Public broadcasters from 41 countries will take part in the Eurovision Song Contest when the world’s biggest live music event returns next year.

Following the cancellation of the 2020 event, the 65th Contest, organized by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and its Dutch Members NPO, NOS and AVROTROS, will be held at Rotterdam’s Ahoy Arena on 18, 20 and 22 May 2021.

The EBU revealed in September that, in response to the coronavirus pandemic, it has been working on 4 scenarios for hosting the competition including a socially distant event and ones with travel restrictions on all or some of the participants. A decision will be made on what the 65th Eurovision Song Contest will look like early next year.

Martin Österdahl, Executive Supervisor of the Eurovision Song Contest, said: “We are grateful for the commitment of the 41 participating broadcasters in helping us bring the Eurovision Song Contest back in 2021.

”We have the exact same line up of countries that would have competed in 2020 and we are thrilled that they will all return next year. Together with our host broadcasters we are continuing to develop the 4 different scenarios and maintaining a dialogue with all participants. The team from NPO, NOS and AVROTROS are working hard on ensuring the Eurovision Song Contest will provide the excitement and innovation expected by over 180 million viewers, despite the challenging circumstances.”

Of the 41 nations taking part, 35 will compete in two Semi-Finals with 10 successful acts from each Semi-Final joining the Big 5 (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom) and hosts the Netherlands in the Grand Final.

The slogan chosen for this year’s cancelled Contest, “Open Up” will remain for the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 – with even more resonance than before. 

“It is fantastic that the same 41 countries that would have taken part this year still want to come to the Netherlands in May 2021" said Sietse Bakker, Executive Producer Event.

“This demonstrates their confidence in our country still being able to organize a successful Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam next year, after the cancellation of the 2020 edition. We have set the bar high to create 3 amazing live shows for an audience of 180 million people, even in these challenging times. To achieve this, we are working on an extensive protocol that guarantees the health of employees, participants, the press and visitors as much as possible.”

More details about the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 will be revealed in the coming months. Frequently Asked Questions about next year’s event can be found here. 

Check Eurovision.tv, @Eurovision on Twitter, Eurovision Song Contest on Facebook, @Eurovision on Instagram and the official Eurovision app for updates.

 PARTICIPATING BROADCASTERS

The following countries (and EBU Member broadcasters) will participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 in Rotterdam:

Albania (RTSH)
Armenia (AMPTV)
Australia (SBS)*
Austria (ORF)
Azerbaijan (Ictimai TV)
Belarus (BTRC)
Belgium (VRT)
Bulgaria (BNT)
Croatia (HRT)
Cyprus (CyBC)
Czech Republic (CT)
Denmark (DR)
Estonia (ERR)
Finland (YLE)
France (FT)
Germany (ARD/NDR)
Georgia (GPB)
Greece (ERT)
Iceland (RUV)
Ireland (RTE)
Israel (KAN)
Italy (RAI)
Latvia (LTV)
Lithuania (LRT)
Malta (PBS)
Moldova (TRM)
The Netherlands (AVROTROS)
North Macedonia (MKRTV)
Norway (NRK)
Poland (TVP)
Portugal (RTP)
Romania (TVR)
Russia (Channel One)
San Marino (RTV)
Serbia (RTS)
Slovenia (RTVSLO)
Spain (TVE)
Sweden (SVT)
Switzerland (SRG SSR)
Ukraine (UA:PBC)
United Kingdom (BBC)

 *EBU Associate