With less than six months to go until the two semi-finals and the final, the first images of the stage for the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 are unveiled today. The stage is inspired by the theme “Open Up” and the typical Dutch flat landscape.
Set designer Florian Wieder: “The set design shows the connection between the sky, the sea and the land. The horizon is the link between those elements and that horizon will work as a window to open the world of Eurovision 2020. The floor plan of the stage is inspired by the canals and bridges that connect land and water in the Netherlands. With this we want to bring the artists as close as possible to the audience. Wieder won the pitch for the stage design, in which both Dutch and foreign set designers took part.
After a year of absence, the so-called “Green Room” – where the artists take place after the performance – will return to the venue. This will make the audience feel even more connected with the artists from the 41 participating countries.
According to Sietse Bakker, Executive Producer Event of the Eurovision Song Contest 2020, this design fits seamlessly with the story the makers want to tell: “The design is innovative, modest and functionally smart. This way, the stage for each of the 41 participating acts, opening and interval acts and during the voting can create a completely different look. We will soon see an innovative stge, great in its simplicity and yet full of surprises. The designer has perfectly translated this wish into his design. ”Wieder has been designing the stage for the Eurovision Song Contest for the past three years too. “Where his experience is clearly reflected in this design, he knows how to surprise,” adds Bakker.
Florian Wieder: “I was inspired by the unique characteristics of Dutch Design. Based on that, I wanted to create an unconventional, minimalist and modern concept for next year’s show. I am very happy that the Dutch public broadcaster has been so broad-minded and enthusiastically embraced this design. As far as I’m concerned, this is a new chapter in stage design, a wish I had for a long time. “
In the past, the German designer signed for the stage design of several editions of the MTV Awards, the Emmy Awards and various major well-known international TV shows. The stage for the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest will be made in the Netherlands and will be set up in Rotterdam Ahoy in the first weeks of April.
