ESC compact live blog: The turquoise carpet for the ESC 2021 in Rotterdam

On Sunday evening, the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 will officially open in Rotterdam. Then the delegations of this year's participants walk across the turquoise carpet. Unfortunately, not all 39 countries can be there; Due to a corona disease, the Polish delegation is in quarantine.

Because Rotterdam is an impressive port city with lots of water, participants will arrive by boat and be greeted with a nautical salute and by the Mayor of Rotterdam. The red carpet has turned into a turquoise carpet, as that is the color of the official ESC sponsor Morrocanoil.

We can watch the 38 acts walk the turquoise carpet live on Sunday 16 May from 18:00 CEST on the official Eurovision YouTube channel. They will be showing off their outfits and speaking to the assembled press. They will also be interviewed by moderators Koos van Plateringen and Fenna Ramos.

Live stream: Turquoise Carpet for the Eurovision Song Contest 2021

ESC compact will accompany the turquoise carpet twice for you: Benny will be standing directly at the carpet, collecting greetings from the acts and providing us with photos. Douze Points will follow the live stream and comment on the live blog. We look forward to whom you accompany us on Sunday evening, read along and comment.

The red carpet at the ESC

If I remember correctly, there was a public red carpet at the ESC for the first time in Oslo in 2010 (if you have any further information, please comment below this text). At that time, the carpet led to the town hall, where a reception with the mayor then took place. Since then, this element has been part of the ESC calendar every year. In Düsseldorf 2011 it led to the Tonhalle, in Baku 2012 it was very short and led to the EuroClub. In 2013 in Malmö it was held in front of the opera. In Lisbon 2018, the carpet had a different color for the first time: it was blue and the participants were driven up by boat, as was the case this year.

While waiting for it or parallel to the parade of the acts, you can of course also feel the ESC spirit: In the online Eurovision Village, which the city of Rotterdam set up together with the EBU. Here you will find all the information and background information.

Goede midday!

It's about to start with the turquoise carpet. Benny is already on his way. And during the afternoon there was some not particularly edifying news. A member of the Icelandic delegation also tested positive for the corona virus. This person is in isolation, the others are in quarantine. This means that Iceland will at least not take part live on the turquoise carpet. The same applies to Romania and Malta, who are accommodated in the same hotel as the Icelanders.

The EBU has announced that as an additional security measure, delegations will travel individually. Whether that means with or without a ship, I can't say right now. Meanwhile, Benny is already at the carpet and reports that there are already onlookers.

But not only our Benny is already in place. Also Krista Siegfrids (photo below). She's doing the behind-the-scenes reporting for the EBU this year.

By the way, the carpet is located at the southwest end of the Erasmus Bridge, on the Holland Amerikakade.

The stream on YouTube is also just starting for me (see above). We see ships on the Meuse throwing high fountains of water into the sky. Then the picture is gone for the time being, but it will surely come back at 6 p.m.

I hear a sound now. It is spoken in Dutch. The picture is still missing. Now it's 6:01 p.m., it should actually start. The weather today was quite changeable. Sunny moments alternated with short rain showers. In this respect, it fits quite well that the carpet is covered. That wasn't really necessary in Lisbon at the time.

It's 6:06 p.m. and my stream is still empty. Do you see anything? Incidentally, Benny is in an open-air cabin with three other colleagues. They are separated from other teams with a Plexiglas wall. In the “cabin” they have about three meters. There are then two in the front of the row and two offset a bit behind. This is also tracked, who was in such a cabin with whom, in case someone should be tested positive afterwards. That really sounds like a lot of space compared to previous red carpets. Benny took a picture of it (below).

Now comes the Eurovision fanfare. We are greeted directly by Koos and Fenna. They welcome us and immediately point out that not all delegations will be there. Shot from above of the water fountain boat.

Koos interviews the Mayor of Rotterdam, Ahmed Aboutaleb. Although he is not a fan of the ESC, he is always interested in who won. He will actually watch the finals at Ahoy Arena. He urges us all to be open and positive.

Fenna welcomes The Roop from Lithuania. You have yellow tulips in your arms. Matching her stage outfit - and that of Fenna. The Roop are happy to be the very first to open the ESC on Tuesday. The band members explain the finger choreography to Fenna. The message of the song is that people should move (or dance) because it is important for their health.

Right after that comes Jendrik from Germany. He is fine. The best thing for him so far was being on stage. He explains the peace sign. He also has his ukulele with him and we play a little bit from his song, the crew joins in. He says he was too focused on the technical stuff at the last rehearsal and wants to enjoy that more at the next performance.

Fenna welcomes Ana Soklič from Slovenia. She explains the message of the song. She regrets that the choir cannot be on stage because of Corona. Ana loves soul and gospel. She is asked about the differences between "Voda" and "Amen". You can express more verbally in English, she says.

So far, it's been super fast with the guests. Let's see if they can keep up the pace.

Koos has Barbara Pravi from France with him. Of course she hopes to win. But she doesn't feel any pressure and is grateful that she can sing this exact song in Rotterdam. She is wearing a black dress by Dior. When she sings she really only thinks about what she wants to say with the song.

We will submit pictures as soon as the artists are with Benny and he can take photos. Then we upload them one by one.

Manizha from Russia is with Fenna. She has her team/choir with her and introduces her. It was hard times for Manizha when she wrote her ESC post. She's a little nervous because it's her first red carpet. The big dress she wears on stage is a symbol for all Russian women who have to go out to freedom. Also, Manizha wants us all to believe in love. They sing to Cher (great!): Do you believe in love after love?

Måneskin from Italy are with Koos. Of course they have to explain the Danish name of the band. They wear purple velvet suits. She hopes that she will reach new people through the ESC. The message of the song is: Be who you are. You didn't think they were favourites. And if they don't win, they would wish it on Blind Channel. Very diplomatic!

Fenna explains why Australia isn't there but is still competing at the ESC. A message from Montaigne is played. She regrets not being able to be at the Turquoise Carpet and sends all her love.

Koos has Blas Cantó from Spain with him - and his backing singers. You are responsible when it comes to Covid. For him, the appearance at the ESC is a dream that will come true. Blas wears a baby blue suit with very large lapels. You're talking about the giant moon. The song is a conversation with his late grandmother.

We continue with Vasil from North Macedonia near Fenna. He has a suit but without sleeves so you can wear his tattoos. He also has a shiny/mirroring crown on his head. That also has a message. Because the mirror can be friend and worst enemy. He explains why his song is the right one for the competition. He can also show his great voice to the message. His main goal with the performance is to move people on TV. Vasil is again so moved when he tells what it was like to be on the ESC stage.

Jeangu from Netherlands is with Koos with his twin brother. The first rehearsal was amazing, the second better. Now it's all about the details. It's an honor for his brother to be able to share the stage with him. Jeangu sings part of his song. He also talks about what it means to him to sing in a Suriname language.

Fenna has with her Eden Alene from Israel. It's amazing for them to be in Rotterdam and they all look so beautiful. They improved significantly between the first and second rehearsal. Eden practices the high notes every morning. Although she used to do ballet, she eventually realized that she could sing even better. She introduces her team. Eden says all of their dancers are gay. And one is single.

Now Benny is freaking out: James Newman from Great Britain is with Koos. Rehearsals were fun for him and a crazy experience. He says his voice is good. During the day he chills in the hotel and watches the steps of Bruno Mars to learn. Koos asks why Great Britain recently achieved such poor results at the ESC. James does a good job of moderating this outrageous question.

Fenna greets chick from Sweden in a green suit. He is extremely happy about the sun. It is a great honor for him to be able to thank Sweden for what the country has done for him with the ESC appearance. The message of his song is that everyone should be listened to. Every vote counts. He got tips for the ESC from Loreen. The suit is probably from H&M and amazing.

Every other word of Fenna is "amazing".

Hooverphonic from Belgium is with Koos. Some of the band members saw their first ESCs as early as the 1960s. They regret having to be very private. Such a competition is unusual for Geike. She takes it seriously, not too seriously. Being on stage has a sci-fi feel, also because of the sound. They got their catch phrase from Johnny Cash.

By the way, the carpet is 200 meters long.

Lesley from Ireland is with Fenna. Maps is about finding out who you really are and connecting with it. She is very checkered. It could be pajamas or a flannel shirt. She explains why she appears barefoot on the ESC stage. She wants to be grounded. Lesley has written songs for Miss Montreal and Adam Lambert, among others. She introduces her team. They also move the rehearsals on stage by hand. It's important to get back to basics. Something viewers could also do at home.

Koos interviews Efendi from Azerbaijan. She has a translator with her. Of course she knows that Mata Hari was Dutch. She explains that the point is that the woman was powerful and she is a strong woman herself. The size of the stage made her really nervous. But the second rehearsal was better.

"Amazing" Fenna interviews Elena Tsagrinou from Cyprus. They worked on the gig for six months. The dancers are amazing too. The sound is about a difficult relationship with a guy who drives her crazy. There were really many influences that were involved in the creation of the song. Was that Laurell Barker explaining that? I'm not sure.

TIX from Norway is at the Koos with his preliminary decision outfit. He feels underdressed. And we're supposed to imagine that it's real gold. He thinks the stage is great and is satisfied with the rehearsal. For him, Rotterdam or the ESC feels like the safest place in the world. He's so excited to get his message across in the preliminary round. Now he explains the "deep stuff". That is: We are not perfect and never will be. And that's great, because that's what makes us so valuable.

Albina from Croatia is with Fenna - with her dancers dressed all in white. Albina's outfit is indescribable. Maybe technicolor ski bunny? It looks great. Albina has already done a Tik Tok challenge. But only wants to bring that out when they get through the semifinals. She thinks that not only the song but also the performance looks like Superwoman. You want to keep the appearance dynamic. Albina also loves the mentality of the local people.

Impressions of the carpet are shown. Rumor has it that Roxen is absent for Romania today. A short excerpt from their video is shown.

Duncan Laurence isn't on the carpet either, but he's at Ahoy Arena right now. There he is currently rehearsing for the ESC. In this respect we will of course see him again this week.

Go_A from Ukraine join Fenna. Her outfits are made from recycled plastic. They want to make shum with their song, i.e. make noise. Kateryna says that the last part of the song with ethno-techno is her favorite part. Fenna is truly intolerable in her superficial reactions to the artists' statements. Usually one of the men in the group speaks. He explains the idea of ​​evoking spring with the song.

Uku from Estonia is with Koos in a suit and bow tie. He finds the presence in Rotterdam very different than expected. The rehearsals are great. He's grateful that the voters made him the Best Looking Man at the ESC (was that our contest?) When he's not rehearsing, he's chilling, he's jogging, they've been looking at the city. And yesterday X-Box was also played.

Senhit from San Marino doesn't have Flo Rida with him but has to put up with questions from Fenna. Senhit leaves open whether Flo Rida will come to the ESC. The opening song with the church mask is for all the people we love and have lost. They also attached the flags of countries to the thing that cannot be on the carpet today. The message of the song is otherwise love.

Destiny from Malta can't be there on the carpet today either. That's why her video is also played briefly.

Benny from the Czech Republic is with Fenna and introduces his team. For him it is inconceivable that he can present his song at the ESC. They made the title out of love, but if someone doesn't like the song, don't vote for it. The song was created in a kitchen, so very universal.

And we continue with Stefania from Greece, who actually lives in the Netherlands. Her parents are both Greek and she was discovered at Junior ESC. The rehearsals on stage felt good. They all (including the dancers) say that they are prepared for the performance. They also rehearse at the hotel, she also has singing lessons during the day.

Fenna welcomes Vincent Bueno from Austria. His song stands for hope and being able to let go. He hasn't met Ana yet, but he thinks her song and her voice are great. Vincent also gets support from Filipinos from all over Europe. His preferred genres are soul and pop.

Tornike from Georgia wears an ESC mouth and nose protector and the official ESC scarf. Koos asks him how he feels and how the gig is going. He thinks the stage is great and also the Dutch TV team. During the performance, the lyrics of the song are beamed onto his shirt.

Since Poland cannot be there either, their video will also be shown briefly.

Natalia Gordienko from Moldova is with Philipp Kirkorov at Fenna. The love is about a “sex-positive vibe”. With the song, they want Europe to dance with them. She loves sweets herself and also says what her favorite sweet is. This is a desert. Kirkorov wears an LV jacket and matching men's handbag. Of course he reports on his ESC successes with the other Russian stars. The Russian-Greek dream team was founded in 2006.

The Black Mamba from Portugal are with Koos and are happy that they won the prelim and can now be in Rotterdam. Pedro reports why there are pictures of Amsterdam in her performance. Then comes the sad story of the elderly woman from Amsterdam whom they met. It is a coincidence that they are now coming back to the Netherlands with the song. The rehearsals were exciting.

Before we continue, the four moderators of the ESC are introduced with a clip. They are also not included in the Turquoise Carpet.

Hurricanes from Serbia, who are near Fenna, follow. They love Rotterdam but not the weather, even if they haven't seen Alls yet. The song is about a love story between two people. You have to be brave, then it will also be loco-loco. All three women are all loco-loco. It is not difficult for the three of them to sing and dance at the same time. They have appropriate training. They have been working together for four years. The love for music brought them together.

Blind Channel from Finland talk to Koos. They are dressed all in black and are happy to finally be back on stage. They sing about the dark side of life because literally every person they know has been on the dark side. They tell why their middle fingers are taped red. Because they are not allowed to show them on the ESC stage.

Anxhela Peristeri from Albania looks fantastic and now has to be interviewed by Fenna. You should enjoy good things when you have them - that's the message of their songs. The karma is also good to Anxhela because she helps other people (and does other things). She loves Rotterdam, has a lot of fun and makes new friends. And she wants to get to know everyone today. The rehearsals went very well for them.

Does anyone else have an overview of who is still missing? Not me.

Oh, there's Gjon's teams from Switzerland at Koos. He's happy to finally be in Rotterdam. He's happy and proud that people like him and his contribution, but he has to keep working on it. The most important thing is to make music and that people live it. He really needs to practice the high notes every day or he may lose them. On stage we see an explosion and we see the possibility that we can rebuild it (Circle of Life). He is happy with the rehearsals and can now relax a bit.

Even Iceland cannot compete in the carpet. That's why their video is short.

Samanta Tina from Latvia wears her stage outfit and explains to Fenna why she is the queen. The song is about accepting and loving yourself. You should crown yourself. Samanta thinks it's a lucky number that she can finally be at the ESC for the seventh time. But she wouldn't want to change anything. When she took the first steps at the stage rehearsal, she had tears in her eyes. The rehearsals were great, the second even "amazing". You felt the energy.

Rafal from Poland sends a video greeting from the hotel room because they cannot attend the Turquoise Carpet. We should stay healthy and safe. He is right.

VICTORIA from Bulgaria is with Koos. The photo on the stage shows her father and her. Because he is ill, he could not come to Rotterdam with us (nor could her mother). His father was probably very touched and cried when he found out about the photo. With the song she wants to express that one should enjoy life because it is short. She is also happy that the ESC journey is now approaching its finale, because it was very long.

Fyr & Flamme from Denmark teach Fenna how to pronounce the song title. It's about not just practicing at home in front of the mirror, you have to go out and practice with someone else. Both wear sunglasses and look very dandy-like. They're an existing band and in the 80's everything was allowed, like the oversized jacket he wears. That's why they make 80s music. Laurit's favorite part of the song is when Jesper walks across the stage and he gets to sing himself.

These were probably the last ones. They greet the world and Jesper also "mother".

Fenna and Koos are back together in front of the camera. you loved it The energy and the outfits. They say goodbye and point to next week's shows. Enjoy and bye!

That also ends his live blog. We will add the last pictures and greetings as soon as they are all available. Benny is still busy on site after two hours.

I'll say goodbye for tonight, I'm glad you were there and I wish you all a good start into the 2021 ESC week! wohooooo!

Share with: