2 months ago

Dates: Semi-final 1: 18 May 2021 - Semi-final 2: 20 May 2021 - Final: 22 May 2021
Host venue: Rotterdam Ahoy, Netherlands
Presenters: Chantal Janzen, Edsilia Rombley, Jan Smit, Nikkie de Jager
Directed by Marnix Kaart, Marc Pos, Daniel Jelinek - Executive supervisor: Martin Österdahl - Executive producer: Sietse Bakker, Astrid Dutrénit
Host broadcaster: AVROTROS, Nederlandse Omroep Stichting (NOS), Nederlandse Publieke Omroep (NPO)

The Eurovision Song Contest 2021 was the 65th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Rotterdam, Netherlands, following the country's win at the 2019 contest with the song "Arcade" by Duncan Laurence. The Netherlands was set to host the 2020 contest, before it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and host broadcasters Nederlandse Publieke Omroep (NPO), Nederlandse Omroep Stichting (NOS) and AVROTROS, the contest was held at Rotterdam Ahoy, and consisted of two semi-finals on 18 and 20 May, and a final on 22 May 2021. The three live shows were presented by Dutch television presenters and singers Chantal Janzen, Edsilia Rombley and Jan Smit, and Dutch YouTuber and make-up artist Nikkie de Jager.

Thirty-nine countries participated in the contest, of which twenty-six re-entered the artists chosen for 2020 (albeit with different songs, as per the contest's rules). Bulgaria and Ukraine returned after their absence from the 2019 contest, while Hungary and Montenegro did not return after their participation in the 2019 edition. Armenia and Belarus had originally planned to participate, but Armenia withdrew due to its social and political crises following the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, and Belarus was disqualified after submitting entries in violation of the rules twice, and not providing an eligible entry before the deadline.

The winner was Italy with the song "Zitti e buoni", performed by Måneskin and written by the band's members Damiano David, Ethan Torchio, Thomas Raggi and Victoria De Angelis. France, Switzerland, Iceland and Ukraine rounded out the top five, with France and Switzerland achieving their best results since 1991 and 1993 respectively. Italy won the combined vote and televote, but placed fourth in the jury vote after Switzerland, France, and Malta. Italy was the second member of the "Big Five" since its introduction to win the contest after Germany in 2010. For the first time since 1995, none of the top three entries were performed in English, with France and Switzerland performing in French, and Italy in Italian.

Also, for the first time since the current voting system was implemented in 2016, more than one country received no points from the televote in the final; these countries were Germany, Spain, the host country the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, the last of those becoming the first country to receive no points from both the jury and televote. It was the second time that the United Kingdom had received no points in the contest, the last time having been in 2003. For the first time since its debut in 2015, Australia failed to qualify for the final, making Ukraine the only country that has never failed to qualify from the semi-finals since their introduction in 2004. Armenia and Belarus confirmed their non-participation in the contest; Armenia withdrew due to its social and political crises in the aftermath of the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, while Belarus was disqualified from the contest after submitting entries in violation of the rules twice, and not providing an eligible entry before the deadline, thereby reducing the number of participating countries to 39.

The total budget for the shows was €22 million, of which €3.7 million was left unspent after the contest, according to the municipal executive. The additional money was allocated to contingency scenarios that were eventually discarded.

The EBU reported that the contest had an audience of 183 million viewers in 36 European markets, an increase of a million viewers from the previous edition, with an increase of seven percent in the 15–24 year old age range.

Final

The final took place on 22 May 2021 at 21:00 (CEST). Twenty-six countries participated in the final, with all thirty-nine participating countries eligible to vote. The running order for the final was published on 21 May 2021. Italy won with 524 points, also winning the televote. France came second with 499 points, with Switzerland (who won the jury vote), Iceland, Ukraine, Finland, Malta, Lithuania, Russia, and Greece completing the top ten. San Marino, the Netherlands, Spain, Germany, and the United Kingdom occupied the bottom five positions, of which the last four countries received no points from the televote.

The final was opened by the traditional flag parade, introducing all twenty-six finalists, accompanied by a remix of "Venus" produced and performed by 16-year-old DJ Pieter Gabriel, with co-presenters Chantal Janzen, Jan Smit and Edsilia Rombley singing parts of the song. The interval acts included a medley of "Hero", "Ten Feet Tall" and "Titanium" performed by DJ Afrojack, singers Wulf and Glennis Grace, and an orchestra composed of young Dutch musicians; the "Rock the Roof" interval act, where six former Eurovision winners – Måns Zelmerlöw, Teach-In, Sandra Kim, Lenny Kuhr, Helena Paparizou and Lordi – performed their winning songs – "Heroes", "Ding-a-dong", "J'aime la vie", "De troubadour", "My Number One" and "Hard Rock Hallelujah" respectively – atop several venues in Rotterdam; and Duncan Laurence, who performed his winning song "Arcade" and his new single "Stars". A dance sketch titled "The Human Countdown" was then performed, which signified the closure of the voting window.

R/O Country Artist Song Points Place
1 Cyprus Elena Tsagrinou "El Diablo" 94 16
2 Albania Anxhela Peristeri "Karma" 57 21
3 Israel Eden Alene "Set Me Free" 93 17
4 Belgium Hooverphonic "The Wrong Place" 74 19
5 Russia Manizha "Russian Woman" 204 9
6 Malta Destiny "Je me casse" 255 7
7 Portugal The Black Mamba "Love Is on My Side" 153 12
8 Serbia Hurricane "Loco loco" 102 15
9 United Kingdom James Newman "Embers" 0 26
10 Greece Stefania "Last Dance" 170 10
11 Switzerland Gjon's Tears "Tout l'univers" 432 3
12 Iceland Daði og Gagnamagnið "10 Years" 378 4
13 Spain Blas Cantó "Voy a quedarme" 6 24
14 Moldova Natalia Gordienko "Sugar" 115 13
15 Germany Jendrik "I Don't Feel Hate" 3 25
16 Finland Blind Channel "Dark Side" 301 6
17 Bulgaria Victoria "Growing Up Is Getting Old" 170 11
18 Lithuania The Roop "Discoteque" 220 8
19 Ukraine Go_A "Shum" 364 5
20 France Barbara Pravi "Voilà" 499 2
21 Azerbaijan Efendi "Mata Hari" 65 20
22 Norway Tix "Fallen Angel" 75 18
23 Netherlands Jeangu Macrooy "Birth of a New Age" 11 23
24 Italy Måneskin "Zitti e buoni" 524 1
25 Sweden Tusse "Voices" 109 14
26 San Marino Senhit "Adrenalina" 50 22