Two Dutch broadcasters, NPO and AVROTROS, have announced that they would organize the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, when they would be asked to do so.
Rotterdam 2023?
Marnix Kaart, who was the Director of the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 in Rotterdam, and also directed Dutch S10’s entry this year, said that it would be great if Rotterdam could be the host again for the song contest of 2023, of course on Ukraine’s behalf. He said the following:
“That would be a nice gesture. So that is would not just be the Netherlands, I think all of Europe should work together on hosting. The finances also should be shared with one another. Then I think it’s a possibility.”
– Marnix Kaart, Dutch Director of the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands
Too soon
Both Dutch broadcasters, AVROTROS and NPO, also stated that it is still too soon after Ukraine’s 2022 win to specifically say something about next year’s contest. A spokesperson of the NPO stated the following:
“Tonight [May 14th 2022, right after the win of Ukraine during this year’s contest] we first consider the beautiful and symbolic victory of Ukraine. Should the EBU request the NPO to take over the organization of the Eurovision Song Contest again, we will think about it together with all parties involved.”
– Not specified spokesperson of Dutch national broadcaster NPO
The Song Contest of 1980
The 25th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest was held in the Nederlands Congresgebouw (trans. “Dutch Congrass Hall”) in the Hague, the Netherlands, although the Netherlands did not win the year before. Israel won in 1979, with the song “Hallelujah” by the band Milk & Honey, but they would have had to organize the event for the second year in a row, because in 1978 they also won, with the song “A-Ba-Na-Bi” by Izar Cohen & The Alphabeta. The costs to host the event again were just too high for the Israeli broadcaster IBA. The Netherlands stepped in, and hosted a small-scale Eurovision Song Contest. Because of the date of the event being in conflict with Jewish Yom Hazikaron, Israel was not able to compete during that year’s Eurovision Song Contest, marking the first time that a winner could not defend its title in the year after. That year Monaco withdrew from the contest, Turkey returned, and Morocco had its first go and last go to date on the Eurovision stage. In total 19 countries competed in the 1980’s contest. Ultimately Irish Johnny Logan won for the first time, with the song “What’s Another Year”.
The hosting possibilities of Ukraine
On May 17th 2022 the Ukrainian national broadcaster, UA:PBC, and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), gathered to discuss the hosting possibilities of Ukraine. Incase UA:PBC decides on not being able to host the contest, there are already several countries that stated that they want to organize the 67th edition of the contest in 2023 in their country. The countries that made such a statement are: Sweden, Iceland, Poland, Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands.