In the aftermath of the cancellation of Eurovision 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic, song contest organisers rushed to develop an alternative Eurovision broadcast. The result is Eurovision: Europe Shine A Light, which will air on May 16 at 21:00 CEST — the original time slot of the grand final.
Today the EBU and its Dutch Members NPO, NOS and AVROTROS revealed that European broadcasters — and Australia’s — are rather excited at the prospect. A total of 46 broadcasters will air the show. That’s the 41 participating broadcasters of Eurovision 2020, plus five additional broadcasters who weren’t fielding contestants.
Who’s broadcasting “Eurovision: Europe Shine A Light”?
These 5 additional broadcasters airing the show are:
- Belgium – RTBF
- Bosnia & Herzegovina – BHRT
- Kazakhstan – Khabar TV
- Kosovo – RTK
- Montenegro – RTCG
All Eurovision 2020 participating broadcasters are airing the show. They are:
- Albania – RTVSH
- Armenia – AMPTV
- Australia – SBS
- Austria – ORF
- Azerbaijan – Ictimai TV
- Belarus – BTRC
- Belgium – VRT
- Bulgaria – BNT
- Croatia – HRT
- Cyprus – CyBC
- Czech Republic 1 CT
- Denmark – DR
- Estonia – ERR
- Finland – YLE
- France – FT
- Georgia – GPB
- Germany – ARD/NDR
- Greece – ERT
- Iceland – RUV
- Ireland – RTE
- Israel – IPBC/Kan
- Italy – RAI
- Latvia – LTV
- Lithuania – LRT
- Malta – PBS
- Moldova – TRM
- the Netherlands – AVROTROS
- North Macedonia – MKRTV
- Norway – NRK
- Poland – TVP
- Portugal – RTP
- Romania – TVR
- Russia – C1R
- San Marino – RTV
- Serbia – RTS
- Slovenia – RTVSLO
- Spain – TVE
- Sweden – SVT
- Switzerland – SRG / SSR
- Ukraine – UA:PBC
- United Kingdom – BBC
What do we know about “Eurovision: Europe Shine A Light?”
The EBU intends for the two-hour long show to honour the 41 selected songs for Eurovision 2020 in a non-competitive format.
Organisers have revealed that the show will close with a special performance of “Love Shine A Light” — Katrina & The Waves’ Eurovision 1997 winning song for the UK.
The 41 Eurovision 2020 acts will jointly perform the past Eurovision hit, each from their own location. “Love Shine A Light” was chosen for its unifying lyrics that are appropriate for the current situation across the continent.
It will be hosted by Chantal Janzen, Edsilia Rombley (Eurovision 1998 and 2007) and Jan Smit, who were originally set to be the hosts of Eurovision 2020.
It won’t just be the 2020 acts that make an appearance. Former Eurovision stars from recent contests will also be invited to take part and perform iconic Eurovision songs.
Dutch make-up artist and YouTuber NikkieTutorials will also create online content leading up to this alternate programme. The online media mogul was originally appointed to do this in the run-up to Eurovision 2020.
More details about Eurovision: Europe Shine A Light will be revealed in due course.
Lady Gaga could organise One World Together at Home and the EBU couldn’t organise a virtual concert with jury and phone voting to find a 2020 winner. Then off to Rotterdam in 2021… It’s shameful the way the EBU has treated the singers and songwriters selected
What a bunch of miserable negative nay sayers below. Cheer up . We get to see something Eurovision. You could be sitting at home watching re runs of 90’s sitcoms and drinking your miserable selves into a stupor. If you don’t want to watch don’t , just don’t get on anyone else’s case and try and spread your misery and negativity. We have lost so much this year let people get a little joy . I feel very lucky neither myself or any of my family members have covid19 . Everyone has to make sacrifices and if not having Eurovision… Read more »
But I say YES (“say Yes say Yes say Yes!” :-P) for Eurovision!
