe. In some countries national finals are key parts of broadcaster’s TV schedules. In those cases, broadcasters might rob the next editions of their shows of meaning if they pre-select their act a year out. Equally, if broadcasters give this year’s acts a pass to the national finals, it could put other acts that want to win off entering if they think public sympathy will carry the pre-selected act to victory. Artists also might find it challenging. It is a long road to Eurovision and it could be the case that after months of work, some acts don’t want to commit to a further year of preparation. It could also be a double edged-swords for artists: Fans will inevitably compare their entries and pressure to improve on songs this year will be sky high.
8. Will The Mamas compete at Melodifestivalen 2021?
Sweden’s SVT was one of the first broadcasters to respond to cancellation. In SVT’s response, Head of Delegation Christer Bjorkman expressed regret that The Mamas would not walk on the Eurovision stage. Some fans questioned the decision not to automatically invite The Mamas back in 2021. Sweden’s case is more complicated than other competing countries.
While Melodifestivalen acts as Sweden’s national final for Eurovision, its primary purpose is as SVT’s flagship entertainment show. Record labels use it to launch new artists, and promote existing ones, and the program is actually more popular than Eurovision itself in Sweden.
One suggestion is for Sweden to follow Estonia’s example and give The Mamas an automatic spot in the semi-finals. SVT already does this with the winner of the P4 Nästa competition. Others wonder whether Melodifestivalen could take place without the winner going to Eurovision. That would follow Italy’s example with Sanremo, where winners aren’t obliged to go the contest, and it remains a huge showcase for the domestic music industry.
In reality, there’s almost zero chance Sweden will go internal, but an invite to the semis for The Mamas seems more reasonable.
9. Does this mean Dami Im vs. Montaigne at Australia Decides 2021?
She placed runner-up at Eurovision 2016. And earlier this year, Dami Im set her sights on a return to the competition.
But with Montaigne robbed of her spot on stage, if she returns will she go head-to-head with Australia’s highest-placing Eurovision star?
Many fans had taken Montaigne to their heart, but Dami remains popular with fans for her star turn with “Sound of Silence”. How this pans out remains to be seen.
What questions do you have? And do you have the answers to our questions? Let us know in the comments below!
“Open up”, more like “closed down”
Artwork en slogan should just be kept, it could be even more symbolic: Europe opens up again after a year of misery, fear and, sadly, death.
*Open up to Corona.
Will there be an OGAE poll for this years songs? (If there is, entries scored higher may be “honored” more in the forthcoming entertainment event.)
True + awful taste in their polls.
haters always gonna hate – grow up!
If you don’t wanna wait in line – pay the ten dollaars and join the damn club
you nasty whinging old sock puppet!
I can’t imagine the EBU wanting a new artwork and stage design just for a few press moments. This design will certainly last another year.
I hope Slovakia returns to the contest next year. I’d love to see it competing.
There is no reason that national contest like Melodifestivalen, Melodi day Canção, Melodi Grand Prix should not take place. They can host their national contest, choose their winner but instead of sending their winner to ESC 2021 they can send the previous year’s winner like Ulrikke, The Mamas ( feeling so bad about what’s happening to them) to ESC 2021 because I read somewhere that the national selection are more important than ESC itself in places like Sweden and . Everyone is happy this way.
“Everyone is happy this way”. Except the winners of the 2021 edition of those national selections, I guess.
If its clear before, all of the artists that send in a song are aware of the special circumstances
That won’t happen with MF because it is a national selection. It is not just a show on it’s own. You take part in with the prestige of getting to ESC. If you don’t gain anything from winning it, what’s the point of competing?
So no, it is not “going to be agreed on beforehand” because then it wouldn’t be Melodifestivalen..
wait – would you enter a competition where you knew there was gonna be no prize? Because the prize had already been given away?
what absolute childish and immature nonsesne
Very sad to see that spain covid deaths are exploding joining italy. And france and netherlands are on the same path. We will have a very different Europe when this virus hopefully is conquered.
Hoping for the best for Ben Dolic and Ben&Tan
I feel that it’s an absolutely wasted opportunity, in terms of just how much time and money has been invested in to this years show than to just completely wipe the slate clean as they’re doing at the minute. I honestly think it would have been far more beneficial to use the dates for Eurovision semis and final than to completely scrap it. It could have been far easier and cost effective to create a programme where they use pre-recorded live performances or just the music videos to choose the acts that go through the semis and in to the… Read more »
I think that the cancellation was primarily done because of money. If the SFs and a GF would be broadcasted via digital technologies, it would mean that there are no people in Rotterdam and the Netherlands physically, aka – people aren’t buying overpriced souvenirs, hotel bookings and etc. It’s all about the money, you know. Thus Dutch cannot let it to happen that them winning in such a longspan and spending lots of money is actually a waste which is impossible to turn into a profit.
Eden Alena will represent Israel in 2021 with a new song, confirmed minutes ago. Very happy for her!
It proves Montenegro was the smartest of them all. Instead of spending money on the participating fee, they got new cars…
Aren’t they OB vans?
But they got the virus for free!
EBU should allow participation for free.
I don’t think they’d require another participation fee if.. .there was no participation in 2020. Maybe a much lower one.
Not the same songs! The momentum will not last a year. And what about wiwiblogg. They usually write 1000 posts about melfest. Should we rob them this pleasure?
This is the time when all countries have to confirm for 2021, including Hungary and Montenegro. Europe has to show that we are unstoppable.
I know most sanremo participants don’t actually care that much about Eurovision, but it would still be a bummer if next year’s winner won’t be allowed to go. At the same time, it would be unfair to Diodato if we sent another artist so…
Yeah it’s s*it either way.
Countries with national finals are in a no win situation. Hold the national final (even inviting the 2020 winner back) and risk getting a different winner? Cancel it to hold onto the 2020 winner for 2021 and risk an empty schedule? Someone will get screwed over either way–the 2020 artist or the 2021 artist. I think probably the best way to work with this is to keep the artist and modify the national final to select a new song for that artist, like with Romania and Israel this year.
Arilena was not my favourite artist this year, but I love her song and specially her voice. I’m thinking that after the scandal with Me Tana (that it wasn’t Arilena’s fault) and this cancelation (that it wasn’t her fault neither) it’s probably she wouldn’t be there next year.
I feel devastated. I want to hug her.
Yeah, Arilena had hard time from bitchy fans, I guess I’m in minority who thinks that “Me tana” is overrated, I like “Shaj” more.
The slogan for 2021 should be “Stronger Than Ever”
Will there be a official album this year?
Eurovision is supposed to be a competition for SONGWRITERS. Why is all the focus on the artists while discussing Eurovision 2021? The songwriters should get another chance as well?
I get your point, however, ultimately it’s the singer who has to deliver the song. If they don’t have charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent, the song will go down the toilet anyway. I mean Engelbert Humperdinck wouldn’t have won with Euphoria, right?
I have a questio.mn. Can the EBU at least reveal what the running order would have been?
I doubt the running order was already decided before the cancellation.
I’ve made my own one:
Semifinal 1:
1.) Sweden
2.) Belarus
3.) Slovenia
4.) North Macedonia
5.) Russia
6.) Ireland
7.) Lithuania
8.) Australia
9.) Belgium
10.) Cyprus
11.) Romania
12.) Ukraine
13.) Azerbaijan
14.) Croatia
15.) Malta
16.) Norway
17.) Israel
Semifinal 2:
1.) Austria
2.) Estonia
3.) San Marino
4.) Moldova
5.) Czech Republic
6.) Iceland
7.) Serbia
8.) Poland
9.) Greece
10.) Finland
11.) Latvia
12.) Albania
13.) Bulgaria
14.) Denmark
15.) Switzerland
16.) Armenia
17.) Portugal
18.) Georgia
I’ll be very angry with any broadcaster that doesn’t send their 2020 representative next year.
Well, we already lost 2. The Mamas and Uku.
It’s going to be tough for anyone to defeat the Mamas or Montaigne or Uku in their domestic finals next year, because there will sympathy votes for acts who lost their chance this year. Everyone will know the story, and televoters like justice to be done. All those acts also won the televote this year.
Montaigne didn’t win the televote.
