Rotterdam Ahoy: Events allowed to take place again at the Eurovision 2021 venue from July 1

After the unprecedent cancellation of Eurovision 2020, these might be the first good news for  Eurovision fans as the Eurovision 2021 venue will be able to host events agains from July 1. 

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Health Minister Hugo de Jonge announced that restrictions on concert venues will be progressively lifted, while people must continue to comply with the social distancing rules in order to avoid a second massive wave of covid-19 cases.

We remind you that back in March  the coronavirus pandemic forced the Dutch goverment, like other European goverments, to apply a total lockdown in the country in order to prevent the spread of covid-19 cases and minimize as possible the number of hospitalizations. The lockdown measures affected all mass events among which the Eurovision Song Contest that experienced a heartbraking cancellation.

Thankfully, the restrictions had the results expected and the goverment has started lifting the restrictions progressively, allowing from July 1 mass events to take place as long as the social distancing rules are being respected. The Eurovision 2021 organisers that are in ongoing collaboration with the administration and are following all the covid-19 developments have expressed their optimism .

ESC 2021 executing producer Sietse Bakker expressed a careful optimism about the next contesr:

Concert venues such as Ahoy in Rotterdam, which was specially mentioned by Mark Rutte, are allowed to host events again. However this will have to take place in accordance with strict rules and restrictions.

• All people attending must be checked through a questionnaire, if they had any covid-19 symptoms
• All attendees should not be standing but must be seated throughtout the whole event.
• A distance of 1.5 metres should be kept between all people present even if they are from the same family.
• Screaming, shouting or singing loudly during the event is forbidden.  This rule apllies to football stadiums and places of worship.

While the Dutch goverment has no intentions to return to the prior total lockdown situation, the officials will have to adjust their policy in accordance each time with the circumstances which will  remain uncertain and unstable unitl an effective vaccine is discovered.

The next Eurovision Song Contest is scheduled for 18, 20 and 22 May at Rotterdam Ahoy, in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.