Perhaps the biggest “nay” seyer of the season is Jon Ola Sand himself? 😎
Will this be the last time when we see this Jon Ola Sand -the destroyer? The one who stands behind THE decision? The one who smashed dreams of songwriters, producers, artists, jurnalists, fans? The one who doesn’t care about the outcome which is (or will be) very problematic for many involved in ESC2020 (like me) because their insurances won’t guarantee a refund of money they have spend already? The one who stands behind “valid” voting results that has been “taken away” every year and investigated by fans just to find mistakes in it? The one who broke history of this… Read more »
Keep in mind that jon unfortunately had to do it because of a greater pandemic that has became a big problem in Europe. With any other scenario it would make the show happening in a way that jon, ebu and Rotterdam didn’t want to and it would also disappoint the fans. Cancelling eurovision this year was the best decision and hopefully the pandemic will be end soon and Rotterdam will give more than a wonderful show as it wanted.
I was just waiting for that kind of reply. Is world black or white for you people? You seem to see it like there are just two options: normal, and pandemic… but there is a huuge space between those two! And yes, I keep in mind that safety and health is crucial. That’s so obvious that it is even not worth to write that! If they can do something like “Europe shine a light” and if there are hundreds of selfmade, fanmade, homemade competitions online, something like big official competition could have been done too! Postcards, hosting, voting, city promotion,… Read more »
It doesn’t have to be a competition in light of the circumstances they’re faced with.
Please EBU, let Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein and Kosovo join the party next time! Andorra, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Turkey, Morocco, Lebanon, Slovakia: join the ride! These have really been hard months. Let’s leave differences aside and, maybe next year, fill our hearts, bodies, minds and souls with some music and happiness. Let’s celebrate life and be thankful to all those who have helped fight this Covid-19 monster, and cherish the memories about those who aren’t with us any more.
Turkey, Morocco, Slovakia, Andorra, and Lebanon all have the ability to but voluntarily choose not to participate as opposed to the others who don’t participate due to financial reasons or their lack of EBU membership.
Nit picky but an important distinction nonetheless
No Kosovo, Kazakhstan they are no EBU members,also no Australia from 2024. No 12 points to Albania, Russia from juries every year.
Slovak government was changed maybe a month ago so I doubt they think about Eurovision during these times..
Just to be right, it’s CT1, not 1 CT (Czech television) 🙂
Isn’t the Albanian national broadcaster RTSH and not RTVSH ?
The fact that Hungary won’t show it despite Montenegro doing it after they withdraw I think tells us everything the broadcaster (not the country) is not really keen on Eurovision in the end. Whether this has to do with Órban’s government or not is up to you, but I think it’s pretty crystal clear by this point.
Heck, even Bosnia and Herzegovina will show it, if they can, everyone in Europe even Turkey can do it.
Turkish government find the contest “too gay” thus it was one of the reason they withdrawn. Conchita’s winning in 2014 didn’t help much either. As for Hungary, I believe it’s because the government chose isolation/live in a 1 seat capacity bubble. Also, I’ve read sometime hungarian broadcaster is focusing more on promoting local artists, ethnic songs than going full mainstream swedish.
What a fantastic count of broadcasters! Feels good that European countries (including Australia) are aiming to connect in these sad times.
I hope from now on we fans can stop complaining about and accept the decisions made, and that from now on we can focus on the positive, and embrace initiatives like Europe Shine a Light. I’m sure the Dutch organizers and EBU put a lot of time and effort in this, and they need credit for that.
However, Australia is more European than, for instance, Israel, Russia or Turkey is even though these are next to Europe. Only 3-5% of Australia’s population are of aboriginal ancestry. Most of population have roots to british and irish people (~80%), followed by some 4-5% minorities of german, italian and chinese ancestry, as well as other european/asian/african roots in smaller proportions. 😉
Even broke Bosnian broadcaster will show it which probably means they still have ambitions to return…one day.
Don’t count on it. This was probably a cheap show to produce for EBU standards so even BHRT can afford it! Bosnia won’t return until their debt is paid and that will take years. And until people start to pay the licence it won’t be paid either..
