As more broadcasters reveal their plans for Eurovision 2021, two European broadcasters have confirmed they won’t be competing in Rotterdam. Luxembourg‘s broadcaster RTL has confirmed that the Grand Duchy won’t be returning to Eurovision in 2021, while Liechtenstein‘s 1 FL TV says the microstate won’t make its debut in Rotterdam.
No Benelux special appearance for Luxembourg
Broadcaster RTL Télé Lëtzebuerg confirmed to Eurovision news site ESCToday that they won’t be competing in Eurovision 2021. The broadcaster says they mostly focus on news programmes, rather than music and entertainment. As well, the broadcaster reportedly says that participating in Eurovision would “entail a financial strain”.
The broadcaster gave similar reasons last year when it confirmed it would not compete at Eurovision 2020. Fans had been hoping that with the song contest being hosted in the Benelux region, Luxembourg would make a special comeback appearance.
Luxembourg last competed at Eurovision 1993. Due to changes to the Luxembourg television system, the current EBU member broadcaster RTL Télé Lëtzebuerg — a Luxembourgish news channel — is different to the French and Luxembourgish Télé Luxembourg channel that organised Luxembourg’s Eurovision entries in its 20th-century heyday.
Luxembourg has a larger population than several regular Eurovision competitors, such as Montenegro, Malta, and Iceland. The landlocked country also has a substantial local Eurovision fanbase who would love to see Luxembourg return to Eurovision.
Liechtenstein has a long way to go before a Eurovision debut
Broadcaster 1 FL TV has confirmed that the mountainous microstate will not be debuting at Eurovision 2021. Liechtenstein’s broadcaster is still not a member of the European Broadcasting Union, so would first need to join the EBU in order to participate at Eurovision.
1 FL TV has confirmed to ESCToday that the cost of joining the EBU is a major hurdle. The broadcaster would need subsidies from the Liechtenstein government — or a very generous sponsor — to pay the union’s membership fee — and on top of that would be the Eurovision entry fee and participation costs.
Liechtenstein had been looking to debut at Eurovision 2019, as part of the country’s 300th-anniversary celebrations. Eurovision participation had been the pet project of 1 FL TV’s editor-in-chief Peter Kölbel, who, at the time, said the broadcaster was in negotiations with the EBU.
However, sadly Kölbel passed away in early 2018. After this, the small broadcaster seems to have lost interest in pursuing a Eurovision debut. As well, with the country’s 300th-anniversary having come and gone, there is less reason for the government to fund a one-off Eurovision participation.
So far, 30 countries have provisionally confirmed for Eurovision 2021. Of those, 19 have internally selected their Eurovision 2020 act to again represent their country.
What do you think? Are you sad that these countries won’t be at Eurovision 2021? Does Liechtenstein need to find an alpine Serhat to fund its entry? Tell us your thoughts below!
Unfortunately, we should not wait a lot for esc 2021.. Broadcasters are not bound to risk a return in such uncertain time with the coronavirus.. Maybe from 2022 and then. For the time being, I hope all 41 countries from esc 2020 are coming back. And maybe Montenegro returns too. It’s the only one potential
What about Morocco? I read somewhere that there were talks for a potential comeback.
I could’ve sworn they’d eased up on it since the ’80s. I know Jordan and Egypt did (even if the likelihood of them competing is slim to none).
Jordan and Egypt recognise Israel and interact with Israel internationally but they’re the only two Arab states to do so openly. Morocco would have to choose between breaking its own laws or the EBU’s rules.
Why do we report this every year as if it was news? What would be newsworthy is if they WERE participating!!
Because of polands horrible politic situation ? its really bad. Poland is on a dark path
oh god not you again
A broadcaster is taking part, not a whole country.
Recent Polish entries sent by TVP suggest otherwise.
Not surprised since they havent shown any interest in it but it would be fun to hear what they have to offer. How does pop music sound in these countries?
There are some playlists on Spotify of Luxembourgish hip-hop and indie. Pretty cool stuff over there!
Wow, what a find! I wish there were more sites like that! Can’t wait to dig through it. I remember once hearing a great song called “Rock and Roll” by a band from Luxembourg but for the life of me I can’t remember their name.
OK from what I’ve already heard Christina Kalyss would absolutely smash it if she got a song like “City Lights.”
I am probably too young to have any connection with Luxembourg’s Eurovision glories, so I am not too keen on them. I would rather want to see some recently-withdrawing countries come back, especially Slovakia, after the good results of Czech Republic.
haha why you vote down this comment. Fans ALWAYS have bad behavior
Why?
Hoping for a return from Montenegro at the least…and while I don’t think Hungary will be back yet one can dream
I don’t get why Hungary withdrew, since until 2019 they had really good results
I know nothing about Luxembourg’s music scene, but do they really have anything to offer at Eurovision nowadays?
