The Eurovision Song Contest 2021 was the 65th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Rotterdam, Netherlands, following the country’s win at the 2019 contest with the song „Arcade“ by Duncan Laurence. The Netherlands was set to host the 2020 contest, before it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and host broadcasters Nederlandse Publieke Omroep (NPO), Nederlandse Omroep Stichting (NOS) and AVROTROS, the contest was held at Rotterdam Ahoy, and consisted of two semi-finals on 18 and 20 May, and a final on 22 May 2021. The three live shows were presented by Dutch television presenters and singers Chantal Janzen, Edsilia Rombley and Jan Smit, and Dutch YouTube personality and makeup artist Nikkie de Jager.
Thirty-nine countries participated in the contest, of which twenty-six re-entered the artists chosen for 2020 (albeit with different songs, as per the contest’s rules). Bulgaria and Ukraine returned after their absences from the 2019 contest, while Hungary and Montenegro did not return after their participation in the 2019 edition. Armenia and Belarus had originally planned to participate, but Armenia withdrew due to its social and political crises following the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war and Belarus was disqualified after their intended entry was found to be in violation of the contest’s rules.
The winner was Italy with the song „Zitti e buoni“, performed by Måneskin and written by the band’s members Damiano David, Ethan Torchio, Thomas Raggi and Victoria De Angelis. This made Italy the second member of the „Big Five“ to win the contest since its establishment, following Germany’s victory in 2010. Måneskin’s victory also made them the first band to win the contest since Lordi for Finland in 2006. France, Switzerland, Iceland and Ukraine rounded out the top five, with France and Switzerland achieving their best results since 1991 and 1993 respectively. For the first time since 1995, none of the top three entries were performed in English, with France and Switzerland performing in French, whilst the winner, Italy, performed in Italian.
Also, for the first time since the current voting system was implemented in 2016, more than one country received no points from the televote in the final; these countries were Germany, Spain, the host country the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, the last of those becoming the first country to receive no points from both the jury and televote. It was the fifth time that the host country ranked in the bottom five since 2015, with the Netherlands finishing 23rd in the final, as well as the second time that the United Kingdom had received no points in the contest, the last time having been in 2003. For the first time since it made its debut in 2015, Australia failed to qualify for the final, making Ukraine the only country that has never failed to qualify from the semi-finals since their introduction in 2004.
The EBU reported that the contest had an audience of 183 million viewers in 36 European markets, an increase of a million viewers from the previous edition, with an increase of seven percent in the 15–24 year old age range.
Location
The 2021 contest was held in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, following the country’s victory at the 2019 edition with the song „Arcade“, performed by Duncan Laurence. It was the fifth time that the Netherlands had hosted the contest, having previously done so in 1958, 1970, 1976 and 1980. The selected venue was the 16,400-seat Ahoy Arena in Rotterdam Ahoy, a convention centre and multi-purpose indoor arena located on Ahoyweg, which serves as a venue for many events, including concerts, exhibitions, trade fairs, and conferences. Rotterdam Ahoy had previously hosted the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2007, and was set to host the 2020 contest before its cancellation. The „Turquoise Carpet“ event, where the contestants and their delegations are presented before the accredited press and fans, took place at the Rotterdam Cruise Terminal on 16 May 2021.
Selection of the host city
By Eurovision tradition, the Netherlands received the right to host the Eurovision Song Contest after the country won the competition in 2019. The Dutch host broadcasters NPO, NOS and AVROTROS launched the bidding process in the same month, on 29 May, in which five cities – Arnhem, ’s-Hertogenbosch, Maastricht, Rotterdam, and Utrecht – submitted their bid books during a ceremonial event held in Hilversum on 10 July 2019. On 16 July, Maastricht and Rotterdam were shortlisted, and after the NPO visited both cities, on 30 August 2019, Rotterdam was announced as the host city of the Eurovision Song Contest 2020.
Following the cancellation of the 2020 contest, the EBU began talks with broadcasters NPO, NOS and AVROTROS, as well as the city of Rotterdam, on the possibility of staging the 2021 contest in the city. On 23 April 2020, the municipal council of Rotterdam approved an increased budget after Dutch media reported that the city would require an additional €6.7 million to host the contest. The decision was imminent as it was required that the EBU be informed by late April if Rotterdam was willing to host the contest. If Rotterdam declined to host the event, NPO, NOS and AVROTROS had until mid-May 2020 to find an alternative. During the broadcast of Eurovision: Europe Shine a Light, which aired on 16 May 2020, Rotterdam was confirmed as the host city of the 2021 contest.
