There are so few things that bring us together on a global scale, and coronavirus is determined to be the last one standing. For the first time in the competition’s history, the Eurovision Song Contest is canceled, according to the European Broadcasting Union. The singing competition was originally meant to take place May 12 through May 16 in Rotterdam, Netherlands, as the country won last year. “Over the past few weeks we have explored many alternated options to allow the Eurovision Song Contest to go ahead,†the EBU wrote in a statement posted on Twitter. “However, the uncertainty created by the spread of COVID-19 throughout Europe — and the restrictions put in place by the governments of the participating broadcasters and the Dutch authors — means the European Broadcasting Union has taken the difficult decision that it is impossible to continue with the live event as planned.†The EBU, along with the City of Rotterdam and several other organizations, is looking into rescheduling the contest for next year.
Eurovision is just one of the many events coronavirus has brought down. The U.K.’s Glastonbury Festival, Coachella, and the Billboard Music Awards are just a few of the things we won’t be able to enjoy this year. Even more disappointed are the Eurovision contestants, including Iceland’s Daði og Gagnamagnið (“Daði and the Data,†led by Daði Freyr), whose song “Think About Things†was a viral fan favorite to earn Iceland’s first win. That’s an underdog story we would have loved to watch unfold during an international music competition, but, for now, to be continued.