There is a good chance that you will hear “Douze points”, “Gooooood evening Liverpool” and “Hello Europe” several times tomorrow night. The final of the Eurovision Song Contest is then on the program.
To get in the mood, Radio Drenthe is all day today dedicated to the Eurovision Song Contest. “Of course that means that we play a lot of Eurovision songs,” says Radio Drenthe producer Marjolein Koning. She’s looking forward to it. “The Eurovision Song Contest is nice and cheerful and nice and crazy. Normally we often say: ‘Just act normal, then you’re acting crazy enough’. But around the festival it’s always just a bit more extravagant.”
Three artists will also perform in our radio broadcast. “With Wim in the show, the Dikdakkers come to play a Eurovision medley,” Marjolein continues. “Jason Staal comes by later, he plays a translation of a big festival hit at Marita. And Leon Moorman performs with René on the air.” Moorman will then play his song Knooin, with which he won the Drèents Liedtiesfestival in 2019. That year he also won the audience prize during the Suns Europe Festival, a song festival for minority languages.
Of course there is also plenty to win at Radio Drenthe. In a special Eurovision game we are giving away a nice prize package. “That package includes a double CD and English licorice, but also a special Eurovision board game,” says Marjolein.
Fans of the Eurovision Song Contest will have to do without a Dutch entry tomorrow. After six finals in a row, the Netherlands is absent from the final for the first time in years. Mia Nicolai and Dion Cooper were not among the most popular ten acts of the first semi-final on Tuesday evening and had to go home.
It is the first time since 2015 that the Dutch delegation has to leave the competition early. Then Trijntje Oosterhuis did not manage to get through to the final. After that, Douwe Bob, OG3NE, Waylon, Duncan Laurence and S10 were successively successful. Jeangu Macrooy was also in the final, but did not have to do anything because of Duncan Laurence’s win in 2019.
According to the bookmakers, there is a good chance that Sweden will win this year. Loreen returns this year and is one of the top favorites. She managed to qualify for the final on Tuesday with her song Tattoo.