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The Eurovision Song Contest 2020 was to have been staged at Rotterdam Ahoy in Rotterdam, Netherlands on 12, 14 and 16 May 2020. On 18 March 2020, the EBU announced that due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and after exploring other alternative options, the event would be cancelled. This marked the first time the contest was ever cancelled in its over 60-year history.

A field of 10 interested cities were pared down to two - Rotterdam and Maastricht. The Hague (host in 1976 and 1980), Zwolle and Leeuwarden withdrew their bids due to their proposed venues being deemed unsuitable (The Hague later endorsed the Rotterdam bid), while Breda dropped out due to financial concerns. Amsterdam (host in 1970) withdrew due to unavailability for their proposed venues. Arnhem, 's-Hertogenbosch and Utrecht also applied.

Format

Presenters

On 4 December 2019, the presenting trio were revealed by NPO. They are Edsilia Rombley, Chantal Janzen and Jan Smit. Chantal and Jan were to have handled the main presenting duties, with Edsilia in the green room.


Edsilia is best known for her participations at Eurovision in 1998 with Hemel en Aarde and in 2007 with On Top of the World. She has also co-hosted several editions of the popular Eurovision in Concert pre-party in Amsterdam. Chantal is a popular Dutch TV presenter and is a 5-time winner of the Golden Television Star award. Jan has been a member of the Dutch group De Toppers since late 2017 and is the Dutch co-commentator for Eurovision alongside Cornald Maas.

Aside from the main presenting trio, popular Dutch social media celebrity Nikkie de Jager (aka NikkieTutorials) was planned to be hosting special online features for the 2020 contest.

Theme

In the 2020 host city reveal video, reigning Eurovision winner Duncan Laurence asked: "What's it really about?" This year's theme, Open Up, answers Duncan's question. It is an invitation to the world to Rotterdam to open themselves up to music and celebrate the things that make people unique.

As ESC 2020 executive producer Sietse Bakker explains:

“We have looked for a theme and slogan that reflect what the Netherlands stands for and which the Dutch can identify with; a country with an open mind to the world, where we speak our mind, with respect for each other. We also found it important to choose a theme that reflects the spirit of our times. People are concerned about increasing polarization and freedom isn’t as self-evident for everyone as it should be. With the slogan 'Open Up’, we warmly invite people to open up to others, to different opinions, each other's stories and of course to each other's music.”

Executive Supervisor Jon Ola Sand says:

“Open Up is the perfect slogan for the Eurovision Song Contest as it celebrates its 65th edition. In 1956, only 7 countries could watch the competition and since then we have opened up to the whole of Europe, to Australia and now, via streaming, to the whole world. The values of the Eurovision Song Contest are universality and inclusivity, and our proud tradition of celebrating diversity through music. Now we can add a new one – that of openness.”

The theme art, unveiled on 28 November 2019, tells a unique story of 65 years of the contest's history. Building on previous Dutch logo designs, it is an abstract representation of the flags of the 41 participating countries in the order of their first appearance. Five beams of blue light also radiate from the central circle, representing each of the Netherlands' five Eurovision victories.

Post-Cancellation

The Venue

Stage construction was due to start at Ahoy on 6 April. With restrictions on large social gatherings in the Netherlands until at least 1 June, it was decided that the venue would be turned into a temporary hospital for coronavirus patients.

2020 Compilation Album

The compilation album for the 2020 contest was re-branded as a tribute album to the 41 scheduled participants. Originally slated for an April release, it was officially pushed back to 15 May. The album debuted at #2 in the United Kingdom.

Eurovision Home Concerts

The EBU introduced the "Eurovision Home Concert" series. Each Friday episode featured past and present Eurovision artists performing live in their own homes. The week's featured artists performed 2 songs each: the entry they presented (or in the case of the 2020 participants, would present) at the contest, plus a song voted on by fans via Twitter and Instagram. 7 episodes aired on the Eurovision YouTube channel from 3 April to 15 May.

