Eurovision Song Contest 2020

"Eurovision 2020" redirects here. For the junior contest, see Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2020.

Eurovision Song Contest 2020
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Dates
Semi-final 112 May 2020 (cancelled)
Semi-final 214 May 2020 (cancelled)
Final16 May 2020 (cancelled)
Host
VenueRotterdam Ahoy
Rotterdam, Netherlands
Presenter(s)
Directed by
Executive supervisorJon Ola Sand
Executive producer
  • Sietse Bakker
  • Inge van de Weerd
Host broadcaster
Websiteeurovision.tv/event/rotterdam-2020 Edit this at Wikidata
Participants
Number of entries41 (planned)
Number of finalists26 (planned)
Debuting countriesNone[a]
Returning countries Bulgaria
 Ukraine[a]
Non-returning countries Hungary
 Montenegro[a]
  • A coloured map of the countries of EuropePortugal in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020Spain in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020San Marino in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020France in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020Netherlands in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020Switzerland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020Denmark in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020Malta in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020Estonia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020Latvia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020Lithuania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020Slovakia in the Eurovision Song ContestAustria in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020Slovenia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020Hungary in the Eurovision Song ContestCroatia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Eurovision Song ContestMontenegro in the Eurovision Song ContestSerbia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020Albania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020North Macedonia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020Bulgaria in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020Romania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020Moldova in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020Belarus in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020Australia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020Russia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020Georgia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020Azerbaijan in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020Turkey in the Eurovision Song ContestCyprus in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020Armenia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020Morocco in the Eurovision Song ContestLiechtenstein in the Eurovision Song ContestAndorra in the Eurovision Song ContestMonaco in the Eurovision Song ContestPoland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020Czech Republic in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020Luxembourg in the Eurovision Song ContestLebanon in the Eurovision Song ContestTunisia in the Eurovision Song Contest
         Countries that had planned to participate in 2020 and would have automatically qualified for the final     Countries that had planned to participate in 2020 and would have competed in the semi-finals     Countries that had participated in the past but did not plan to participate in 2020
2019 ← Eurovision Song Contest → 2021

The Eurovision Song Contest 2020 was planned to be the 65th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It would have taken place in Rotterdam, Netherlands, following the country's victory at the 2019 contest with the song "Arcade" by Duncan Laurence. This edition was the first and only one in the contest's history to be cancelled, with it being called off on 18 March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[1]

The contest was scheduled to be held at Rotterdam Ahoy and would have consisted of two semi-finals on 12 and 14 May, and a final on 16 May 2020.[2] Forty-one countries would have participated in the contest; Bulgaria and Ukraine would have returned after their absence from the 2019 contest, while Hungary and Montenegro had confirmed their non-participation after taking part in the previous edition. All 41 competing artists and songs were confirmed by the relevant broadcasters by early March 2020.

Following the cancellation, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) began discussions of potential carryovers for the 2021 contest, such as the host city and participating artists, with various parties. In place of the cancelled contest, the EBU and its Dutch members NPO, NOS and AVROTROS organised a replacement show, Eurovision: Europe Shine a Light, to showcase the selected entries on 16 May, the day of the planned final.[3] Rotterdam remained host of the 2021 contest on 18, 20 and 22 May 2021; however, the songs selected for the 2020 contest were not eligible for the competition.[4][5]


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  1. ^ "Official EBU statement & FAQ on Eurovision 2020 cancellation". European Broadcasting Union (EBU). 18 March 2020. Archived from the original on 18 March 2020. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  2. ^ LaFleur, Louise (30 August 2019). "Rotterdam to host Eurovision 2020!". European Broadcasting Union (EBU). Archived from the original on 2 October 2019. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  3. ^ "Eurovision: Europe Shine a Light will bring audiences together on 16 May". 31 March 2020. Archived from the original on 1 April 2020. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  4. ^ "Rotterdam returns as Eurovision Song Contest Host City in 2021". European Broadcasting Union (EBU). 16 May 2020. Archived from the original on 17 May 2020. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).