What a celebration it was. In 2021, Rotterdam became the beating heart of Europe, hosting the 65th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. Despite the challenges of the time, Rotterdam showed the world its very best: creative, innovative, and full of passion. The whole world was watching, and what it saw was a city that didn’t just organise an event, it created an unforgettable experience.
Open up was the motto of the Eurovision Song Contest, and Rotterdam was ready to prove it.
One hundred days before the final, the excitement got underway. With an enormous countdown clock at the iconic Depot Boijmans van Beuningen, Rotterdam counted down to the grand finale on 22 May. Duncan Laurence, drag queens Megan Schoonbrood and Ma’Ma Queen, and countless other familiar faces gave the clock a manual update every single day. The whole city joined in, the atmosphere was electric. Open up was the motto of the Eurovision Song Contest, and Rotterdam was ready to prove it.
A circular festival full of innovation
The 2021 Eurovision Song Contest was more than a grand music event, it was a reflection of Rotterdam’s DNA: resilient, innovative, and circular. Take the 3D-printed Eurovision trophy, made from recycled PET material fished from Rotterdam’s waters. Local entrepreneurs joined forces to make it happen: iKapitein collected litter from the water, and Royal 3D turned it into a spectacular trophy. A symbol of how Rotterdam transforms waste streams into something of real value, both literally and figuratively.
Sing Along City
The city’s visual identity was a highlight in its own right. Studio VollaersZwart created the city design Sing Along City. With colourful decorations and clothing made from recycled flags, the entire city was bathed in Eurovision atmosphere. Everything was 90% circular, and after the festival, all the materials were given a new life.
Ahoy as a sustainable festival hub
Rotterdam Ahoy, the festival venue, was a showcase for sustainability in its own right. With 5,200 solar panels on its roof, covering the equivalent of almost two football pitches, the events complex generated its own energy. Enough to power major events like the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament and North Sea Jazz with green electricity for 195 days a year.
Rotterdam, the perfect host
Rotterdam proved itself the perfect host. The city breathed togetherness and diversity, exactly what the Eurovision Song Contest stands for. Rotterdam soul singer Shirma Rouse, who wrote the song Make It Happen specially for the occasion, put it beautifully: ‘Rotterdam makes you feel that you can shape your own future, but that you don’t have to do it alone. We do it together.’
The strength of Rotterdam
The corona pandemic made Eurovision 2021 a different experience, but no less special. To keep the atmosphere alive, small-scale performances and live streams were organised across the city, alongside digital meet-ups.
83 million viewers
It was an edition without a live audience in the hall. But across 36 countries watched on television as Rotterdammers created real connection out of extraordinary circumstances. It showed the strength of Rotterdam as a city that innovates, connects, and never gives up. Whether it was the drag shows, the live performances in the streets, or the sustainability initiatives, everywhere you felt the pride of a city showing the world exactly who it is.
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