The contest you want
Photo: Thomas Hanses (EBU)

Money, money, must be funny … but it’s also the driving force behind creating Eurovision each year. And now it’s been revealed that the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 cost organisers a total of €19 million. This is notably less than the originally budgeted €22.7 million.

The Rotterdam City Council government is reportedly “satisfied and enthusiastic” after the increased turnover following hosting Eurovision. The city earned €2.8 million while hosting the contest. Most of this turnover came from hotel bookings. 

The city officials noted that this was, however, significantly less than what Rotterdam could have earned when hosting the contest during pre-pandemic or post-pandemic times. While Eurovision 2021 took place in Rotterdam’s Ahoy arena, the city was also experiencing a full lockdown with restaurants, bars, museums and non-essential shops all closed.

Eurovision 2021 cost €3.7 million less than budgeted

The contest in Rotterdam comes as one of the cheapest in recent Eurovision history. Initially budgeted to cost €22.7 million, the show eventually cost €3.7 million less. NOS reports that the cancellations of certain events, including  changes brought to several interval acts, made the contest cheaper than initially budgeted.

Organising broadcasters NOS, AVROTROS and NPO, as well as the City of Rotterdam, shared the costs of organising the event. Rotterdam invested €17 million in the eventually cancelled contest of 2020, later adding another investment of €7 million towards Eurovision 2021. NOS, AVROTROS and NPO paid the rest of the bill. Insurance companies covered up most of the losses made over the cancellation of the 2020 event. 

In 2019, NPO predicted that the contest in 2020 would cost €26 million. The Tel Aviv contest in 2019 was budgeted at €28 million, while the Lisbon and Kyiv contests were respectively budgeted at €23 million and €21 million, with the latter later receiving a budget increase of €7 million.

What do you make of the figures? Do you think the investment from Dutch broadcasters and Rotterdam was put to good use? Let us know in the comments below!

52 Comments
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Ana
Ana
2 years ago

Well, they didn’t have all the surrounding events such as the Eurovillage, Euroclub etc. Those take a chunk of the budget as well, so I guess that’s why they spent less than intended.

Barry
Barry
2 years ago
Reply to  Ana

Yeah but also no income of tourism.

Abraham
Abraham
2 years ago

Romania has just revealed the 45 semifinalists for Selec?ia Na?ional? 2022 : http://eurovision.tvr.ro/2022/romanian-national-selection-esc-2022-semifinalists-in-alphabetical-order_34686.html

HarpyDarper
HarpyDarper
2 years ago

I’m assuming Rotterdam would like to host again in the next 5-20+ years if Netherlands wins again? Unless another Dutch city can provide all the required infustructure? I really wanted to go, but obviously couldn’t.

Fast Food Music Lover
Fast Food Music Lover
2 years ago
Reply to  HarpyDarper

That’d be great but I’m sure the Netherlands want to showcase other parts of the country to the world if they win the priviledge to host again.

Azaad
Azaad
2 years ago

Given how eager Maastricht was in the 2019 bidding process I feel like they’d be the likely next Dutch hosts.

PuppetOnAString
2 years ago
Reply to  Azaad

They really need a suitable venue then. Even Arnhem would be a better venue. I am also pretty sure Amsterdam will actually put effort into the bidding phase next time

Barry
Barry
2 years ago

Minimal input, maximal output. Well done Netherlands!

Neil
Neil
2 years ago

Ik this is unrelated but apparently Elis Mraz is going to the San Marino nf with the same song. I don’t know if it is true tho. Imagine San Marino getting a better result that Czechia because of that hahaha

BadWoolfGirl
BadWoolfGirl
2 years ago
Reply to  Neil

Is that even legal? Attend two different national finals with the same song? Where’d you hear that from?

Jake Dallas
Jake Dallas
2 years ago
Reply to  BadWoolfGirl

In 2016, Napoli lost out to represent Belarus with “My Universe”. She instead tried her luck in the Polish selection with the same song, but with much stronger competition.

