Eurovision Song Contest 2021

The Eurovision Song Contest 2021 is set to be the 65th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. The contest will be held in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, following the country's victory at the 2019 contest with the song "Arcade" by Duncan Laurence. The Netherlands was due to host the 2020 contest, before it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It will be the fifth time that the Netherlands hosts the contest, the last time having been the 1980 contest.

Organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and host broadcasters Nederlandse Publieke Omroep (NPO), Nederlandse Omroep Stichting (NOS) and AVROTROS, the contest will be held at Rotterdam Ahoy and will consist of two semi-finals on 18 and 20 May, and the final on 22 May 2021. The EBU discussed carryovers between the 2020 and 2021 contests, and many participating countries allocated the same artists who were due to represent them in 2020.

Thirty-nine countries will participate in the contest. Bulgaria and Ukraine will return after their absences from the 2019 contest, while Armenia, Hungary and Montenegro will not return after their 2019 participation. Belarus had originally planned to participate, but was disqualified after their intended entry was found to be in violation of the contest's rules. During the broadcast of Eurovision: Europe Shine a Light, which aired on 16 May 2020, it was announced that the 2021 contest will be held at Rotterdam Ahoy in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The venue had previously hosted the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2007.

Preparations
See also: Eurovision Song Contest 2020 § Preparations, and COVID-19 pandemic in Europe

Prior to the announcement and following the cancellation of the Eurovision Song Contest 2020, the EBU began talks with the Dutch public broadcasters NPO, NOS and AVROTROS, as well as the city of Rotterdam, which were to organise the 2020 contest, on the possibility of staging the 2021 contest in the city. On 23 April 2020, the municipal council of Rotterdam approved an increased budget after Dutch media reported that the city would require an additional €6.7 million to host the contest. The decision was imminent as it was required that the EBU be informed by late April if Rotterdam was willing to host the contest. NPO, NOS and AVROTROS had until mid-May 2020 to find an alternative if Rotterdam declined to host the event.

On 7 May 2020, the Dutch authorities prohibited all mass gatherings in the country until a COVID-19 vaccine becomes available. The host broadcasters stated that they were assessing the decision and how it would impact the event. On 18 September 2020, the EBU released a summary of contingency scenarios for the contest: The four scenarios for the Eurovision Song Contest 2021.


 * Scenario A: The contest being held as normal.
 * Scenario B: The contest being held as normal, but with social distancing measures in place.
 * Scenario C: Similar to scenario B, but allowing acts to perform from their home country if they are unable to travel to Rotterdam.
 * Scenario D: The contest being held in a fully-remote format, with all acts performing from their home country, and no in-person festivities or audience in Rotterdam. This scenario was trialed during the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2020 in November 2020.

In February 2021, the EBU and the host broadcasters stated that it had ruled out hosting the contest without social distancing, thus excluding scenario A. Scenario C was also modified – all acts would perform remotely like in scenario D. A health and safety protocol for the contest was published on 2 March 2021, with the EBU affirming that the contest will be held under scenario B, while reiterating that downscaling options remain on the table should circumstances change.

Production
The Eurovision Song Contest 2021 will be a co-production between three related Dutch television organisations — Nederlandse Publieke Omroep (NPO), Nederlandse Omroep Stichting (NOS) and AVROTROS — of which each assumed a different role. Sietse Bakker and Astrid Dutrénit will serve as executive producers, while Emilie Sickinghe and Jessica Stam will serve as deputy executive producers.

In January 2020, the EBU announced that Martin Österdahl would become the executive supervisor for the Eurovision Song Contest after the 2020 edition, succeeding Jon Ola Sand. Before his appointment, Österdahl had been an executive producer for the 2013 and 2016 editions, and had been a member of the Eurovision Song Contest reference group between 2012 and 2018.

Visual design
On 18 September 2020, along with possible scenarios, the EBU confirmed that the planned visual design and slogan for 2020, "Open Up", will be used for the 2021 contest as well. The revamped official logo and branding was unveiled on 4 December 2020. Designed by Clever°Franke, it is "an abstract presentation inspired by the map of world and visually connects the location of the capitals of the [then] 41 participating countries with Rotterdam as Europe's beating heart". The revamped visual identity, designed by MediaMonks and NEP, was built around patterns and 'tracks' that symbolises the Netherlands and "opening up".

Postcards
The concept of the 2021 postcards was revealed on 1 December 2020. Based on the "Open Up" theme of the contest, but in a departure from the initial concept created for the 2020 contest's postcards owing to travel restriction concerns, the postcards will now involve the artists being presented through footage shot in their country of origin, on the framework of a so-called 'tiny house' set up in various locations around the Netherlands. The postcard recordings will take place between March and April 2021. The following locations were used:


 * Australia – Sparta Stadion Het Kasteel

Presenters
Chantal Janzen, Jan Smit and Edsilia Rombley, three of the four presenters of the 2021 contest On 18 September 2020, along with possible scenarios, the EBU confirmed that the 2020 planned presenters will be appointed as the presenters for the 2021 contest as well: actress and television host Chantal Janzen, singer and commentator for the contest Jan Smit, singer Edsilia Rombley, who represented the Netherlands in the 1998 and 2007 contests, and beauty vlogger Nikkie de Jager (NikkieTutorials). De Jager will also be the presenter of the contest's online content, including a behind-the-scenes YouTube series to be recorded with the participating artists.

