When Eurovision 2020 was cancelled as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it raised more questions than in answered in regards to Eurovision 2021. While the EBU are slowly rolling out decisions about the fate of the artists and their songs, we’re still not certain where Eurovision 2021 will be held.
The obvious choice would be Rotterdam in the Netherlands. The city was the would-have-been host of Eurovision 2020 following Duncan Laurence’s win for the Netherlands at the 2019 contest with his entry “Arcade”.
However, one Dutch political party, the Rotterdam Socialist Party, does not agree with providing the extra funding required for the contest to be held in their city next year.
In order to host Eurovision 2021, the city of Rotterdam would need to pay a further €6.7 million. That amount is in addition to the €15 million the city has already spent on the organisation of the 2020 edition, because the cancellation of Eurovision this year was not covered by the city’s insurance.
According to the Rotterdam Socialist Party, that €6.7 million would be better spent dealing with poverty across the city. They also want to support the culture industry during the more immediate effects of coronavirus, such as the upcoming summer season without any festivals. They argue that Eurovision should not be at the expense of regular maintenance in the city.
The Rotterdam City Council will vote tomorrow, 23 April, on whether to provide the €6.7 million for hosting Eurovision 2021. It’s not yet clear whether the Dutch Government or public broadcaster NOS will make a contribution to the costs of hosting.
Rotterdam Socialist Party chairman Aart van Zevenbergen warns the city that they shouldn’t get too excited about hosting Eurovision 2021, as even the fate of Eurovision next year is uncertain.
He advises that the city council should take advice from the Dutch National Institute for Public Health on whether hosting such a major event is feasible in 2021, and whether the mass movement of Eurovision fans from across the world could pose a risk to residents of Rotterdam next year:
“We think it is unwise if we give the green light now for the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 in Rotterdam. There is so much uncertainty and the problems just pile up. It is precisely now that we must make informed choices in the interest of the people of Rotterdam. The Corona pandemic has proven that structural changes are needed quickly and taking risks for a Song Festival is therefore inappropriate.”
What do you think? Are you optimistic that we’ll see Eurovision 2021 in Rotterdam? Let us know in the comments!
2021 is the chance to give it to Amsterdam.
First eurovision back after corona should be in a big international city. Netherlands should host in it’s major capital. Not 2nd best
Typical socialists wanting to strip the fun and joy out of everything. Bore off
Rotterdam voted YES!
What? How do know that? Can you give a link or something to prove that? (Nvm, I found in escxtra. I’m so happy we are going back to Rotterdam ?)
City council voted with 33 votes in favour and 8 votes against.
Why don’t they cut some costs?! Eurovision is getting to expensive in the last decade. Instead of using the last generation LED screens, use something cheaper, cheaper postcards, reduce the amount of lights, give up on Euro Club and just do the Eurovillage. Of course the budget will not decrease €6,7 million, but will help. This is a different year that need different measures.
That Socialist Party hardly has any influence and is always against any expenses that are not related to social security checks for their own voters. They are just playing party politics. Nothing new here and rather irrelevant for ESC.
I find it quite incomprehensible and ignorant of the EBU not to want to support the host country after everything has happened. Rotterdam should get the host rights next year and the EBU should sponsor all the upcoming costs for next year, due to the cancellation
Can we expect ESC 2021 to go ahead as normal? As in, big arena, Euro park/club, promo tours?
I’m thinking (or hoping), if it is under control by then, will we have to move the date to sometime in August or later, then it stay there permanently?
It’s unbelievable that more people haven’t realised what is blatantly obvious. That 6 million euros will be returned with interest by the eurovision fans. Think of the money generated by the bars and restaurants. The thousands of tourists will easily cover that bill.
Are you sure? Because corona can have lots of consequences on the amount of tourists and will the revenue still be that high when you take into consideration what’s already spend on 2020 preparations..
Very sure. People will return with added enthusiasm and will spend even more than usual.
Not if they are financially stripped! Travelling isn’t exactly to be any body’s first priority after corona..
How about getting the ESC 2020 from a studio somewhere in the Netherlands in September/October, m? Because EBU is a not for-profit corporation. M?
Instead of canceling the ESC because profit to be made wasn’t on the table.
the dutch socialist party controls 2 seats, so i doubt we will be seeing anything they want happening
Has nobody considered the possibility that if the 6.7 Euros are alloted to Eurovision 2021, it may be cancelled one again? Not that I’m hoping for that scenario, but it can’t be denied that this is a possibility.
I hope it is Rotterdam but if it isn’t, they should offer it to 2019’s second place, Mahmood. I would obviously want Rotterdam but Italy wouldn’t be very bad and it would most likely be VERY cool.
Hopefully Rotterdam will host next year but if not, I’m pretty sure the EBU will choose Sweden to host instead given their recent experience.
Germany and UK are backups if Australia win so it’d probably go to one of those two
Yay Düsseldorf again ?
I personally think that it’d be much more fair to host in either France or Germany (technically, any big five count, but Spain, Italy and the UK are not particularly safe at the time). If Sweden, or any other country were to host, they would be a very undeserving automatic qualifier….
EBU said another city in Netherlands will host ESC 2021 if Rotterdam will not host it.
Under what heading? Can you provide a link to the source that is claiming that?