I mean, they WERE a powerhouse back in the day, but then they just took the best French singers and writers they could find in a time when chansons were winning or at least coming top 3 every year, which is no longer the case.
No surprise really. I can’t see Luxembourg coming back in the foreseeable, even though they absolutely should and easily could.
They’re a wealthy country, with a population bigger than some other ESC participants, they would also benefit from the neighbours that they have, like Belgium, Netherlands, Germany and France. They’re in a better position than many countries.
Out of the two, I think only Liechtenstein is the realistic potential participant, I’d say sometime in the next 5 years.
I don’t care about Luxembourg’s return. If such a rich country has no interest, fine, whatever. It’s not like we are running the risk of too few participants. I wanna see the entire Ex-Yugoslav Bloc and Andorra back at Eurovision. I miss those entries and I believe they would like to be back in the competition.
I LOVE the old winning entries that Luxembourg bought, though. Pure classics.
The two I’d really love back are Bosnia and Herzegovina (their best entries are the best of any of the former Yugoslav bloc) and Andorra (so much wasted potential for cool songs in Catalan that I would love to see again). I’d say the same about Slovakia if they had any interest in coming back.
I’m starting to think we won’t see Luxembourg ever again in the contest, or at least not in the near future
Perhaps Montenegro would make a comeback this year but other than that, I think no one else would
First disappointment of ESC 2021
Few more will come soon 🙁
I have the impression that there will be no debut in the coming years, and now Montenegro is a possible return, the rest depends on a change of approach or political changes in countries that do not come back for a long time, on esc also financial issues need to be decided on the issue of Eurovision
Not surprise at all, and I don’t think Bosnia and Hungary will come either …There is a chance for Montenegro. And yes – also for Turkey, Slovakia, Marocco, Andorra.
Sadly, I’ve heard Slovakia people are not interested in ESC given the results they’ve had.
Yes, thats true but still they are more interested in ESC than Czech people and CZ is in the competition …so you never know …maybe not next year but maybe in the future 🙂
Well you never know about Andorra, almost same story was about Czech Rep back in 2015. And about Turkey I think they will come in the future, it also depends on how many countries will withdraw from the competition and also about money and participation fee.
It definitely went with the Erdogan administration complicating their international relations with his conservativeness. Turkey would certainly be one to talk about bloc voting, considering how they scored really well with neighbors (like Azerbaijan – those two were set to be the new Greece/Cyprus) and diaspora (Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, to a lesser extent Austria, Switzerland, the UK, and the Nordic countries). They might’ve been peeved that they didn’t get to automatically advance to the final in Azerbaijan since they’re neighbors (and you’ll notice that the cheers for Turkey’s performance and their qualification were almost as loud as those… Read more »
Even in 2009, they still managed to get top scores from neighbors (Azerbaijan and North Macedonia) and diaspora-heavy countries (Belgium, France, Switzerland, and the UK).
Hungary withdrew because Eurovision is too gay.
still it was not the reason they went out. When a fan hear ONE thing, they never stop believing it. Even when the broadcaster said the reason. haha typical fandom. Like with the ONLY ONE year backing vocals. Not forever like fans said .and blamed Sweden. It is for corona and saving money. do fans care? haha no.
Did they say so on record?
I’m pretty sure when asked if Turkey would come back to Eurovision someone high up said something about not liking the values of the contest and that they didn’t like that people like Conchita were winning. But that was one person plus when Turkey originally withdrew that wasn’t part of their reasoning at all (I’m pretty sure it was mostly the voting system at the time that they had objections too)
Re: Turkey and the voting system. It’s a weird reason to withdraw from considering they actually did well when the 50/50 system was introduced. Granted, they didn’t qualify for the first time in 2011 but that’s more to do with how their performance fared to viewers and jurors alike. As for Hungary, I think people and some media outlets assumed what the reason was because of the current political climate there even if there was no clear indication that MTVA was not happy for reasons other than not qualifying after such a long impressive qualification streak. They’re is far from… Read more »
Yeah maybe, sometimes is good to have a break 🙂
Not really a jaw-dropper, but disappointing. There’s gotta be some entertainment-specific division of Luxembourgish TV, right? Is it just news and transmissions from Germany and France?
Hate to say it, but back in the day, Luxembourg were not above sending their share of Siegel songs. Maybe he’d cough up the dough? (Which would doubly suck since there’s a wonderful, vibrant indie scene in Luxembourg)
I didn’t say it’d be a good thing!
You can’t win
I think no country is going to debut next year and only Montenegro might return
still holding out hope for Bosnia tbh
Hopefully Kazakhstan can debut next year. If they partipicate in jesc so why don’t they in eurovision?
If they win jesc 2020 (which is very likely to happen), ebu might invite them to take part in the actual contest
I can’t see Kazakhstan in near future in the competition ….:(
Kazakhstan in JESC happened because the Junior Eurovision reference group decided solely.
A shame, but an expected one.