Production
The Eurovision Song Contest 2021 was a co-production between three related Dutch television organisations – Nederlandse Publieke Omroep (NPO), Nederlandse Omroep Stichting (NOS) and AVROTROS – of which each assumed a different role. Sietse Bakker and Astrid Dutrénit served as executive producers, while Emilie Sickinghe and Jessica Stam served as deputy executive producers. Marnix Kaart, Marc Pos and Daniel Jelinek served as directors of the three live shows, and Gerben Bakker served as head of show. Background music for the shows was composed by Eric van Tijn.
In January 2020, the EBU announced that Martin Österdahl would become the executive supervisor for the Eurovision Song Contest after the 2020 edition, succeeding Jon Ola Sand. Before his appointment, Österdahl had been an executive producer for the 2013 and 2016 editions, and had been a member of the Eurovision Song Contest reference group between 2012 and 2018.
The total budget for the shows was €22 million, of which €3.7 million was left unspent after the contest, according to the municipal executive. The additional money was allocated to contingency scenarios that were eventually discarded.
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
On 7 May 2020, Dutch authorities prohibited all mass gatherings in the country until a COVID-19 vaccine becomes available. The host broadcasters stated that they were assessing the decision and how it would impact the event.
On 18 September 2020, the EBU released a summary of contingency scenarios for the contest, including:
The event being held as in previous years (Scenario A);
The event being held with social distancing measures in place (Scenario B);
Providing the option for acts to perform from their home country if they are unable to travel to Rotterdam (Scenario C);
A fully-remote contest hosted from Rotterdam (Scenario D), with all acts performing from their home country, and no in-person festivities or audience in Rotterdam. This scenario was trialled during the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2020.
In February 2021, the EBU and the host broadcasters stated that it had ruled out hosting the contest as normal (Scenario A). Scenario C was also modified – all acts would perform remotely like in scenario D. A health and safety protocol for the contest was published on 2 March 2021, with the EBU affirming that the contest would be held under scenario B, while reiterating that downscaling options remained on the table should circumstances change. On 30 April 2021, the EBU confirmed scenario B for the contest.
Overview of the hosting scenarios
| Contest aspect | Scenario A (Normal) | Scenario B (1.5-metre) † | Scenario C (Travel restrictive) | Scenario D (Lockdown) |
| Shows from Ahoy | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Participants in Rotterdam | All | All/most | None | None |
| Audience in the arena | 1 | 0–80% | 0–80% | None |
| Side events in Rotterdam | Yes | Adapted | Reduced | None |
| Press Centre | 1,500 on site | 500 on site 1,000 virtual | 1,500 virtual | 1,500 virtual |
On 1 April 2021, it was announced that an audience of 3,500 people would be allowed at each of the nine shows, including the three live shows and six rehearsals; the Dutch cabinet later gave its approval on 29 April. All audience members must have had tested negative for COVID-19.
Due to pandemic precautions, the „Turquoise Carpet“ event was the only in-person side event to take place in 2021. Impacted side events included: the Opening Ceremony event, which was not held; the Eurovision Village, which took place from 15 to 23 May in an online-only form; and the EuroClub, which was cancelled for this year.
Format
Visual design
On 18 September 2020, along with possible scenarios, the EBU confirmed that the planned visual design and slogan for 2020, „Open Up“, would be used for the 2021 contest as well. The revamped official logo and branding was unveiled on 4 December 2020. Designed by Clever°Franke, it is „an abstract presentation inspired by the map of the world and visually connects the location of the capitals of the [then] 41 participating countries with Rotterdam as Europe’s beating heart“. The revamped visual identity, designed by MediaMonks and NEP, was built around patterns and ‚tracks‘ that symbolises the Netherlands and „opening up“.
Presenters
On 18 September 2020, along with possible scenarios, the EBU confirmed that the 2020 planned presenters would be appointed as presenters for the 2021 contest as well: actress and television host Chantal Janzen, singer and commentator for the contest Jan Smit, singer Edsilia Rombley, who represented the Netherlands in the 1998 and 2007 contests, and beauty vlogger Nikkie de Jager (NikkieTutorials).
