Eurovision Song Contest is Back, Ready to Defy the Pandemic
Voice of America
ROTTERDAM, NETHERLANDS - Pounding beats? Check. Uplifting lyrics? Check. Huge, backlit white wings? Check.
After last year's Eurovision Song Contest was canceled amid the global COVID-19 pandemic, it is roaring back to life this year with coronavirus bubbles added to its heady mix of music and melodrama. National delegations traveling to the Dutch port city of Rotterdam are abiding by strict measures to reduce the risk of infections, while the thousands of fans allowed to attend dress rehearsals, two semifinals and the grand final on Saturday will have to undergo testing to ensure they do not bring the virus into the cavernous venue. Executive producer Sietse Bakker is glad it's going ahead at all.
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