Alternative Programming

The EBU, along with several other broadcasters, started exploring ways to fill gaps in their schedules vacated by the cancellation of the contest. Australia, Austria, Germany, Sweden and the United Kingdom among other countries later announced their own special programming featuring an internal competition element.

The EBU later announced that in place of the grand final on 16 May, a special tribute show titled Europe Shine a Light would air to honor the 2020 participants in a non-competitive format as a show of spirit and unity. It was held at Stage 21 of Media Park in Hilversum and hosted by Edsilia Rombley, Chantal Janzen and Jan Smit, with NikkieTutorials hosting exclusive online content. 70 million viewers from around the world tuned in to watch the special.

On 12 and 14 May, which were to have been the two semifinals, the EBU aired the "Eurovision Song Celebration" on its YouTube channel. The semifinalists and the direct finalists had already been allocated into their respective semis and halves through the official allocation draw on 28 January, with the official running orders decided on by the 2020 contest's producers revealed during each episode. A "Fan Recap" was also added to each show, inviting Eurovision fans to dance to and celebrate their favorite 2020 entries.

Eurovision Again

From 28 March 2020, every Saturday featured "Eurovision Again", an interactive viewing party of past contests hosted by Eurovision fan Rob Holley. 15 minutes prior to the start of each live stream, the chosen year is revealed and fans are invited to vote for their favorite acts on Twitter during the show. The EBU had since gotten on board following the presentation of the 2006 contest, working with its members to unearth some of the classic contests such as 1974, 1988, 1991 and 1997 and airing them on the official Eurovision YouTube channel.

Contests prior to 2004 are still the property of their respective broadcasters, which meant they were only available on YouTube for one week following its initial showing.

Weekly Saturday showings ended on 27 June. As of 18 July, airings continued on the third Saturday of every month. The project ended in 2021.

Eurovisioncalls

On 3 May 2020, digital content host Nikkie de Jager launched "Eurovisioncalls", a miniseries on the official ESC YouTube channel. In each episode, Nikkie has a conversation with each of the 2020 participants in which fans can learn how each artist has been holding up since the cancellation, their inspirations, and musical plans for the future. Additionally, information about the artist's entry and performance plans are also discussed. Two to three episodes were featured each day.

Fan-organized events

Fan communities also held their own Eurovision 2020 contests and polls following the cancellation news. Among them was a full contest event organized by the forum community at ESCUnited which was held throughout the month of April. It was given the full contest experience, with official running orders and "live shows" for results as well as the forum's members acting as the national juries and vote spokespersons. It was won by Gjon's Tears representing Switzerland with Répondez-moi, winning both the jury and public vote over Bulgaria.

Participants

Semi Final One

Flag of Germany Germany, Flag of Italy Italy and Flag of The Netherlands The Netherlands were to have voted in this semi. It would have taken place on 12 May 2020.

During the Eurovision Song Celebration episodes, the intended official running order was released as follows

Draw Country Artist Song Language Translation
01 Flag of Sweden Sweden The Mamas Move English --
02 Flag of Belarus Belarus VAL Da vidna Belarusian Before dawn
03 IconAustralia Australia Montaigne Don't Break Me English --
04 Flag of Macedonia North Macedonia Vasil Garvanilev You
05 Flag of Slovenia Slovenia Ana Soklič Voda Slovene Water
06 Flag of Lithuania Lithuania The Roop On Fire English --
07 Flag of Ireland Ireland Lesley Roy Story of My Life
08 Flag of Russia Russia Little Big Uno English, Spanish One
09 Flag of Belgium Belgium Hooverphonic Release Me English --
10 Flag of Malta Malta Destiny Chukunyere All of My Love
11 Flag of Croatia Croatia Damir Kedžo Divlji vjetre Croatian Wild winds
12 Flag of Azerbaijan Azerbaijan Samira Efendi Cleopatra English --
13 Flag of Cyprus Cyprus Sandro Running
14 Flag of Norway Norway Ulrikke Attention
15 Flag of Israel Israel Eden Alene Feker Libi English, Arabic, Hebrew, Amharic Love in my heart
16 Flag of Romania Romania Roxen Alcohol You English --
17 Flag of Ukraine Ukraine Go_A Solovey Ukranian Nightingale

Semi Final Two

Flag of France France, Flag of Spain Spain and Flag of United Kingdom United Kingdom were to have voted in this semi. It would have taken place on 14 May 2020.

