Earlier this month, we learned that the construction of the Eurovision 2021 stage had begun. Following this news, more and more details of what to expect next month began to be revealed. Alongside details of semi-final interval acts and hints about special effects, we now have details of the opening ceremony.
The Rotterdam Cruise Terminal will host the Opening Ceremony for the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest, featuring a ‘Turquoise Carpet‘. Delegations traveling to Rotterdam will be transported to The Cruise Terminal via boat before walking the carpet, which has become a staple in recent contests.
Located at Wilhelminapier, The Cruise Terminal was also due to host the ill-fated ‘Gold Carpet’ of the 2020 contest. Last year, Jelmar van der Wel, a representative of The Cruise Terminal, commented on the venue:
It is a beautiful place with a unique view and it has many special stories. Of course an arrival place for international visitors to the city and in addition, legendary events have been organized for years. We are going to make it a spectacular opening, which will do our beautiful city justice.
Jelmar van der Wel, Rotterdam Cruise Terminal
The Opening Ceremony will be broadcast online by Eurovision.tv on May 16.
A brief history of Eurovision carpets
Last May, Eurovision.tv published a retrospective of the past decade of opening ceremonies and how they have evolved in scale alongside the contest itself. The article claims that the tradition began in 2009 with the Moscow contest hosting a modest red carpet event to align with the opening ceremony. Prior to this, it was less of a press event and more of an intimate reception, usually hosted by the mayor of the host city.
Since then, the carpet has upstaged the ceremony itself, featuring crazy spectacles that create hilarious blunders (see: Kiev 2017) and even guest performances from Eurovision alum. While cities such as Kiev and Stockholm opted for the classic red carpet, others have mixed it up. Moscow hosted a pink carpet, Lisbon hosted a blue carpet and Tel Aviv hosted an orange carpet.
What joys will the Turquoise Carpet bring, COVID restrictions permitting? We will find out on May 16!
Are you excited for the Opening Ceremony? Let us know! Be sure to stay updated by following @ESCXTRA on Twitter, @escxtra on Instagram and liking our Facebook page for the latest updates! Also, be sure to follow us on Spotify and YouTube to see our reactions to the news in the run up to Rotterdam!
