It's Rotterdam 2020! Rotterdam has been selected as the Host City for the 65th Eurovision Song Contest following a tight race with the southern Dutch city of Maastricht. The Contest will be held on Tuesday 12, Thursday 14 and Saturday 16 May 2020.

Rotterdam was chosen as the Host City following a strong city bid process which saw a total of five Dutch cities compete to host the world’s largest live music event.

"An incredible state-of-the-art Eurovision Song Contest"

Addressing the difficult decision between Maastricht and Rotterdam, Jon Ola Sand, the EBU’s Executive Supervisor for the Eurovision Song Contest, said, “Rotterdam has shown fantastic enthusiasm and commitment and has the right facilities to welcome delegations from over 40 countries next May. We look forward to working with Rotterdam and NPO, NOS and AVROTROS on an incredible state-of-the-art Eurovision Song Contest in a great city next year.”

Rotterdam Ahoy (© Guido Pijper)

Shula Rijxman, Director General of NPO said: "It is our wish to organize a Eurovision Song Contest that is embraced throughout the Netherlands and also functions as a showcase for our country in Europe. We are happy that as a public broadcaster we can now really work together with Rotterdam and the Ahoy arena to organize a unique event that connects and inspires all inhabitants of the Netherlands and Europe."

"As an entrepreneurial and creative city, Rotterdam fits perfectly with this event," Shula added. "We would like to thank Maastricht and the province of Limburg for their energy, enthusiasm and hospitality during recent months. Maastricht has shown itself as a city with a big heart for the Eurovision Song Contest and we hope to keep the city engaged all the way to the contest in May next year.”

About Rotterdam

Rotterdam is home to 634,660 people and Rotterdam Ahoy, the convention centre and arena where Eurovision 2020 will take place. Built in 1970, the arena's design, which took inspiration from Rotterdam's port and shipping industry, won various national and international awards.

Former ocean liner and cruise ship the SS Rotterdam (© Iris van den Broek)

Rotterdam is the largest port city in Europe; 469 million tonnes of goods transferred through it in 2018. From a logistical point of view, the port is of great importance when it comes to the import and export of goods for Europe, leading to a large part of it being named the Europoort.

Rotterdam (© Iris van den Broek)

South Holland, the province in which Rotterdam is located, is the most multicultural region in the Netherlands. The city itself is home to 174 nationalities, and all participating countries of the Eurovision Song Contest are represented in the local population.

Former Van Nelle Factory in Rotterdam (© Rob Niemantsverdriet)

Rotterdam is also an architectural city. In the city centre, which was largely destroyed in 1940, you will find a diversity of building styles: icons of the new build stand alongside reconstruction architecture from the sixties, seventies and eighties. They cheerfully clash with the ultramodern skyscrapers and iconic buildings such as the Markthal, which have been added in recent decades.

The Netherlands won the right to stage next year’s event when Duncan Laurence gave his country its first win since 1975 with the song Arcade in Tel Aviv. As if to come full circle, Rotterdam is also home to the Maassilo, a former grain silo turned arts centre where Duncan Laurence recorded his winning song. This will be the fifth time the Netherlands has hosted the Contest.

Duncan Laurence won Eurovision 2019 for the Netherlands (© Andres Putting)

More information about ticket sales is expected later this year. Keep an eye on the website, our social channels and your inbox (sign up here for our newsletter) for announcements about ticket sales and press/fan accreditation.

Are you excited for Rotterdam 2020? Let us know in the comments below!