In addition, De Jager and Krista Siegfrids (Finland’s representative in the 2013 contest) were the presenters of the contest’s online content. Siegfrids hosted Krista Calling, a weekly YouTube series with behind-the-scenes coverage from Rotterdam, and De Jager hosted LookLab with NikkieTutorials, an online talk show series featuring 38 participants with Queen Máxima as a special guest. Koos van Plateringen [nl], Hila Noorzai [nl] and Samya Hafsaoui [nl] moderated the contest’s press conferences, while Van Plateringen and Fenna Ramos [nl] hosted the „Turquoise Carpet“ event.
Stage design
During the announcement of the dates of the 2021 contest, Sietse Bakker, executive producer of the 2021 contest, stated that the planned 2020 stage design would also be used in the 2021 contest. The design was inspired by the slogan „Open Up“ and the typical Dutch flat landscape. The Eurovision stage was designed by German stage designer Florian Wieder [de], who also designed the stages for the contests in 2011–12, 2015, and 2017–19. Its features included a revolvable primary LED screen that is 52 metres (171 ft) wide and 12 metres (39 ft) high, and a retractable semi-transparent LED screen which could be used as a backdrop for the secondary stage. The stage design was complemented by augmented reality effects. Unlike the 2019 contest, the green room was placed in the main performance venue, and encompassed the entire floor space previously reserved for the standing audience, so as to facilitate social distancing.
Entries
The EBU announced that for this year, delegations would have the option to use pre-recorded backing vocals. Each delegation could still choose to use backing singers, whether on or off stage, or a combination of live and recorded backing vocals. All lead vocals performing the melody of the song must still be live, according to the rules. As a measure to guarantee that all participants could take part in the contest, every national broadcaster would create a ‚live-on-tape‘ backup recording prior to the contest which could be used if a participant was unable to travel to Rotterdam, or subjected to quarantine on arrival. The recordings took place in a studio setting, in real-time (as it would be at the contest) without any edits to the vocals or any part of the performance itself after the recording. A set of production guidelines was also revealed to ensure fairness and the integrity of the recordings.
Other rules for the entries stayed the same in the 2021 contest. This includes that the maximum length for a song is three minutes, that there can be at most six performers on stage, and that the compositions (lyrics and music) must not have been commercially released before 1 September of the year before. Following the cancellation of the 2020 contest, the EBU explored the option of allowing the songs selected for the 2020 contest to compete in the 2021 contest, which needed to be discussed with the Eurovision Song Contest reference group and the national broadcasters. Victoria, Bulgaria’s representative for 2020 and 2021, publicly expressed her support for such a move. However, on 20 March 2020, the reference group decided that, in accordance with the rules of the Eurovision Song Contest, the 2020 songs would not be eligible to compete in the 2021 contest.
Semi-final allocation draw
On 17 November 2020, the EBU confirmed that the semi-final allocation draw for the 2021 contest would not be held. Instead, the semi-finals would feature the same line-up of countries as determined by the draw for the 2020 contest’s semi-finals, which was held on 28 January 2020 at the Rotterdam City Hall and hosted by contest presenters Chantal Janzen, Jan Smit and Edsilia Rombley. The draw also determined which semi-final each of the six automatic qualifiers – host country the Netherlands and „Big Five“ countries France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom – would broadcast and vote in. The EBU also decided to maintain the Netherlands‘ grand final running order position – 23.
