display
Rotterdam / Hamburg (dpa) - The Eurovision Song Contest (ESC), usually called the Grand Prix Eurovision de la Chanson in Germany up to 20 years ago, has existed since 1956. So this year it would actually be the 66th “Eurovision Song Contest” - but the Corona Pandemic resulted in cancellation for the first time in 2020 and the 65th will be made up for in 2021.
What you should know about the three shows - two semi-finals (May 18 and 20) and the final (May 22, from 9 p.m.) - in questions and answers:
Where does the ESC take place?
display
The 65th Eurovision Song Contest will be held in the Ahoy event center in Rotterdam because the Netherlands won in 2019 and thus brought the show to themselves.
The almost four-hour finale begins on May 22nd at 9 p.m. and will be broadcast in Germany on Das Erste.
The two-hour semifinal shows on May 18 and 20 will be broadcast by ARD digital broadcaster One from 9 p.m.
How is it going with the audience on site?
There will be an audience at the ESC in the hall, but under Corona conditions.
The competition will be a so-called “Fieldlab experiment”, which will test how major events can also take place in Corona times.
That was decided by the Dutch Ministry of Culture at the end of April.
The three live shows and the six public rehearsals are each allowed to have 3500 spectators.
That's about 20 percent of the Ahoy's capacity.
There will be no standing room in front of the mega-stage, instead the “Green Room” is there.
All viewers must be tested beforehand and five days after the event.
Foreign fans are allowed in principle, but few are expected due to travel restrictions.
display
What happens in a corona case?
If a singer tests positive for the corona virus, he is not allowed to perform - at least not live.
Then a video of the post will be shown.
All participating countries had to send in such a video in preparation for an emergency.
Incidentally, these videos were also recorded according to competition conditions.
Which countries and acts will compete in 2021?
display
After the withdrawal from Armenia at the beginning of March and the disqualification of Belarus (because of an excessively political contribution that, according to the organizer EBU, could instrumentalize the competition or bring it into disrepute), only 39 countries will take part in the ESC 2021.
Because of the travel restrictions, Australia is the only country with only one video.
Do all countries send their contributions from last year?
Not a single country can enter the 2020 contribution again.
Everyone had to submit new songs.
The broadcasting union EBU, as the organizer, established this early on.
However, 26 countries are sticking to the artists they have chosen for 2020 - some of them after preliminary decisions.
13 chic new acts, including Germany.
Who and what is the German contribution?
The Hamburg musician Jendrik Sigwart (26) was selected in a process organized by the North German Broadcasting Corporation (NDR).
The NDR is responsible for the ESC within the ARD broadcasters.
On February 25, the singer released his song "I Don't Feel Hate".
It's about standing above the hatred of others.
The song is emphatically cheerful, the verses are accompanied by Jendrik's ukulele, the chorus by trumpets.
Who could win the ESC in 2021?
If you ask around fans and bookmakers, you will always get the entries from Malta and Switzerland as favorites.
It would be the first ever victory for the small island state of Malta and the third for Switzerland - after 1956 with Lys Assia and 1988 with Celine Dion.
France and Italy are also among the favorites.
The other favorites are Iceland, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Sweden and Cyprus.
Germany is hardly given any chances.
The winner will be determined after the traditionally complicated awarding of points by the federal states around 1 a.m. (Whit Sunday morning, 23 May).
display
Who will moderate the ESC?
The trio Chantal Janzen, Edsilia Rombley and Jan Smit, which should lead the show in 2020, will moderate the ESC 2021. In addition, there is the vlogger Nikkie de Jager alias NikkieTutorials.
Smit is also popular in Germany, as he is part of the Klubbb3 hit trio - alongside the Belgian Christoff De Bolle and Florian Silbereisen.
The singer Rombley had represented her country at the ESC in 1998 and was fourth.
Chantal Janzen is also a singer and prominent TV presenter.
And otherwise?
Last year the Icelander Daði Freyr was a favorite with his band, he has lived in Berlin for years.
Many also say that the Lithuanian band The Roop would have won 2020, but many find their song “Discoteque” this year weaker.
Cyprus' song "El Diablo" (The Devil) was attacked, a Christian group tried with a petition to prevent ESC participation because they felt the song was satanic.
The Cypriot broadcaster rejected it, saying that it was clearly metaphorical.
For example, the songs from Greece (“Last Dance” by Stefania), San Marino (“Adrenalina” by Senhit) and Croatia (“Tick-Tock” by Albina) have summer hit potential.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210516-99-616404 / 2
All 39 songs of the ESC 2021 in fast forward