Rotterdam 2020

Ben Dolic: “I would like to come back as a songwriter”

Photo made by Zlatimir Arakliev This week the 2020 representative for Germany held a Twitter Space, and our reporter Kal had the chance to interview him. But how is Ben doing as of today? What are his upcoming plans? How does he feel about Eurovision these days? Ben told us everything. “I’m doing good! Right now we’re busy with my next single, and we’ve already got a location for the music video! Just like ‘Kissing Her, Missing you’, we’re shooting it in London again. We also have some plans for merch, but that has got to wait a little longer.” Kal: “New music? That’s always great to hear, but since there’s so much new music coming out, does this also mean there’s an album coming along the way?” Ben answered that “It takes a lot of time to make an album, ‘cause there’s so much that needs to be done. But maybe in about a year or two I might drop one.” Kal then asked how it is to perform at gigs now that everything opened up again. Ben: “It’s great now that the pandemic is kind of over, but I don’t perform that much. I still need some more tunes to sing. Maybe if I and some friends put a set list together for a festival or something, maybe than we can gather a crowd.” Kal: Now everything’s back open again, however this wasn’t the case in 2020. How do you feel about missing out on performing at Eurovision? Ben said that “It of course sucked. The week everything closed down, I was actually about to fly to the Caribbean Islands to film my postcard. It sucked that we didn’t get to see the end result of ‘Violent Thing’, but at least the German broadcaster put together a small Eurovision show, and I got to perform it there.” Kal was stunned to hear that Eurovision would go so far for postcards. After that he asked if Ben would ever return to Eurovision. Ben: “For now I wouldn’t say yes again to be the representative for a country. For a whole year you focus your life around one song, and it’s that song only. However I would like to come back as a song writer, or creative director in some sort of way.” Kal: I have always wondered what the staging for ‘Violent Thing’ was about to look like, so if you can maybe spill some details, then I would love that.” Ben answered that the staging was going to look very futuristic. “So the staging was about look like the German Eurovision show one, but way better. There would be pictures and videos that would kinda float in front of me, and it would look as if I’m in the future. The main colours of the staging would like the cover art, mainly red and blue.

Road to Rotterdam: Georgia

In 2014 Tornike Kipiani won the x factor Georgia. He took part again in 2019, as Georgia wanted to send the winner to the 2020 Eurovision Song Contest. On New Year’s Eve 2019, Tornike won the ticket to Rotterdam. With his “Take me as I am” he could not participate due to the cancellation. This year he brings the song “You”.

ABBA in Europe shine a light!?

Tonight is the night! Unfortunately not the night of the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest. However, there will be a show called Europe Shine A Light. It will start at 21:00 CET and you can watch it in every participating country of the Eurovision Song Contest. You will see all the participants to be, and parts of all the songs that were supposed to be in the show. Europe Shine A Light will be hosted by Edsilia Rombley, Chantal Janzen and Jan Smit, the hosts of the ESC 2020. The place were it all happens will not be Rotterdam but Hilversum. Apart from the participating artists you will meet Duncan Laurence, who has released a new song. You will of course see Johnny Logan, mr. Eurovision himself. You will see Ilse Delange (Common Linnets). Måns Zelmerlöw will sing his “Heroes” as a tribute to all the people, working in healthcare, to do the best they can in the Corona Crisis. And there is a rumour…. in Dutch tv show RTL Boulevard, it is mentioned that ABBA will, somehow, be part of the show!! How? We don’t know. However, we think there are more than enough reasons to watch the show.

Running order second semifinal known

As the Eurovision Song Contest was cancelled, an official running order for the contest has never been decided. Tonight, at the Eurovision Song Celebration for the first semifinal, they used an official running order. So we know now the show would have been opened by Greece and closed by Latvia.

Tonight: Eurovision song celebration again!

Don’t forget to watch tonight: again we will see the Eurovision song celebration. You will see all the songs that were supposed to perform in the 2nd semifinal, and the British, French and Spanish entries. YouTube Creators from all over Europe will react to the songs and will be included in both shows. While there will be no competitive element in these productions, you can expect many more surprises along the way! Team Eurovision Universe can say that we all enjoyed the first show!

Running order first semifinal published

photo: Arkland, Wikimedia Commons As the Eurovision Song Contest was cancelled, an official running order for the contest has never been decided. Tonight, at the Eurovision Song Celebration for the first semifinal, they used an official running order. So we know now the show would have been opened by Sweden and closed by Ukraine. source: EBU

Europe Shine A Light in 45 countries!