The Netherlands won the right fair and square, so they should get to host – not Sweden, not the UK, not Germany, not anyone else. Rotterdam should be able to finish what they started before this whole pandemic set in
Please be Rotterdam it’s only logical. You guys can do it. I don’t get the comment about spending money on culture in Netherlands instead of ESC….ESC is a major cultural event and can be use to showcase the culture of the host country? So why not invest in it if you can?
Go with Rdam next year, but have a back up plan or a smaller venue Incase it’s not possible to hold a major event at the Ahoy.
I’m positive that ESC will happen in 2021 though.
From what I know they are nothing but a tiny communist party with no influence. There’s a reason why my country kicked out the communists/socialists 30 years ago.
Ugh. This is such a fluid situation what is going on now with eurovision and with the impacts on it from coronavirus. I think the socialist party should try to get the money from other places, the netherlands waited too much to host the eurovision again but now it might be gone away from them and they might have to wait again another 40 years to host it, if the socialist party can’t find other places to get money to fight proverty. Seriously that I feel so bad for the Dutch eurofans that have waited for the contest to be… Read more »
The Socialist Party has only 2 (of 45) seats in the municipal council of the city…
Who care, socialism doesn’t work!
Those 6.7 Million Euros are supposed to go towards the rental and security of the Ahoy arena, The setting up of the proposed Eurovision Village venue and the urban face-Lift the city has to undergo in preparation for the hosting period. Since most health analysts think there is a negligible chance that a suitable vaccine for widespread administration will be available in a year from now, the continued working assumption regarding the Ahoy and its incurred cost is very much out of touch with reality given that it will not be able to accommodate even a quarter or a fifth… Read more »
If it’s about choosing between 6M for Eurovision or 6M to fight poverty, I think the latter is the obvious choice. No sane politician would/should divert money from social services to a TV show (unless you’re Azerbaijan, Russia or Israel, and need the ESC air time for your State propaganda). Now I’m not *entirely* sure these 6M would come from the same budget as the social security budget, but that’s another story.
By singling out Azerbaijan, Russia and Israel and putting them in the same basket, you make the obvious choice of showing your uneducated prejudices based on a perverse sense of superior morality and a selective heart bleeding outrage. As if Sweden, Denmark, Austria, Portugal, Germany and Norway didn’t use the air time they got this past decade to spotlight their national pride and values.
You’re the one spontaneously bringing up “superior morality”, and that’s because you know there’s something immoral in the way these 3 countries in particular are trying to present themselves. 😉
You are right, this party always says the money should go to social security if they don’t like a proposal. This is not social security budget.
sorry but this isnt going to happen. they have 2 seats
The Rotterdam Solialist Party??? Hahaha
Ok, you’ve had your moment of fame.
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I honestly think ESC without audience is the most realistic option for now. Social distancing rules will last a long time and big events like these are usually the last thing to get approved. It needs to be 100 % sure it is completely safe to travel and visit and hang out with people and we don’t have guarantees it will be. So I can see the concerns. So if we have ESC it will be audience free. Which actually could work well. If they are prepared for it it could be something creative and interesting and a focus on… Read more »
What about behind the scenes? Can you follow social distancing with all the TV people, stage hands, costumes and make up etc?
The green room could have space between them so that they wouldn’t sit to close to each other. The commentary booths are already enclosed so it could work.
Social distancing is not gonna to be kept that long for a year, so it won’t happen (if ebu preferred to cancel it than doing the show without audience or that every artist will perform in his country so they just want to do the show as planned) also the audience gives atmosphere to the artists and to their performances, imagine the winner performing again his winning song in an empty stage, it sounds depressing
Life is never «100% safe» as you say, this is pure fabulation. If you think like that, then we can all commit suicide to prevent death.
The Eurovision Song Contest is a total work of art that you either do completely or not at all – and this work of art cannot be moved backwards or made in a smaller form.
Its a fringe leftist party in the Rotterdam city council. They aren’t part of the governing coalition. They are not the social-democrat party (like uklabour or german SPD). They don’t have much influence.
Well the scenario of not having a Eurovision in 2021 is a scenario I just don’t want to think about… I mean I understand that it is kinda possible given the fact that this virus outbreak is unprecedented in recent human history but again social distancing for so long would be a complete disaster for the economy and would maybe lead to even more deaths long term, than those corona-related. And this is coming from someone who opposed the herd immunity system implemented by some countries earlier this year. I believe that social distancing and a mild economic crisis are… Read more »
I get why people would be upset about spending $6M more to host ESC 2021. But come on! It seems like the right thing to do to try to hold ESC in Rotterdam after all that we’ve been through and are still going to go through until we kick COVID’s A$$!!
I’m not sure what the rush is to make a decision? Our medical experts in the UK said today that social distancing will be with us for a very long time – at least until the end of the calendar year – so unfortunately none of us know what the situation will be in May 2021. I really don’t understand what the rush is to make a decision?
Imagine waitimg to December and then Rotterdam declines, its only 5 months till the contest and every other city wont have enough time to prepare so it means the contest will be cancelled again and then it will be such a lose if the situation is better at april/may to do eurovision. Rotterdam needs to decide until tomorrow so that if not so to have a time to find other city and that it will have enough time to prepare and if not so to find other country that there will be enough time to prepare to the next contest.… Read more »
i read somewhere that they are on board but I believe it was this group who didnt want to have eurovison this year either when it was rotterdam vs maastrict
I’m honestly going to ignore what they just said.
The other parties in the city council usually do the same.
It’s like the 2nd time the socialist party wants attention because of ESC in Rotterdam.