Update 20.3: EBU has informed the 2020 songs won't be able to take part in 2021, whereas the artist selection is up to various broadcasters. Some of them have already confirmed their artists for 2021 as well (Updated as they happen): Vincent Bueno (Austria), Efendi (Azerbaijan), Hooverphonic (Belgium), Victoria (Bulgaria), Tornike Kipiani (Georgia), Stefania (Greece), Eden Alene (Israel), Jeangu Macrooy (the Netherlands), Roxen (Romania), Blas Cantò (Spain), Gjon's Tears (Switzerland) and Go_A (Ukraine).
On the other hand Sweden has announced the Melodifestivalen 2021 winner gets to go and not The Mamas (unless they participate and win again), and Estonia is willing to give Uku Suviste only a freepass to the semifinals of Eesti laul 2021 as will Norway for Ulrikke but she has refused the offer for now at least. Cold shower also for Finland's Aksel who is only invited to send a new song for UMK 2021 if he wants to.
EBU answered some frequently asked questions:
Why are you cancelling the Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam?
With the escalating spread of COVID-19 throughout Europe – and the restrictions put in place by the governments of participating broadcasters and the Dutch authorities - it is impossible to continue with the live event as planned.
Why not postpone the event?
The current situation across Europe is likely to remain uncertain for the coming months and at this stage we cannot guarantee we would be able to stage an event of this size with this many stakeholders later this year. A Contest later in the year would also reduce the amount of time the winning broadcaster would have to prepare for the following year’s competition.
Could you not have held the contest without an audience?
We are carefully following the advice of the relevant authorities to protect the health and wellbeing of all citizens. Dutch restrictions on gatherings of large numbers of people and international travel restrictions mean that holding the event, even without an audience, is impossible at this time.
Why couldn’t you have held the show remotely?
It’s in the DNA of the Eurovision Song Contest to bring delegations, artists and fans together in one place and provide an equal platform for all artists to compete together on the same stage and the same opportunity to shine. We felt that under the extreme circumstances we face this year, organizing the Eurovision Song Contest in another way would not be in keeping with our values and the tradition of the event. The unique format of the Song Contest as an international live event means that it is not possible to identify any realistic alternative. We therefore have no choice other than to cancel the show.
Will the selected artists be able to perform their songs next year?
This is to be discussed with the Reference Group and the participating broadcasters and a decision will be communicated later.
What will happen to my ticket?
You will be informed about this as soon as possible. Among other things, we will look at whether the buyers will get their money back or whether the tickets will remain valid until next year. As soon as there is more clarity, ticket buyers will receive an email with their various options at the email address from which they purchased their tickets.
Can I get a refund now?
At the moment we are looking into the various options. As soon as we have more information, this will be communicated on songfestival.nl.
What happens to my tickets that I bought on Ticketswap, via AVROTROS, or via the fan club (OGAE)?
The same applies here as for "regular" ticket buyers. As soon as we have more information, this will be communicated on songfestival.nl and you will receive an email at the email address from which you booked the tickets.
Do we have a date for next year’s Contest?
The EBU, NPO, NOS, AVROTROS and the City of Rotterdam are continuing their conversation regarding the potential hosting of the Contest in 2021. It is currently too early to discuss any specifics regarding the event next year.
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