Eurovision Is Cancelled for the First Time in History

MAY 15 2020 · 12:05

EBU (cancelled) · "N/A" · Europe · 2020 Language: N/A · Venue: Rotterdam Ahoy · Host: Rotterdam, Netherlands · Type: boycott · Broadcast: streaming era March 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic shutters European public venues. Rotterdam is scheduled to host Eurovision. After weeks of uncertainty, the EBU announces on 18 March 2020 that Eurovision 2020 is cancelled — the first cancellation in the contest's 65-year history. 41 countries had been registered. Duncan Laurence's Netherlands hosting rights roll over. Rotterdam hosts in 2021 instead. Context The pandemic timing was catastrophic — rehearsals would have begun in late April. Multiple countries had already sent their entries. The cancellation affected rehearsal venues, production crews, and 41 national broadcasters simultaneously. The EBU's decision was widely supported despite the disappointment. Legacy The 2020 cancellation is Eurovision's only non-broadcast year. The EBU replaced the contest with 'Eurovision: Europe Shine a Light', a cooperative non-competitive broadcast featuring songs from all 41 registered countries. The 2021 Rotterdam contest picked up where 2020 would have been, with most countries sending different songs than their 2020 entries. The cancelled-year card is the Eurovision pandemic marker.