Draw Country Artist Song Language Translation
01 Flag of Greece Greece Stefania Superg!rl English --
02 Flag of Estonia Estonia Uku Suviste What Love Is
03 Flag of Austria Austria Vincent Bueno Alive
04 Flag of Moldova Moldova Natalia Gordienko Prison
05 Flag of San Marino San Marino Senit Freaky!
06 Flag of Czech Republic Czechia Benny Cristo Kemama
07 Flag of Serbia Serbia Hurricane Hasta la Vista Serbian
08 Flag of Poland Poland Alicja Szemplińska Empires English
09 Flag of Iceland Iceland Daði & Gagnamagnið Think About Things
10 Flag of Switzerland Switzerland Gjon's Tears Répondez-moi French Answer me
11 Flag of Denmark Denmark Ben & Tan Yes English --
12 Flag of Albania Albania Arilena Ara Fall From The Sky
13 Flag of Finland Finland Aksel Kankaanranta Looking Back
14 Flag of Armenia Armenia Athena Manoukian Chains On You
15 Flag of Portugal Portugal Elisa Medo de sentir Portuguese Afraid of feeling
16 Flag of Georgia Georgia Tornike Kipiani Take Me As I Am English --
17 Flag of Bulgaria Bulgaria Victoria Tears Getting Sober
18 Flag of Latvia Latvia Samanta Tīna Still Breathing

Automatic Finalists

The automatic finalists were as follows:

Country Artist Song Language Translation
Flag of France France Tom Leeb Mon Alliée (The Best In Me) French, English My Ally (The Best In Me)
Flag of Germany Germany Ben Dolic Violent Thing English --
Flag of Italy Italy Diodato Fai rumore Italian Make noise
Flag of The Netherlands The Netherlands (Host) Jeangu Macrooy Grow English --
Flag of Spain Spain Blas Cantó Universo Spanish Universe
Flag of United Kingdom United Kingdom James Newman My Last Breath English --

Withdrawing/Uncertain

  • IconAndorra Andorra - RTVA confirmed on 22 May 2019 that Andorra would not return for 2020.
  • IconBosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina - BHRT confirmed on 9 July 2019 that Bosnia and Herzegovina would not return for 2020 as it is still under sanctions from the EBU due to financial debts. It aired the Europe Shine a Light special on 16 May.
  • Flag of Hungary Hungary - Hungary withdrew for 2020, as MTVA decided not to use A Dal as its selection process and instead use it to focus on its domestic talent scene.
  • IconKazakhstan Kazakhstan - The EBU confirmed on 6 September 2019 that they have no plans to invite Kazakhstan to debut in 2020. It aired the Europe Shine a Light special on 16 May.
  • IconKosovo Kosovo - The EBU confirmed on 28 June 2019 that Kosovo will not debut in 2020 or in the near future. Under the rules, a nation must be a full member of the ITU to apply for EBU membership, currently Kosovo (and its broadcaster RTK) holds non-member state status. It aired the Europe Shine a Light special on 16 May.
  • IconLiechtenstein Liechtenstein - 1FLTV confirmed on 7 August 2019 that Liechtenstein would not debut for 2020.
  • IconLuxembourg Luxembourg - Despite a push by 1973 winner Anne Marie David, RTL confirmed on 23 July 2019 that Luxembourg would not return for 2020.
  • IconMonaco Monaco - TMC confirmed on 6 August 2019 that Monaco would not return for 2020.
  • Flag of Montenegro Montenegro - Despite confirming its initial participation, Montenegro would not participate in the 2020 contest, RTCG citing its reason to withdraw as being unable to obtain the necessary means to compete. It aired the Europe Shine a Light special on 16 May.
  • IconSlovakia Slovakia - RTVS confirmed on 5 June 2019 that Slovakia would not return for 2020, citing lack of interest
  • IconTurkey Turkey - TRT confirmed on 21 September 2019 that Turkey would not return for 2020.

