Eurovision 2020 host city and dates announced
The annual singing extravaganza is heading to The Netherlands next year.
By Will Stroude
The Eurovision Song Contest 2020 will be held in Rotterdam, it has been announced.
Organisers confirmed on Friday (30 August) that the 65th annual Eurovision competition will take place in The Netherlands’ second largest city in the week of May 11-17.
The competition is set to return to The Netherlands for the first time since 1980 – and fifth in total – following the country’s victory in Tel Aviv in May with their entry ‘Arcade’ by Duncan Lawrence.
Next year’s live semi-finals will take place on Tuesday 12 and Thursday 14 May, where the entrants will be whittled down to a final 20 ahead of the grand final on Saturday 16 May.
29 countries have already confirmed their participation in Eurovision 2020, including Ukraine, which pulled out of last year’s competition after a dispute with its act Maruv over a contract which would have seen the singer banned from performing in neighbouring Russia.
🎙Together with our reigning champion @dunclaurence we’re excited to announce the Host City & dates for next year’s #Eurovision Song Contest!🏆
📆Semi Final 1 – 12 May
📆Semi Final 2 – 14 May
📆Grand Final – 16 MayMore on our destination👉https://t.co/jn9wfD2uir
#ESC2020 pic.twitter.com/TLBgFvnthK— Eurovision Song Contest (@Eurovision) August 30, 2019
The city of Rotterdam will be playing host to Eurovision for the first time, after previous competitions in The Netherlands took place in Hilversum (1958) Amsterdam (1970) and The Hague (1976, 1980).
Of course, the UK will be hoping for a better showing in the city than in Tel Aviv, where British entry Michael Rice finished in last place, scoring just 11 points for his song ‘Bigger Than Us’.