The pots used initially for the 2020 contest featured as follows:
| Pot 1 | Pot 2 | Pot 3 | Pot 4 | Pot 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Albania Austria Croatia North Macedonia Serbia Slovenia Switzerland |  Australia Denmark Estonia Finland Iceland Norway Sweden | [flag=am] Azerbaijan[flag=by]  Georgia Moldova Russia Ukraine |  Bulgaria Cyprus Greece Malta Portugal Romania San Marino |  Belgium Czech Republic Ireland Israel Latvia Lithuania Poland |
Postcards
The „postcards“ were 40-second video introductions shown on television whilst the stage was being prepared for the next contestant to perform their entry. Filmed between January and April, and directed by Martijn Nieman and Laurence Drenthe, with Kevin Soares serving as executive producer, the 2021 postcards were based on the „Open Up“ theme of the contest. In a departure from the initial concept created for the 2020 contest owing to travel restriction concerns, the postcards involved the acts being presented through footage shot in their country of origin. These were inserted via chroma keying onto the framework of a ‚tiny house‘ set-up in various locations around the Netherlands, and decorated with items personal to the artist(s). At the end of each postcard, a light streak hit the house and was refracted into a country-specific coloured streak, mimicking the prism and transitions to the stage, where the ceiling was lit up with that country’s flag colours using augmented reality. The postcards were produced by Amsterdam-based agency IDTV, with additional post-production and VFX work by Antwerp-based agency STORM. The following locations were used for each participating country:
| [flag=al] Albania – Hoge Brug, Maastricht [flag=au] Australia – Sparta Stadion Het Kasteel, Rotterdam [flag=at] Austria – Nannewiid [nl], Frisian Lakes [flag=az] Azerbaijan – Giethoorn [flag=be] Belgium – Bourtange [flag=bg] Bulgaria – Agelo [flag=hr] Croatia – Broek op Langedijk [flag=cy] Cyprus – ’s-Hertogenbosch [flag=cz] Czech Republic – Almere [flag=dk] Denmark – Nijmegen [flag=ee] Estonia – Circuit Zandvoort [flag=fi] Finland – Sibelco silver sand quarry, Heerlen [flag=fr] France – Houtribdijk [flag=ge] Georgia – Port of Rotterdam [flag=de] Germany – Scheveningen [flag=gr] Greece – Halley Astronomical Observatory [nl], Vinkel [nl] [flag=is] Iceland – Zeeburgereiland, Amsterdam [flag=ie] Ireland – Hermitage Amsterdam [flag=is] Israel – Utrecht Centraal railway station | [flag=it] Italy – Arnhem [flag=lv] Latvia – Middelburg [flag=li] Lithuania – Rotterdam Centraal railway station [flag=mt] Malta – Vlissingen [flag=md] Moldova – Schiermonnikoog [flag=nl] Netherlands – Ouddorp [flag=mk] North Macedonia – Dolmen D14 [nl], Eext [flag=no] Norway – Koppelpoort, Amersfoort [flag=pl] Poland – Amsterdam Airport Schiphol [flag=pt] Portugal – Markt [nl], Delft [flag=ro] Romania – Leeuwarden [flag=ru] Russia – Bolwoningen, ’s-Hertogenbosch [flag=sm] San Marino – Evoluon, Eindhoven [flag=rs] Serbia – Keukenhof, Lisse [flag=si] Slovenia – Marker Wadden [flag=es] Spain – Doornspijk [flag=se] Sweden – Museumplein, Amsterdam [flag=ch] Switzerland – Noordereiland, Rotterdam [flag=ua] Ukraine – Veluwezoom National Park [flag=gb] United Kingdom – Gasselte |
Opening and interval acts
On 4 May 2021, the EBU released information about the opening and interval acts.
The first semi-final was opened by Duncan Laurence, performing „Feel Something“, and featured singer and YouTuber Davina Michelle and actress Thekla Reuten in an interval act titled „The Power of Water“, centering on the Netherlands‘ history of water management. Michelle performed her new single „Sweet Water“ in the performance. In both acts, augmented reality was used.
The second semi-final was opened by breakdancer Redouan Ait Chitt (Redo) and singer-songwriter Eefje de Visser, with ballet dancer Ahmad Joudeh and BMX-er Dez Maarsen performing during the interval; the acts are titled „Forward Unlimited“ and „Close Encounter of a Special Kind“, respectively.
The final was opened by the traditional flag parade, introducing all twenty-six finalists, accompanied by a remix of „Venus“ produced and performed by 16-year-old DJ Pieter Gabriel, with co-presenters Chantal Janzen, Jan Smit and Edsilia Rombley singing parts of the song. The interval acts included a medley of „Hero“, „Ten Feet Tall“ and „Titanium“ performed by DJ Afrojack, singers Wulf and Glennis Grace, the latter of whom represented the Netherlands in the 2005 contest, together with an orchestra composed of young Dutch musicians; the „Rock the Roof“ interval act, where six former Eurovision winners – Måns Zelmerlöw, Teach-In, Sandra Kim, Lenny Kuhr, Helena Paparizou and Lordi – performed their winning songs – „Heroes“, „Ding-a-dong“, „J’aime la vie“, „De troubadour“, „My Number One“ and „Hard Rock Hallelujah“ respectively – atop several venues in Rotterdam; and Duncan Laurence, who performed his winning song „Arcade“ and his new single „Stars“. A dance sketch titled „The Human Countdown“ was then performed, which signified the closure of the voting window.
