ESC
That will change this year due to the corona pandemic
The stage of the Ahoy Arena in Rotterdam is ready for the Eurovision Song Contest.
© EBU / NPO / NOS / Avrotros Nathan Reinds
The ESC will take place this year despite the pandemic. For the guests and participants, the competition will therefore run differently than usual.
The final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 will take place on May 22nd. Due to the corona pandemic, the competition cannot take place as in previous years. In the Ahoy Arena in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, some precautions are taken to keep the risk of infection as low as possible for all participants and guests. The ESC should have been held there as early as 2020, but was canceled due to the pandemic.
This year an audience is even allowed again: Up to 3,500 fans are allowed according to “eurovision.de” Be there at the individual shows – the three live shows and the six public rehearsals. In the meantime, this concept is being scientifically investigated in a so-called field laboratory.
The aim is to find out how events can also take place safely in the pandemic. Comprehensive measures such as negative corona tests for all those involved are intended to contribute to this. Fans have to get tested again five days after the show and wear masks during the event as long as they’re not in their own seat. To do this, they do not have to maintain a minimum distance of 1.5 meters from other people in the hall.
Only new songs are allowed to start in 2021
In 2021, only 39 of the original 41 countries will take part in the Eurovision Song Contest. Armenia withdrew at short notice, Belarus was disqualified. According to the Armenian TV broadcaster AMPTV, it was not possible for the country to put together a song for the competition in a timely manner. Other reasons are also said to have played a role, but were not specified.
Belarus is not allowed to compete because the song “Ya nauchu tebya” by the group Galasy ZMesta according to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) does not comply with the competition rules. According to the ESC guidelines, the songs of the participants must not contain a political message.
After the competition was canceled last year, the question arose whether the artists from 2020 will also be allowed to compete with the same songs in 2021. The EBU’s Reference Group rejected this: Only new songs are allowed to take part in the ESC in 2021. Nevertheless, 26 countries are sending their last year’s participants into the race – each with new contributions.
Pandemic rule change for background singing
Due to the pandemic, there will be ESC 2021 a new rule: Background vocals that are not sung live are allowed. As a result, fewer people are on stage and fewer have to travel in the first place. However, the main act and underlying vocal support must still sing live.
If the ESC – for example due to a short-term renewed lockdown – cannot take place as planned, an emergency scenario is planned. Even then, the competition will take place. In this case, the participants had to shoot videos of their performances in March and send them to the EBU. Australia has already canceled its arrival. The artist Montaigne (25) will perform her song “Technicolor” via live video. The participants from the remaining countries will so far appear in Rotterdam as planned.