Eurovision 2021 line-up confirmed to include all 41 countries from cancelled show
Fans are excited for the contest to return.
Eurovision 2021 will include all 41 countries that entered songs to this year's contest, which was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In alphabetical order, the contenders will be Albania, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Ukraine and the UK.
Some of these nations will be sticking with their songs and musical acts from this year's cancelled Eurovision, as they did not have the opportunity to formally compete.
Chief among them, Iceland's Daði Freyr will be back after his 2020 entry Think About Things became a viral hit and was among the favourites to win until the contest was called off.
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It has not yet been confirmed whether the UK's entry, James Newman, will return for the 2021 competition, after his song My Last Breath peaked at number 23 on the download singles chart.
The contest will be held in Rotterdam in The Netherlands, where it was planned to take place this year, after the country won in 2019 with Duncan Lawrence's song, Arcade.
Martin Österdahl, the Eurovision Song Contest’s new Executive Supervisor, said: "We are extremely happy that we can now move forward. It’s vitally important that the Eurovision Song Contest returns next year, and we’re pleased to have the necessary commitment from our Members in the Netherlands to bring this much-loved show back to audiences across the world.
"I firmly believe that all of us involved in the Eurovision Song Contest will stand united through challenges and change to bring the Contest back stronger than ever, ensuring its longevity for decades to come."
Sietse Bakker, Executive Producer of the Song Contest, added: “Our team is proud and excited to look forward with renewed energy to organise a fantastic Eurovision Song Contest in 2021.
"Yes, with a sense of realism that fits with the times we live in, but also with ambition and creativity. We are looking forward to working with the entire Eurovision family to make it happen."
In lieu of the full competition, a special one-time event was broadcast this year titled Europe Shine A Light, while Will Ferrell's Eurovision film on Netflix also went some way to keeping fans satisfied.
Looking for something else to watch? Check out our guide to the best TV series on Netflix and best movies on Netflix, visit our TV Guide, or find out about upcoming new TV shows 2020.
Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