Participating countries
The EBU initially announced on 26 October 2020 that 41 countries would participate in the contest, featuring the same line-up of countries that were set to participate in the cancelled 2020 edition. Bulgaria and Ukraine marked their return to the contest after their absences from the 2019 contest, while Hungary and Montenegro were confirmed as non-returning following their latest appearances in 2019.
In March 2021, Armenia and Belarus confirmed their non-participation in the contest; Armenia withdrew due to social and political crises in the aftermath of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, while Belarus was disqualified after submitting an entry in violation of the rules, thereby reducing the number of participating countries to 39.
Returning artists
After the cancellation of the 2020 contest, the participating broadcasters of 24 countries announced that, for the 2021 contest, they would internally select the same artists initially selected for 2020. In addition, the artists initially selected for Estonia and Lithuania in 2020 won their national finals to represent their countries in 2021.
Discounting 2020, the contest featured three representatives who also previously performed as lead vocalists for the same country, and five artists who participated in other Eurovision events or as backing vocalists for the same or for another country. Among the representatives who returned as lead vocalists, Natalia Gordienko had previously represented Moldova in 2006 with Arsenium and Connect-R;Senhit had represented San Marino in 2011;and Sanja Vučić, a member of Hurricane, had previously represented Serbia in 2016 in a solo performance.
Former backing vocalists who competed as lead artists included Ksenija Knežević, a member of Serbia’s group Hurricane, who had previously served as backing vocalist in 2015 for Montenegro’s entrant Knez;[96] Destiny, who had provided backing vocals for Malta’s Michela in 2019;Vincent Bueno, who had backed Austria’s Nathan Trent in 2017; and Vasil, who had provided backing vocals for North Macedonia’s Tamara Todevska in 2019.Two artists had previously competed in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, Malta’s Destiny, who had won the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2015, and Greece’s Stefania, who had competed for the Netherlands in the 2016 Junior contest as member of the group Kisses.Mladen Lukić, who had previously competed for Serbia in 2018 as a member of Balkanika, returned as a backing vocalist for Hurricane.
Semi-final 1
The first semi-final took place on 18 May 2021 at 21:00 (CEST).Sixteen countries participated in the first semi-final. Those countries plus Germany, Italy and the Netherlands voted in this semi-final. Belarus was originally allocated to participate in the first half of the semi-final, but was disqualified from the contest after submitting an entry in violation of the rules. The highlighted countries qualified for the final.
| Order | Country | Artist | Song | Language | Place | Points | Result |
| 1 | Lithuania | The Roop | „Discoteque“ | English | 4 | 203 | Qualified |
| 2 | Slovenia | Ana Soklič | „Amen“ | English | 13 | 44 | |
| 3 | Russia | Manizha | „Russian Woman“ | Russian, English | 3 | 225 | Qualified |
| 4 | Sweden | Tusse | „Voices“ | English | 7 | 142 | Qualified |
| 5 | Australia | Montaigne | „Technicolour“ | English | 14 | 28 | |
| 6 | North Macedonia | Vasil | „Here I Stand“ | English | 15 | 23 | |
| 7 | Ireland | Lesley Roy | „Maps“ | English | 16 | 20 | |
| 8 | Cyprus | Elena Tsagrinou | „El Diablo“ | English | 6 | 170 | Qualified |
| 9 | Norway | Tix | „Fallen Angel“ | English | 10 | 115 | Qualified |
| 10 | Croatia | Albina | „Tick-Tock“ | English, Croatian | 11 | 110 | |
| 11 | Belgium | Hooverphonic | „The Wrong Place“ | English | 9 | 117 | Qualified |
| 12 | Israel | Eden Alene | „Set Me Free“ | English | 5 | 192 | Qualified |
| 13 | Romania | Roxen | „Amnesia“ | English | 12 | 85 | |
| 14 | Azerbaijan | Efendi | „Mata Hari“ | English | 8 | 138 | Qualified |
| 15 | Ukraine | Go_A | „Shum“ (Шум) | Ukrainian | 2 | 267 | Qualified |
| 16 | Malta | Destiny | „Je me casse“ | English | 1 | 325 | Qualified |
Split results (Semi-final 1)
| Place | Combined | Jury | Televoting | |||
| Country | Points | Country | Points | Country | Points | |
| 1 | Malta | 325 | Malta | 174 | Ukraine | 164 |
| 2 | Ukraine | 267 | Russia | 117 | Malta | 151 |
| 3 | Russia | 225 | Ukraine | 103 | Lithuania | 137 |
| 4 | Lithuania | 203 | Israel | 99 | Russia | 108 |
| 5 | Israel | 192 | Cyprus | 92 | Israel | 93 |
| 6 | Cyprus | 170 | Sweden | 91 | Azerbaijan | 91 |
| 7 | Sweden | 142 | Belgium | 70 | Cyprus | 78 |
| 8 | Azerbaijan | 138 | Lithuania | 66 | Norway | 77 |
| 9 | Belgium | 117 | Romania | 58 | Croatia | 53 |
| 10 | Norway | 115 | Croatia | 57 | Sweden | 51 |
| 11 | Croatia | 110 | Azerbaijan | 47 | Belgium | 47 |
| 12 | Romania | 85 | Norway | 38 | Romania | 27 |
