Leider wurde soeben bekannt gegeben was wir alle schon befürchtet hatten. Der Eurovision Song Contest 2020 ist offiziell abgesagt! Leider konnte unsere Hoffnungen auf Streams oder ähnlichen alternativen Übertragungswegen nicht erfüllt werden. Im Moment kann man noch nicht sagen, ob die bereits ausgewählten Songs im kommenden Jahr dann berücksichtigt werden. Gespräche mit Rotterdam für eine Austragung 2021 finden bereits statt.
Das offizielle Statement seitens der EBU:
It is with deep regret that we have to announce the cancellation of the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 in Rotterdam.
Over the past few weeks, we have explored many alternative options to allow the Eurovision Song Contest to go ahead.
However, the uncertainty created by the spread of COVID-19 throughout Europe – and the restrictions put in place by the governments of the participating broadcasters and the Dutch authorities – means the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has taken the difficult decision to not continue with the live event as planned. The health of artists, staff, fans and visitors, as well as the situation in the Netherlands, Europe and the world, is at the heart of this decision.
We are very proud that the Eurovision Song Contest has united audiences every year, without interruption, for the past 64 years and we, like the millions of you around the world, are extremely saddened that it can not take place in May.
Jan Ola Sand hätte sich in seinem letzten Eurovisionsjahr sicherlich auch einen besseren Abschied gewünscht. Auch er gab ein Statement ab:
We are very proud of the Eurovision Song Contest, that for 64 years has united people all around Europe. And we are deeply disappointed about this situation. The EBU, together with the Host Broadcaster NPO, NOS, AVROTROS and the City of Rotterdam will continue to talk to see if it’s possible to stage the Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam in 2021. I would like to thank everyone who has been involved in the process of staging a great Eurovision Song Contest this year. Unfortunately, that was not possible due to factors beyond our control. We regret this situation very much, but I can promise you: the Eurovision Song Contest will come back stronger than ever.
Und auch Shula Rijxman, ihreszeichen Vorstandsvorsitzende des niederländischen öffentlich-rechtlichen Rundfunks NPO meldete sich zu Wort:
This decision by the EBU was inevitable, given the circumstances currently affecting all of Europe as a result of the coronavirus and all the measures that governments must now take. This is a big disappointment for the Dutch audience, the fantastic team behind the scenes, the presenters and the artists. In recent months, a large group of people have worked hard on the Song Contest. We thank them for their great commitment and regret that the results of the efforts will not be visible in the short term. We would particularly like to mention the municipality of Rotterdam, which has proven itself as the ideal partner in this project in the past year. This edition was an excellent opportunity to understand each other differently in a period of uncertainty in Europe, but above all an opportunity to really bring Europe together. Music is universally binding and – I am sure – it will stay that way. Even after this corona crisis.
Schade, ich hätte mir sehr gewünscht dass man den Contest auf andere Weise trotzdem stattfinden lässt. So hätten zum Beispiel die einzelnen Länder live zugeschaltet werden können um aufzutreten. Wahrscheinlich ist so etwas nur wunschdenken, da längst nicht alle eine stabile Infrastruktur besitzen, wie man bei diversen ruckelnden Vorentscheiden sehr gut erkennen kann.
