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This year’s Eurovision Song Contest could be cancelled as a result of the coronavirus pandemic – but officials will delay making the decision until April.
The contest is still scheduled to take place in Rotterdam in May, but will not yet follow other major public events in postponing or cancelling the event for another month, according to Rotterdam tourism alderman Said Kasmi.
“I think there should be an examination in mid-April about how things stand then. So we still have plenty of time,” Kasmi said in a recent interview.
Rotterdam’s city council is set to meet on Thursday to discuss potential consequences of the coronavirus crisis for the Dutch city. The discussion is expected to focus on whether Eurovision, which is expected to bring tens of thousands of visitors from over 40 countries to Rotterdam, should be cancelled.
However, Kasmi believes that it is too early to decide on the matter, despite mounting pressure. “We are also monitoring it ourselves, and we see that the situation around corona changes every day,” he said.
Numerous international music events have already been affected by the coronavirus outbreak – including SXSW, who this week confirmed that fans would not receive refunds.
Earlier today (March 13), Radio 1 announced that their upcoming Big Weekend in Scotland is being cancelled due to the ongoing fears around the outbreak.
Announcing the news on Twitter, Radio 1 wrote: “After careful consideration we have come to the decision that Radio 1’s Big Weekend 2020 in Dundee will not go ahead.
“This decision has been made in conjunction with the advice from the Scottish government, and while we know fans looking forward to purchasing tickets will be disappointed, it is important that we prioritise the health and safety of all those involved.”
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