| 13 | Slovenia | 44 | Slovenia | 36 | North Macedonia | 11 |
| 14 | Australia | 28 | Australia | 26 | Slovenia | 8 |
| 15 | North Macedonia | 23 | Ireland | 16 | Ireland | 4 |
| 16 | Ireland | 20 | North Macedonia | 12 | Australia | 2 |
Semi-final 1 voting results (Jury vote)
| Voting procedure used: 100% Televoting 100% Jury vote | Total score | Televoting score | Lithuania | Slovenia | Russia | Sweden | Australia | North Macedonia | Ireland | Cyprus | Norway | Croatia | Belgium | Israel | Romania | Azerbaijan | Ukraine | Malta | Germany | Italy | Netherlands | |
| Contestants | Lithuania | 203 | 137 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 12 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 3 | |||||
| Slovenia | 44 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 5 | ||||||||||||
| Russia | 225 | 108 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 8 | 12 | 6 | 5 | 12 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 12 | ||||
| Sweden | 142 | 51 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 10 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 10 | 12 | 4 | 5 | |||
| Australia | 28 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 1 | ||||||||||||||
| North Macedonia | 23 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 6 | |||||||||||||||||
| Ireland | 20 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | ||||||||||||
| Cyprus | 170 | 78 | 4 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 3 | |||||
| Norway | 115 | 77 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 4 | ||||||||||
| Croatia | 110 | 53 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 2 | ||||||
| Belgium | 117 | 47 | 10 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 10 | 10 | 10 | |||||||||
| Israel | 192 | 93 | 7 | 2 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 12 | 1 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 12 | 8 | |||||
| Romania | 85 | 27 | 5 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 12 | 6 | 1 | ||||||||||
| Azerbaijan | 138 | 91 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 2 | |||||||||||
| Ukraine | 267 | 164 | 12 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 4 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 6 | ||||
| Malta | 325 | 151 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 10 | 5 | 10 | 8 | 7 |
Semi-final 1 voting results (Televoting)
| Voting procedure used: 100% Televoting 100% Jury vote | Total score | Televoting score | Lithuania | Slovenia | Russia | Sweden | Australia | North Macedonia | Ireland | Cyprus | Norway | Croatia | Belgium | Israel | Romania | Azerbaijan | Ukraine | Malta | Germany | Italy | Netherlands | |
| Contestants | Lithuania | 203 | 66 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 4 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 3 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 12 | 7 | 12 | 8 | 8 | ||
| Slovenia | 44 | 36 | 3 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Russia | 225 | 117 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 10 | 2 | 12 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 5 | ||
| Sweden | 142 | 91 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 2 | ||||||||
| Australia | 28 | 26 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||
| North Macedonia | 23 | 12 | 8 | 1 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| Ireland | 20 | 16 | 1 | 2 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| Cyprus | 170 | 92 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 1 | ||
| Norway | 115 | 38 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 10 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 3 | |||
| Croatia | 110 | 57 | 12 | 2 | 5 | 12 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 7 | ||||||||||
| Belgium | 117 | 70 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 7 | ||||||||
| Israel | 192 | 99 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 12 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 6 | |||
| Romania | 85 | 58 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 10 | ||||||||||||||
| Azerbaijan | 138 | 47 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 4 | |||
| Ukraine | 267 | 103 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 7 | 12 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 12 | 7 | 4 | 10 | 12 | 10 | ||
| Malta | 325 | 174 | 7 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 12 |
Semi-final 2
The second semi-final took place on 20 May 2021 at 21:00 (CEST). Seventeen countries participated in the second semi-final. Those countries plus France, Spain and the United Kingdom voted in this semi-final. Armenia was originally allocated to participate in the second half of the semi-final, but withdrew from the contest due to social and political crises in the aftermath of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war. The highlighted countries qualified for the final.
