Greece: ERT to air the special show "Eurovision: Europe Shine A Light"

Greece: ERT to air the special show
Thursday, 07 May 2020

  • The Greek national broadcaster, ERT,  has confirmed that it will be airing the special show "Eurovision: Europe Shine A Light" that will be replacing this year's cancelled edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. 

    ERT is joining the list of 46 broadcasters across Europe and Australia that will be broadcasting thr special show “Eurovision: Europe Shine A Light” on May 16, replacing this year’s cancelled Eurovision show due to the coronavirus pandemic.

    The show is co-produced by EBU and the three Dutch Eurovision 2020 host broadcasters (AVROTROS, NOS, NPO) and ambitions to honor the 41 ESC 2020 delegates that were deprived the chance to perform in Rotterdam due to the coronavirus outbreak. 

    ERT's official press release mentions: 

    With a lot of music, directorial findings, old and new entries and many surprises, Europe unites on Saturday, May 16, 2020 at the pace of Eurovision, through the special show entitled "Europe Shine a Light" organized by the EBU in collaboration with Dutch television.

    The two-hour TV program, which replaces the Grand Final after its cancellation, for the first time in the history of the institution, due to the pandemic of Covid-19, will be broadcast live by ERT1 and ERT's Web Tv at 22:00, when and Under normal circumstances, the Final of the 65th Eurovision 2020 Song Contest would be held and broadcast.

    Stefania will represent Greece with the song SUPERG! RL.

    From the Studio 21 of Hilversum, Chantal Janzen, Edsilia Rombley (Eurovision 1998 and 2007) and Jan Smit, the Dutch presenters of this year's Eurovision, will present excerpts from the 41 video clips, will comment on alternative personal "postcards", will listen together Our messages of hope from all this year's participants will look for old Eurovision stars all over Europe and will uniquely "illuminate" Europe with one song and our hope for the future, with the participation of all!

    Inspired by the winning song of Great Britain and Katrina's "Love Shine A Light" at the 1997 Eurovision Song Contest, the EBU production wants to honor the creators and artists of the 41 national delegations that were take part in this year's competition.

    Without a competing part and a score, Europe Shine a Light aims to send a message of unity to European citizens through music, to inspire front-line heroes in the fight against Covid-19 and to give courage not only to the contestants, but to all those who have been left home during the pandemic and are now being called upon to remain safe in the new reality.

    ERT is already running the series "Step back in Time" on the official FB account “Eurovision ERT”  and instragram account ,a journey in history just yeasterday with the first special posts covering several past Greek entries and contestants from other participating countries.

    This year internally selected Stefania was set to represent Greece in Rotterdam with her song Superg!irl. Unfortunately, her Eurovision journey remained incomplete after the cancellation of the contest. Stefania however will have the chance to complete her Eurovision jounrey next year with a new song as ERT has already confirmed that will stick with its ESC 2020 hopeful in the 2021 edition.