It will depend. I wish all 3 had a chance at least. Uku has a big televoting support in Estonia but you never know if he has some competition.
Same with Swedes and Melfest. They have the app thing and can vote for all acts. It’s not that easy. Mamas are so likeable and can do it tho.
And with Australia, I don’t know. They can be unpredictable. like this year when a classic ballad won televoting and not Montaigne.
Casey Donovan won the televote here in Australia because she is more well known than Montaigne.
Could countries like Montenegro and Hungary be able to return next year if they wanted to?
Also, will we get a CD with this year’s songs?
Who not 🙂
I think so, since there’s a certain deadline until when the countries have to decide whether to participate or not
Sweden could still do MelFest but with the winner getting a prize or record contract, and allow the Mamma’s to be the act for 2022
Record contracts? It’s not Swedish Idol..
But most importantly: will Diodato release his 3 minute version of “Fai Rumore”?
I’m kind of curious and scared at the same time to listen to the shortened version
Off topic: Did Andorra say they would be back next year? I hope they do, also I just realized that Gisela (Andorra 2008) performed at The Oscars this year
They said they will be back but not when. Only at some point..
Gisela was at the Oscars because she’s the castilian voice of elsa and the performance of “into the unknown” was done to highlight the international dubs of that song.
Will the songs be available in CD version ?
Yes
How do you know that ? Are you sure ? Thank you for your answer ! Hope you’re right
Cancellation is such a waste of resources and people’s time. I really don’t understand why a postponement to August/September is not possible.
Probably because to broadcast and organise such an event, it takes a long time. I think postponement is a difficult thing, because the winner then only has 6-7 months to arrange the contest for the year after.
I don’t see why the following years don’t have an 11 month gap between contests until it is back in May again
I said that before. In such particular circumstances, we could have a more simple Eurovision and would be fine. And I don’t think winner and future host would have any issue having less time.
In 2017 the contest was organized in three months. You don’t need a year to make it, 6 months should be enough
If it was postponed, then they would have to keep it permanently in that spot it was rescheduled for future contests to make it fair for the winning country to arrange.
All other major event scheduled for the next couple of months have also been canceled, from concerts to music festivals to award ceremonies to even major conventions. It’s a matter of time before even SDCC gets pushed to a later date, likely to next year.
Australia should ask Montaigne to do it for 2021 and scrap the national final. The Mamas should be given a spot in the semifinals. France and UK should repeat the same process and search for the best song/entry instead of asking the same artist to represent the country. Remember, it’s about the song. ESC2021 should use the same brand/logo and slogan if it’s gonna be in Rotterdam, same for the stage. I highly doubt they will give it to Maastricht or Amsterdam. The Dutchies want to promote Rotterdam and not overcrowded Amsterdam, it’s clearly obvious. I don’t think we will… Read more »
I think they will keep most things the same way, except the date and (maybe) the SF allocation draw.
The city of Rotterdam wanted to use a golden carpet of recycled material for the opening ceremony, so why not recycle the stage design, the logo, the slogan, the hosts and most of the 2020 artists? Let’s show the world that that is all more sustainable than corona!
Dutch = let’s recycle everything.
EBU = not the songs though.
My main question is “Will you know the real 2020’s winners one day?” Can EBU organize an online show with online vote as JESC to honour all 2020 songs?
No, in the end we’re all loooooosers ;p
They still should hold an online voting for the 41 artists.
The winning country won’t be the host of ESC 2021 but why not give them a shout out at the contest like the winners introducing their country or something (especially when it is likely that there would’ve been a new winner like Bulgaria, Iceland, Lithuania or Romania). It’s not the main price they aimed for, but still an honor for them.
I agree so freaking much!
But Victoria was confirmed for Bulgaria, and there’s quite a big probability that Roxen will stay as Romanian entrant…
i’m on board with the same stage but i think a logo and slogan change would be best. also i totally want dami to come back but that won’t be fair for montaigne UGHHHH this is so sad :(((
God no, please give Montaigne a shot next year and then Dami might try her luck again. There are so many artists that I would love to see represent Australia, so it’s hard to think that 2023 might be the next time a new artist is representing them. There’s probably talent in Australia to beat Dami, question is if someone will enter…
Just out of curiosity, question 6: how do broadcasters recoup their costs in general? Now that the contest isn’t happening this year, how do the broadcasters miss out on money which they normally wouldn’t?