| Order | Country | Artist | Song | Language | Place | Points | Result |
| 1 | San Marino | Senhit | „Adrenalina“ | English | 9 | 118 | Qualified |
| 2 | Estonia | Uku Suviste | „The Lucky One“ | English | 13 | 58 | |
| 3 | Czech Republic | Benny Cristo | „Omaga“ | English | 15 | 23 | |
| 4 | Greece | Stefania | „Last Dance“ | English | 6 | 184 | Qualified |
| 5 | Austria | Vincent Bueno | „Amen“ | English | 12 | 66 | |
| 6 | Poland | Rafał | „The Ride“ | English | 14 | 35 | |
| 7 | Moldova | Natalia Gordienko | „Sugar“ | English | 7 | 179 | Qualified |
| 8 | Iceland[o] | Daði og Gagnamagnið | „10 Years“ | English | 2 | 288 | Qualified |
| 9 | Serbia | Hurricane | „Loco Loco“ | Serbian | 8 | 124 | Qualified |
| 10 | Georgia | Tornike Kipiani | „You“ | English | 16 | 16 | |
| 11 | Albania | Anxhela Peristeri | „Karma“ | Albanian | 10 | 112 | Qualified |
| 12 | Portugal | The Black Mamba | „Love Is on My Side“ | English | 4 | 239 | Qualified |
| 13 | Bulgaria | Victoria | „Growing Up Is Getting Old“ | English | 3 | 250 | Qualified |
| 14 | Finland | Blind Channel | „Dark Side“ | English | 5 | 234 | Qualified |
| 15 | Latvia | Samanta Tīna | „The Moon Is Rising“ | English | 17 | 14 | |
| 16 | Switzerland | Gjon’s Tears | „Tout l’univers“ | French | 1 | 291 | Qualified |
| 17 | Denmark | Fyr og Flamme | „Øve os på hinanden“ | Danish | 11 | 89 |
Semi-final 2 voting results (Jury vote)
| Voting procedure used: 100% Televoting 100% Jury vote | Total score | Jury score | San Marino | Estonia | Czech Republic | Greece | Austria | Poland | Moldova | Iceland | Serbia | Georgia | Albania | Portugal | Bulgaria | Finland | Latvia | Switzerland | Denmark | France | Spain | United Kingdom | |
| Contestants | San Marino | 118 | 42 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 1 | 10 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 4 | ||
| Estonia | 58 | 29 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||
| Czech Republic | 23 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 2 | |||||||||||||||
| Greece | 184 | 80 | 10 | 3 | 5 | 12 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 3 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 7 | ||||||
| Austria | 66 | 13 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 6 | |||||||||
| Poland | 35 | 17 | 12 | 2 | 3 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| Moldova | 179 | 123 | 8 | 12 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 3 | |||||||||||
| Iceland | 288 | 148 | 1 | 8 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 12 | 7 | 4 | 10 | 8 | 12 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 12 | |||
| Serbia | 124 | 68 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | |||||||
| Georgia | 16 | 15 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Albania | 112 | 38 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 2 | 1 | |||||
| Portugal | 239 | 111 | 2 | 6 | 12 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 1 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 4 | 10 | 10 | 10 | ||
| Bulgaria | 250 | 101 | 5 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 12 | 12 | 6 | 12 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 7 | ||
| Finland | 234 | 150 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 6 | ||||||
| Latvia | 14 | 10 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Switzerland | 291 | 135 | 6 | 12 | 8 | 12 | 8 | 7 | 12 | 5 | 12 | 12 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 3 | 12 | 8 | ||||
| Denmark | 89 | 80 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
Semi-final 2 voting results (Televoting)
| Voting procedure used: 100% Televoting 100% Jury vote | Total score | Televoting score | San Marino | Estonia | Czech Republic | Greece | Austria | Poland | Moldova | Iceland | Serbia | Georgia | Albania | Portugal | Bulgaria | Finland | Latvia | Switzerland | Denmark | France | Spain | United Kingdom | |
| Contestants | San Marino | 118 | 76 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 2 | |||||||||
| Estonia | 58 | 29 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 10 | 1 | 6 | ||||||||||||||
| Czech Republic | 23 | 23 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Greece | 184 | 104 | 5 | 2 | 12 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | ||||||
| Austria | 66 | 53 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| Poland | 35 | 18 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 7 | ||||||||||||||||
| Moldova | 179 | 56 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 12 | 12 | 5 | 12 | 12 | 3 | ||||||||
| Iceland | 288 | 140 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 12 | 6 | 8 | 12 | ||
| Serbia | 124 | 56 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 7 | 2 | ||||||||
| Georgia | 16 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | |||||||||||||||
| Albania | 112 | 74 | 2 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 3 | ||||||||||
| Portugal | 239 | 128 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 6 | |||
| Bulgaria | 250 | 149 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 10 | ||
| Finland | 234 | 84 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 12 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 12 | 8 | 6 | 10 | 2 | 6 | 8 | ||
| Latvia | 14 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Switzerland | 291 | 156 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 12 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 3 | ||
| Denmark | 89 | 9 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 |
Final
The final took place on 22 May 2021 at 21:00 (CEST). Twenty-six countries participated in the final, with all thirty-nine participating countries eligible to vote.
| Order | Country | Artist | Song | Language | Place | Points |
| 1 | Cyprus | Elena Tsagrinou | „El Diablo“ | English | 16 | 94 |
| 2 | Albania | Anxhela Peristeri | „Karma“ | Albanian | 21 | 57 |
| 3 | Israel | Eden Alene | „Set Me Free“ | English | 17 | 93 |
| 4 | Belgium | Hooverphonic | „The Wrong Place“ | English | 19 | 74 |
| 5 | Russia | Manizha | „Russian Woman“ | Russian, English | 9 | 204 |
| 6 | Malta | Destiny | „Je me casse“ | English | 7 | 255 |
| 7 | Portugal | The Black Mamba | „Love Is on My Side“ | English | 12 | 153 |
| 8 | Serbia | Hurricane | „Loco Loco“ | Serbian | 15 | 102 |
| 9 | United Kingdom | James Newman | „Embers“ | English | 26 | 0 |
| 10 | Greece | Stefania | „Last Dance“ | English | 10 | 170 |
| 11 | Switzerland | Gjon’s Tears | „Tout l’univers“ | French | 3 | 432 |
| 12 | Iceland | Daði og Gagnamagnið | „10 Years“ | English | 4 | 378 |
| 13 | Spain | Blas Cantó | „Voy a quedarme“ | Spanish | 24 | 6 |
| 14 | Moldova | Natalia Gordienko | „Sugar“ | English | 13 | 115 |
| 15 | Germany | Jendrik | „I Don’t Feel Hate“ | English | 25 | 3 |
| 16 | Finland | Blind Channel | „Dark Side“ | English | 6 | 301 |
| 17 | Bulgaria | Victoria | „Growing Up Is Getting Old“ | English | 11 | 170 |
| 18 | Lithuania | The Roop | „Discoteque“ | English | 8 | 220 |
| 19 | Ukraine | Go_A | „Shum“ (Шум) | Ukrainian | 5 | 364 |
| 20 | France | Barbara Pravi | „Voilà“ | French | 2 | 499 |
| 21 | Azerbaijan | Efendi | „Mata Hari“ | English | 20 | 65 |
| 22 | Norway | Tix | „Fallen Angel“ | English | 18 | 75 |
| 23 | Netherlands | Jeangu Macrooy | „Birth of a New Age“ | English, Sranan Tongo | 23 | 11 |
| 24 | Italy | Måneskin | „Zitti e buoni“ | Italian | 1 | 524 |
| 25 | Sweden | Tusse | „Voices“ | English | 14 | 109 |
| 26 | San Marino | