Rotterdam landmarks decorated with brightly coloured Eurovision song lyrics

Rotterdam invites everybody to sing along! The countdown to the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 is on, and the city of Rotterdam is being decorated to the nines for the occasion!

A "mega ribbon" of bold colours will run from Rotterdam Central Station to Ahoy Arena, packed full of lyrics from winning songs of previous editions of the festival. The bright colours are inspired by flags of the different countries that have taken part in the contest. Take a look at the mockup pictures below to see what's in store for Rotterdam this spring!

A pandemic-proof Eurovision experience in Rotterdam

The event originally expected an influx of people into Rotterdam, enough to fill the massive Ahoy arena, but, of course, due to the coronavirus pandemic, a scaled-down version will take place instead. It has been announced that a small audience will attend the Eurovision at Ahoy, as a Fieldlab experiment.

Flags and song lyrics featured in the city dressing for the Eurovision

The renowned Dutch design studio, Studio VollaersZwart, have had the honour to design the city dressing for Rotterdam during this year's Eurovision Song Contest. Their concept is called "Sing Along City". The flags of participating countries are the basis of the bright, bold colours, and the text is made up of lyrics from previous Eurovision competitions. There have been 67 winning songs to date, so that's a whole lot of lyrics!

The artistic decoration ranges from photography to light art, street art and installations. Not only are famous landmarks like the Erasmus Bridge and interesting buildings such as the Cube Houses and Markthal decked out for the Eurovision, but even the motorways, trams, a windmill and containers at the famous port of Rotterdam will be decorated. 

Studio VollaersZwart, who were responsible for the popular "Tunnel of Love" light feature are renowned for their architectural installations and frequently create fantastic designs for international, national and local festivals. 

Sing Along City designs all across Rotterdam for Eurovision

The question of how to devise a "Eurovision experience" in the city became a worry when the pandemic hit, and many plans had to change direction with the so-called "normal" version of the Eurovision no longer viable. But that doesn't mean that there is no sign of the song contest in the Netherlands. As the time comes closer, you won't be able to miss the bright colours on roads and buildings in Rotterdam.

Check out these images, courtesy of Rotterdam Make it Happen, to get an idea of what to expect in the lead-up to the Eurovision.

The  "mega ribbon" of bold colours runs from Rotterdam Central Station to Ahoy Arena.

Containers at the Port of Rotterdam.

Bright, catchy lyrics at the Markthal.

The famous Euromast will be covered in Eurovision lyrics.

The Eurovision mega-ribbon on the Klaverblad intersection near Rotterdam.

The Eurovision mega-ribbon on the motorway.

The Eurovision mega-ribbon at Zuidplein.

Collectiegebouw of the Depot Boijmans van Beuningen museum.

The Cube Houses decorated for the Eurovision.

All images courtesy of Rotterdam Make It Happen