Rotterdam 2021🇳🇱 Netherlands

🇳🇱 EBU and AVROTROS still planning to have live audience

Setting an example for the Dutch events industry?

Plans for a live audience at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest have not yet been ruled out, according to a contest spokesperson. Earlier this month, it was announced that the contest would be held under Scenario B conditions – which does allow for a smaller-than-usual audience at the Rotterdam Ahoy.

The spokesperson told news agency ANP that the contest would be a “valuable opportunity” for the events industry in the Netherlands, allowing them to explore new safety measures for other events in the future. They also reinforced that the contest is being held under the measures outlined by the National Event Plan.

“A responsible organisation”

With the contest just under two months away, RTL Nieuws is reporting that the organisers are still in close contact with authorities in the host city and also with Fieldland Events – a company working in collaboration with the Dutch government to ensure the safety of events during the pandemic.

A spokesperson also added that the event could be used to help other events in the Netherlands run safely this year.

The Eurovision Song Contest is a valuable opportunity for the event industry to gain even more insight into how to safely organise events in the country months. That is also in line with the National Event Plan, in which the Eurovision Song Contest is an intermediate step on that route.

– Spokesperson for Eurovision 2021 organisers

Plans outlined in February suggest that the standing audience space will be scrapped in place of the green room, where the delegations will gather during the shows. A new event policy in the Netherlands adopted in March may open a door for the contest to have an audience, with testing and a government CoronaCheck app in place.

Other safety plans will also be in place during the contest including regular testing for delegations on site and before travel, limiting travel for all competing delegations and the wearing of face masks when at the arena.

Are you hoping to see an audience at the contest? Would you like to be at Eurovision this year?

Let us know in the comments below and on social media @ESCXTRA.

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