Thank you xx
Ad revenue and sponsorship. And since they won’t add extra cost for the show, they gonna save it for next year.
Comparasions will be the worst next year. We do it every year and next year will have the 2020 shadow. Specially for artists who had great songs. Even artists will compare.
It won’t be easy either for new artists winning NF. I don’t know how fandom will respond.
Still can’t believe how EBU thinks an alternative show will work? Do people really think a watered down variety show with sad artists whose dreams EBU crushed and who might not want to take part in this show will bring us joy? We want contest, not compensation..
That sounds even more depressing. Is that meant to lift our spirits and unite us?
Honestly the theme/branding was the best we’ve had since… well I can’t think of a better theme. Still, it’s 2020’s theme. I’d come up with something new, possibly related to the cancellation situation. We’ll get to keep this year’s branding on the cd, once it releases.
I would definitely keep this year’s stage, though. It was a brilliant design that never got to come to fruition, it deserves a second chance.
Remember when the Eurovision CDs from 2000-2005 had almost the same cover and logo every year?
Will be the same interval acts next year?
Ik a lot of people will not agree but a part of me really wish 2021 would have a different stage, logo, theme and even host city. Everything. Reminding 2020 and what could/should have been hurt.
Ik it might not be fair but it wasn’t fair for some many artists, songwriters, teams, countries and people either.
Hope the stage will be kept the same.
What about The CD for Eurovision 2020? Wouldn’t it be a means for EBU to recoup some of the financial loss? It would be a great souvenir for collectors.
They have confirmed the 2020 EV CD will be released
Why not a competitive event on the dates Eurovision had to take place this year? All they need is show the music videos and let people vote for their favourites. And in the end we will get a winner but the winning country will not host next year but theys should be first in line in the future, if some winning country decides to not host the contest.
8. I doubt that the Mamas will represent Sweden next year, or even compete in Melodifestivalen – but they will almost certainly be the Swedish jury spokespeople for Rotterdam 2021, and probably give us a chorus of Move while they’re at it.
Bjorkman won Melodifestivalen 1992 and he competed again in 1993.
Mamas should have the chance at least to compete
It’s not that they’d be returning champions, that’s happened before as you say. 2002, 2003 & 2004 all had the previous winner competing again. I just don’t think they’d want a sympathy vote interfering with the contest – plus they’ve been part of the last two winners, Christer will feel that’s enough.
Sympathy vote has rarely never been a factor in Melfest tho. Maybe 2014 with Sanna but not sure. Anna might have won it this year if Swedes went by heart. Or even Anis who had good will. Too many people vote and the whole app voting thing is complicated. They would need a song to go along to win again.
But I can see your point. It’s a complicated situation.
Imagine if Anna had won and then the ESC was cancelled. She would be seen as The Cursed Swede. It’s a blessing for her that she placed third.
Anna didn’t win the public vote only because kids seems to hate her and placed her next to last (above Mariette), while in all the other age ranges, Anna placed top 5 (with four 1st places).
It makes sense, because kids just care to have fun ans vote for acts like Anis Don Demina and Hanna Ferm… however I think they shoud have much less power in the final ranking.
How lame “Christer will feel that’s enough”. One, do you know him. Two, does Christer decides everything. Swedes never cease to amaze me with their unconditional urge to follow their dear leaders.
Oh man, the thought it could possibly not be in Rotterdam is excruciating.. Can’t not be there, the Netherlands won the right..
I’m sure it will be
Maybe somewhere else in Netherlands?
I doubt broadcasters have to pay another fee for 2021 when it will still be the 65th eurovision
I hope so too, but I doubt that the EBU will free them from any fees.
If they have to pay another fee, I predict a lot of countries pull out because of that just as written in this article.
well none have so far or expressed any desire to do so.
But they will have to pay the acts for their time in 2020, which would have been cleared for at least two months up to May 18 and beyond. That’s going to cost more than the entry fee, I guess. On top of that, any returning acts can’t be expected to work for nothing next year.