Eurovision Song Contest 2020
| Eurovision Song Contest 2020 | |
|---|---|
| Open Up | |
| Dates | |
| Semi-final 1 | 12 May 2020 (cancelled) |
| Semi-final 2 | 14 May 2020 (cancelled) |
| Final | 16 May 2020 (cancelled) |
| Host | |
| Venue | Rotterdam Ahoy Rotterdam, Netherlands |
| Presenter(s) |
|
| Executive producer |
|
| Director |
|
| Executive supervisor | Jon Ola Sand |
| Host broadcaster | |
| Website | eurovision |
| Participants | |
| Number of entries | 41 (planned) |
| Number of finalists | 26 (planned) |
| Debuting countries | None |
| Returning countries | Bulgaria Ukraine |
| Non-returning countries | Hungary Montenegro |
Participation map
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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 was the first and only edition in the contest's history to be cancelled, being called off on 18 March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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. 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 songs and artists were confirmed by the participating 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 venue, the songs, and artists, with the participating broadcasters. In place of the cancelled contest, the EBU and the intended host broadcasters 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. The Dutch broadcasters remained the hosts for the 2021 contest on 18, 20, and 22 May 2021 in the same venue in Rotterdam; however, the songs selected for the 2020 contest were not eligible for 2021.