Eurovision Song Contest 2020: Music extravaganza scrapped due to coronavirus

Eurovision Song Contest 2020: Music extravaganza scrapped due to coronavirus
Copyright KOEN VAN WEEL/AFP
By Euronews
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Thousands will be heartbroken. Thousands won't care.

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This year's Eurovision Song Contest has become the latest victim of the coronavirus crisis in Europe.

The music and cultural extravaganza, scheduled for May in Rotterdam, has been scrapped, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) said in a statement.

But the EBU said conversations were being had with the Dutch city over whether it could host the contest next year.

The 2020 contestants will be able to apply again next year. The rules of the Eurovision contest specify that contestants cannot enter the same song when applying again.

Iceland's 2020 entry, a pop song called "Think about Things", enjoyed early online buzz before the cancellation. Iceland is the only Nordic country yet to win the Eurovision.

So social media users crowned Iceland the 2020 winner anyway:

Earlier in March, pre-parties ahead of the Eurovision contest in Madrid, Spain and Tel Aviv, Israel were respectively postponed and cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The Danish national final was also held with no live audience due to Danish authorities urging the cancellation of all events with more than 1,000 spectators.

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