Anyway, I thought San Marino’s NF was just to select the artist but I may be wrong.

Frisian esc
Frisian esc
2 years ago
Reply to  BadWoolfGirl

EBU doesn’t have any rules about how countries should decide their songs. They’re free to send who ever they want as long as the song is commercially released after september.

Last edited 2 years ago by Frisian esc
Neil
Neil
2 years ago
Reply to  BadWoolfGirl

I heard it from Eurovision YouTuber ESC SILVER

DarkSideStan
DarkSideStan
2 years ago
Reply to  BadWoolfGirl

And in 2009, the Russian representative initially sent her song for the Ukraine selection but didn’t win the selection then sent her song for Russia then represented Russia.

Polegend Godgarina
Polegend Godgarina
2 years ago
Reply to  BadWoolfGirl

yeah anastasia prikhodko from russia 2009 was initially in the ukrainian selection, then pulled out of it and applied for (and won) the russian one with a slightly different version of the same song

Last edited 2 years ago by Polegend Godgarina
Teddie
Teddie
2 years ago

What? UK? You alright bud?

Jamie
Jamie
2 years ago

It certainly did not look cheap. Great job Rotterdam!

John
John
2 years ago

So. That could never happen in Eastern Europe. Imagine replacing Netherlands for Moldova.

Jamie
Jamie
2 years ago
Reply to  John

It could happen. But then Moldova’s population would be put on a diet for the next 3 years

Frisian esc
Frisian esc
2 years ago
Reply to  John

We’ll ask Senhit for some money and make her host as compensation.

Magistr
Magistr
2 years ago
Reply to  John

ESC in Ukraine in 2017 cost $20M

Bella
Bella
2 years ago

… and the contest looked perfect that way. When you think that Azerbaijan and Russia used to proudly announce they had organized the most expensive contests ever, when all they did is just overspend and waste taxpayers’ money to try to show off. Let this be a lesson: you can host an amazing show without skyrocketing expenses. Good job Netherlands!

musica
musica
2 years ago
Reply to  Bella

That’s one thing you can be sure of in The Netherlands: no boasting about how expensive it all was… if for no other reason than it would be political suicide, because the Dutch hate overspending.

Bella
Bella
2 years ago
Reply to  musica

That’s great! Isn’t that just common sense though? I love Eurovision but it’s still just a TV show, I would hate for any government to waste taxpayers money on that.

moldova
moldova
2 years ago
Reply to  Bella

And Denmark too – DR spent 45 million euro on the contest in 2014, 3 times over budget, even more than Russia

Last edited 2 years ago by moldova
Azaad
Azaad
2 years ago
Reply to  moldova

No wonder the quality of DMGP dropped after 2014, they really wanted to make sure they didn’t win haha.

Polegend Godgarina
Polegend Godgarina
2 years ago

well it didn’t look “cheap” at all, if anything, it was one of the best organized contests in a while.

Samo
Samo
2 years ago

Cheap ESCs tend to be the best ESCs.

sucof
sucof
2 years ago

… and to think that the rai has spent 16 million euros to create the Sanremo 2021 festival …

Polegend Godgarina
Polegend Godgarina
2 years ago
Reply to  sucof

celebrities are hella overpaid here lol

sucof
sucof
2 years ago

The cost of the general organization, excluding fees to guests, presenters and reimbursements to singers and their entourage, is on average 13 million euros, with the sale of the advertising, Rai had a turnover of 37 million euros.
2021 for 5 evenings: Amadeus 500,000 thousand euros, Fiorello 250,000, Ibrahimovich 200,000.