Other Countries

  • IconCanada OMNI Television was to have aired all three shows in Canada on a same-day delay.
  • IconUnited States The United States was due to have the 2020 contest on Netflix's on-demand service as per an agreement with the EBU.
Eurovision Song Contest
Editions
195619571958195919601961196219631964196519661967196819691970197119721973197419751976197719781979198019811982198319841985198619871988198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024
Countries
AlbaniaAndorraArmeniaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBelarusBelgiumBosnia and HerzegovinaBulgariaCroatiaCyprusCzechiaDenmarkEstoniaFinlandFranceGeorgiaGermanyGreeceHungaryIcelandIrelandIsraelItalyLatviaLithuaniaLuxembourgMaltaMoldovaMonacoMontenegroMoroccoThe NetherlandsNorth MacedoniaNorwayPolandPortugalRomaniaRussiaSan MarinoSerbiaSerbia and MontenegroSlovakiaSloveniaSpainSwedenSwitzerlandTurkeyUnited KingdomUkraineYugoslavia
Winning Songs
RefrainNet Als ToenDors, mon amourEen beetjeTom PillibiNous les amoureuxUn premier amourDanseviseNon ho l'etàPoupée de Cire, Poupée de SonMerci, ChériePuppet on a StringLa, La, LaBoom Bang-a-BangVivo CantandoUn jour, un enfantDe TroubadourAll Kinds of EverythingUn banc, un arbre, une rueAprès ToiTu Te ReconnaîtrasWaterlooDing-a-DongSave Your Kisses For MeL'Oiseau et l'enfantA-Ba-Ni-BiHallelujahWhat's Another YearMaking Your Mind UpEin bißchen FriedenSi la vie est cadeauDiggiloo DiggileyLa Det SwingeJ'aime La VieHold Me NowNe Partez Pas Sans MoiRock MeInsieme: 1992Fångad av en stormvindWhy Me?In Your EyesRock 'n' Roll KidsNocturneThe VoiceLove Shine a LightDivaTake Me To Your HeavenFly on the Wings of LoveEverybodyI WannaEveryway That I CanWild DancesMy Number OneHard Rock HallelujahMolitvaBelieveFairytaleSatelliteRunning ScaredEuphoriaOnly TeardropsRise Like a PhoenixHeroes1944Amar pelos doisToyArcadeZitti e buoniStefaniaTattoo
Specials
Congratulations: 50 Years of the Eurovision Song ContestEurovision's Greatest HitsEurope Shine a Light
Aspects of Eurovision
CommentatorEuroClubEurovision VillageExecutive SupervisorFlag ParadeGrand PrixGreen RoomHead of DelegationInterval ActNational FinalNational JuryOfficial RulesOpening CeremonyPre-PartiesPre-Song PostcardsReference GroupRest of the World VoteRunning Order DrawSemi-FinalsScoreboardSpokespersonTelevotingVoting Systems
Miscellaneous
Big FiveCurse of 43Curse of Number TwoCurse of GreenDouze Points!ESCRadio AwardsESC Top 250Eurovision AgainEurovision National BroadcastersEurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire SagaFounding SevenLGBT visibilityLynda WoodruffMarcel Bezençon AwardsNul PointsOGAERecordsStand-insThe Reorder BoardTie SituationTop Scoring SongsVoting DiasporaWinner's CurseWithdrawn SongsYou're a Vision Award

References (if any)

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