Europe Shine A Light, the tv show that will replace the 2020 Eurovision Song Contest, can be heard and seen in 45 countries. All the participating countries will transmit the show, which can be seen on may 16, 21:00 CET. Beside that, the show will be broadcast by television stations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kazakhstan, Kosovo and Montenegro. The show will honour all 41 participating entries in a non-competitive format and provide all kinds of surprises for viewers at home along the way. It will also bring together 2020’s artists, from their locations across Europe, in a unifying performance of Eurovision 1997’s Love Shine A Light. As was planned for the Eurovision Song Contest, the show will be hosted by Chantal Janzen, Edsilia Rombley and Jan Smit. As a special feature, the EBU will bring Eurovision fans together for an unforgettable virtual sing-a-long on screen. Fans from across the world will dress up and form a huge Eurovision choir and sing Johnny Logan’s What’s Another Year.

Europe! Shine a light!

Photo: NPO/AVROTROS/NOS Today it has been confirmed: there will be a tv-show at may 16 to honour all the 41 entries that were supposed to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam, the contest that has been cancelled. The show will be called Eurovision: Europe Shine A Light. It will be a non-competitive format. EBU promises to provideplenty of surprises for fans and viewers at home. The show will be hosted by Dutch Eurovision presenters Chantal Janzen, Edsilia Rombley and Jan Smit. Photo: NPO/AVROTROS/NOS The show also intends to bring together 2020’s artists, from their locations across Europe, in a performance of a past Eurovision hit, with unifying lyrics appropriate for the current situation we find ourselves in. The live show is expected to last approximately 2 hours. More details about the line-up and a list of broadcasters that will air it will be revealed in the weeks to come. The show will also be broadcast on Eurovision’s official YouTube channel.Dutch internet star NikkieTutorials will also create online content for this special broadcast. Photo: NPO/AVROTROS/NOS Jon Ola Sand, Executive Supervisor of the Contest on behalf of the EBU, said: “Sadly there will be no Eurovision Song Contest this year. Instead, we intend to unite Europe on 16 May with a unique prime-time TV programme. We are encouraging all broadcasters who were due to take part in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, and EBU Members in other countries, to air this show in the spirit of unity and togetherness.” Photo: EBU/Thomas Hanses Sietse Bakker, Executive Producer Event of what would have been the 65th Eurovision Song Contest said: “We want to make a show that puts a spotlight not only on the 41 artists that were due to appear in Rotterdam but also inspire those at home and connect people from across Europe and beyond in these difficult times. Of course, we will also honour those who are affected by the coronavirus crisis and those who work so hard to fight it. Let’s make this an unforgettable moment in Eurovision history!” source: EBU

Ahoy Rotterdam temporary care location!

Eurovision Song Contest location Ahoy in Rotterdam, will be set up as a temporary care location, due to the Covid 19-crisis.The huge venue expects to accomodate 700 patients. This is to relieve the pressure on regular hospitals.Of course all concerts and events and the Eurovision Song Contest itself have been cancelled. Strange how the world has changed within one month.Take good care of yourselves!

EBU intends to honour 2020 songs

A few days after the cancellation of the Eurovision Song Contest, the EBU (European Broadcasting Union) brought out a new statement regarding the 2020 Eurovision Song Contest and it’s entries: We have been overwhelmed with the love that the Eurovision Song Contest family has shared since the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 event. The EBU is very aware of how much the Eurovision Song Contest will be missed this year. The Contest’s values of universality and inclusivity, and our proud tradition of celebrating diversity through music, are needed now more than ever. As such, the EBU and its Members are currently exploring alternative programming, but not a competition, to help unite and entertain audiences around Europe during these challenging times. It is our intention with this programming, and on our online platforms in the coming months, to honour the songs and artists which have been chosen for the Eurovision Song Contest 2020. With that in mind, the Reference Group, the Song Contest’s governing board, has decided that, in accordance with the rules of the Eurovision Song Contest, this year’s songs will not be eligible to compete when the Contest returns in 2021. At their discretion, Participating Broadcasters may decide which artist(s) to send in 2021, either this year’s representative or a new one. We ask for your continued patience while we work throught practical implications of these ideas in the coming days and weeks.