Last edited 2 years ago by sucof
sucof
sucof
2 years ago
Reply to  sucof

You have to think that in addition to conducting for 5 evenings, for the rest of the year the sanremo presenter must: organize the festival together with the director of rai1, have the artistic direction to listen to hundreds of songs and choose the songs that will officially participate, sponsor the festival on the various media throughout the year and act as a testimonial for the official sponsors of the festival and must also act as an intermediary with national and international guests. Practically 12 months of work and a lot of effort, 500,000 is not a lot if it… Read more »

Sucof
Sucof
2 years ago
Reply to  sucof

🙂

Last edited 2 years ago by Sucof
Polegend Godgarina
Polegend Godgarina
2 years ago
Reply to  sucof

meanwhile the eurovision 2019 hosts got €30k… and average salary in israel is higher than in italy

Sucof
Sucof
2 years ago

Italy is an economic powerhouse of the G7, Israel is not.

Fast Food Music Lover
Fast Food Music Lover
2 years ago

They didn’t compromise quality in pursuit of cost-saving and I really appreciate that. I hope this will leave a lasting legacy to future hosts too!

Azaad
Azaad
2 years ago

Given that Rotterdam lost out on potential revenue due to less people coming into the city to see the contest in Ahoy, and its related tourism, I think it’d be nice for the 3.7 million euros to go to the city, especially with Omicron so that municipal services can have more funding.

Alo
Alo
2 years ago

Well they didn’t have many events that usually happen like the eurovision village, euroclub and etc’.
But still good for them!

MTD
MTD
2 years ago

I am sorry, but why is it so expensive?

I mean, take the JESC in comparison and its 5 million EUR, and even if you double that, it is still 10 or more less than these big ones.

Denis
Denis
2 years ago
Reply to  MTD

Becsuse JESC is a lesser event easier to organise?

Jamie
Jamie
2 years ago
Reply to  MTD

Did this guy really compare JESC to ESC…

MTD
MTD
2 years ago
Reply to  Jamie

I did. I don’t understand the downvotes. Even if you x3, it is still 15 mil, again less than what it is needed. And why to overuse technology (bar sound), when the lighting in Paris was much better then in R’dam. With a few lights even.

James
James
2 years ago
Reply to  MTD

Apples and oranges.

finnished
finnished
2 years ago

I have followed Eurovision since 2014, and I definitely think that 2021 was the best edition. 2016 was great too, but I think that this year the contest had much more wider appeal to people that don’t (usually) watch Eurovision.

Denis
Denis
2 years ago
Reply to  finnished

I always think wide appeal is the best. ESC has for to long been a thing on its own rather than the broad mass appeal show I think it was meant to be. If we want it to stay relevant in a changing time with less regular TV viewing it needs to appeal..

Kim
Kim
2 years ago

A great Eurovision festival. I actually watched it again last night. Although I have to admit I was disappointed with Chantal Janzen. There was a lot of commentary before the show stressing the value she would bring, but I found her rather average. Edsilia on the other hand was a marvel!

Meckie
Meckie
2 years ago
Reply to  Kim

I liked Chantal the most. For me she was best ESC host in 2021.

Martin
2 years ago
Reply to  Meckie

Nikkie was by far the best host.

PuppetOnAString
2 years ago
Reply to  Kim

Chantal did what she had to do, leading the show and cover up any mistakes (which she did multiple times), As much as I liked Nikkie, I personally don’t think she was needed. Basically Edsilia’s role became very small in favour of her. Chantal was the glue

musica
musica
2 years ago

I think Chantal was more important than people realize, especially to hold together the team of presenters. She was by far the most experienced, and she was the best at dealing with stuff that went wrong… for example, during the rehearsal when it took a long time for Måneskin to take the stage, she led the audience in a chant of ‘In de maneschijn’ (in the moonshine), a Dutch children’s song. None of the other presenters could have even come up with that.

Addie
Addie
2 years ago
Reply to  musica

Oh wow, Chantal did that? I wish I could’ve seen that! Anyway, I liked all of the hosts, but, for me, Nikkie always kinda felt out of place somehow. She was kinda separated from the other hosts, or atleast that’s what I think.

PuppetOnAString
2 years ago
Reply to  Addie

Here is that moment where Chantal improvised during the jury show!

https://twitter.com/JelleESC/status/1398252946018734084?t=3ErB_7Ezr7m4NAJ9bLYyyQ&s=19