Stage design
During the announcement of the dates of the 2021 contest, Sietse Bakker, executive producer of the 2021 contest, stated that the planned 2020 stage design will also be used in the 2021 contest. The design is inspired by the slogan "Open Up" and the typical Dutch flat landscape. The Eurovision stage was designed by German stage designer Florian Wieder, who also designed the stages for the contests in 2011–12, 2015, and 2017–19. Unlike the 2019 contest, the green room was placed in the main performance venue, and will encompass the entire floor space previously reserved for the standing audience, so as to facilitate social distancing.

Entries
Following the cancellation of the 2020 contest, the EBU explored the option of allowing the songs selected for the 2020 contest to compete in the 2021 contest, which needed to be discussed with the Eurovision Song Contest reference group and the national broadcasters. Victoria, Bulgaria's representative for 2020 and 2021, publicly expressed her support for such a move. However, on 20 March 2020, the reference group decided that, in accordance with the rules of the Eurovision Song Contest, the 2020 songs would not be eligible to compete in the 2021 contest.

Back-up performances
On 18 November 2020, the EBU revealed that, as a measure to guarantee that all participants can take part in the contest, every national broadcaster will create a 'live-on-tape' recording prior to the contest which can be used if a participant cannot travel to Rotterdam, or subjected to quarantine on arrival. The recordings will take place in a studio setting, in real time (as it would be at the contest) without any edits to the vocals or any part of the performance itself after the recording. A set of production guidelines was also revealed to ensure fairness and the integrity of the recordings.

Backing vocals
On 18 June 2020, the EBU announced that pre-recorded backing vocals will be allowed for one year. The use of recorded backing vocals will be entirely optional. Each delegation can choose to use backing singers, whether on or off stage. A combination of live and recorded backing vocals will also be allowed. All lead vocals performing the melody of the song, including an eventual use of a so-called lead dub, shall still be live on or off stage in the arena.

Semi-final allocation draw
Further information: Eurovision Song Contest 2020 § Semi-final allocation draw

On 17 November 2020, the EBU confirmed that the semi-final allocation draw for the 2021 contest would not be held. Instead, the semi-finals will feature the same line-up of countries as determined by the draw for the 2020 contest's semi-finals, which was held on 28 January 2020 at Rotterdam's City Hall and hosted by contest presenters Chantal Janzen, Jan Smit and Edsilia Rombley. The draw also determined which semi-final each of the six automatic qualifiers – the Big Five plus the Netherlands – would have to vote in. The EBU also decided to maintain the Netherlands' grand final running order position – 23.

The pots used initially for the 2020 contest featured as follows:

Opening and interval acts
The second semi-final will be opened by breakdancer Redouan Ait Chitt (Redo) and singer-songwriter Eefje de Visser, with ballet dancer Ahmad Joudeh and BMX-er Dez Maarsen performing during the interval.

The final will be opened with a flag parade, introducing all twenty-six finalists, accompanied by music produced by 16-year-old DJ Pieter Gabriel. During an interval act entitled "Rock the Roof", six former Eurovision winners — Lenny Kuhr (1969), Teach-In with Getty Kaspers (1975), Sandra Kim (1986), Helena Paparizou (2005), Lordi (2006) and Måns Zelmerlöw (2015) — will perform their winning songs atop several venues in Rotterdam.

Participating countries
Participating countries in the first semi-final

Pre-qualified for the final but also voting in the first semi-final

Participating countries in the second semi-final

Pre-qualified for the final but also voting in the second semi-final

The EBU initially announced on 26 October 2020 that 40 countries would participate in the contest, featuring the same line-up of countries that were set to participate in the cancelled 2020 edition. Bulgaria and Ukraine will mark their return to the contest after their absences from the 2019 contest, while Hungary and Montenegro were confirmed as non-returning following their latest appearances in 2019.

In November 2020 and January 2021, Armenia and Belarus confirmed their non-participation in the contest; Armenia withdrew due to social and political crises in the aftermath of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, while Belarus was disqualified after submitting an entry in violation of the rules, thereby reducing the number of participating countries to 39.

Returning artists
After the cancellation of the 2020 contest, the participating broadcasters of the following 24 countries announced that for the 2021 contest, they would internally select the same artists initially selected for 2020: Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Georgia, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Latvia, Malta, Moldova, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine and the United Kingdom. In addition, the artists initially selected for Estonia and Lithuania in 2020 won their national finals to represent their countries in 2021.

Discounting 2020, the contest will feature three representatives who also previously performed as lead vocalists for the same country, and five artists who participated in other Eurovision events or as backing vocalists for the same or for another country.

Semi-final 1
The first semi-final will take place on 18 May 2021 at 21:00 (CEST). Sixteen countries will participate in the first semi-final. Those countries plus Germany, Italy and the Netherlands will vote in this semi-final. Belarus was originally allocated to participate in the first half of the semi-final, but was disqualified from the contest after submitting an entry in violation of the rules.

Semi-final 2
The second semi-final will take place on 20 May 2021 at 21:00 (CEST). Seventeen countries will participate in the second semi-final. Those countries plus France, Spain and the United Kingdom will vote in this semi-final.

Final
The final will take place on 22 May 2021 at 21:00 (CEST). Twenty-six countries will participate in the final, composing of the host country, the Big Five, and the ten best-ranked entries of each of the two semi-finals. All thirty-nine participating countries will vote in the final.