I’m probably gonna join because I want to see their houses.
Haha, yes i love to watch the background of esc singers homes in those home concert youtube videos.
I still am more excited over SVT’s own ESC programmes than this! This I can skip but no way I am missing out on SVT!
Come on EBU! Just let Kazakhstan in already!!!
Honestly, looking forward to Stefan Raab’s show 🙂
I’ll watch it
But I really hope this isn’t an excuse for Rotterdam not getting hosting job in 2021. They really need host in 2021, if not in Rotterdam then elsewhere in the Netherlands.
Everything except the songs from the planned ESC 20 should be carried over to ESC 21. Host city, graphic design, theme “Open Up” will be very much needed after this, hosts etc etc. Hell even have Ola Sand back fir 1 more contest.
It’s not related to Rotterdam. Jon already said that the ebu, the dutch broadcasters and rotterdam are talking about it. tbh I would like to see other slogan next year which related to what happened this year (like stay united, or stonger together), but I really hope to see the other plans carried over to next year, especially jon since he deserves his last year
I find it interesting that Hungary won’t be broadcasting it? And tbh I think Kazakhstan will be debuting next year since this year we didn’t have the contest 🙂
And Kosovo have to debut too….. like come on! It is EUROvision after all!
You are not ready for us?
Surely Kazakhstan have to debut next year. This whole ‘eurovision without Kazakhstan’ thing is getting old!
Surely it’s in the interest of the EBU, I would have thought the more participants = the more funding and more viewers
We could still have a chance for the EBU finally changing their mind and allowing songs from 2020 to compete in 2021 but if this show airs showing the songs from this year then we can definitely say goodbye to that eventuality.
Please stop dreaming once and for all. The EBU has already said more than once what this Europe Shine a Light is about and that the 2020 songs will not be eligible in 2021.
It’s dead since several broadcasters decided to broadcast to have a show with the videos of the songs and ask to their viewers to vote for them.
Is the BBC cancelling their own Eurovision special previously announced then?
I guess they’ll show both… There is a 4 hour slot to fill, after all.
The BBC will air their own special on BBC One and will relegate Europe Shine a Light on BBC iPlayer.
The Free European Song Contest will be much better 🙂
Guys will the 41 originally competing songs be performed in their entirety? Or will we have just snippets of them??
Just snippets
That’s a shame. But we will have to get what they are offering if we want some form of an ESC to take place.
Yeah, they should show all of the songs. So viewers get the best possible impression of them. Snippets are not enough
I do agree, but regular viewers don’t want to hear Eurovision songs: 41 x 3 minutes is too long for them.
That’s awesome, I’m so happy that none of the broadcasters decided to boycott the show in favour of their own programme. I hope “Eurovision: Europe Shine A Light” lives up to the expectations.
(Though I must admit that the fact that MTVA (Hungary) won’t be joining the party even on this special occasion is quite disappointing.)
Hungary won’t show it 🙁 Hopefully they will be back in ESC soon nevertheless. We miss them!
So does that mean Kazakhstan and Kosovo will debut?
probably not due to that stupid reference group blocking every good decision.
Not really. RTK have been broadcasting Eurovision since 2016, and Khabar Agency have been doing that since 2010, I believe. But Bosnia & Herzegovina will air the show for the first time since their last participation in 2016!
Stop for no EBU members in contest.
I thought bosnia was banned from all things ebu until they paid the debt? Does this mean they can participate ?
They pribably don’t have to take part to pick up an EBU-produced show to air.
they havent been allowed to broadcast the eurovision in the last few years
It’s possible that the costs of broadcast Europe Shine A Light (compared to the broadcast costs for Eurovision) are very low or even non existant…
They are banned. But this is a very low-budget show, for EBU standards. Probably even free. BHRT could therefore afford to broadcast it.
Wonderful to hear that ALL of Europe will still be united in May, even if only on the Saturday. The only thing I do hope, is that the hosts (that includes Nikkie Tutorials) will be able to still do the job they were supposed to do this year next year.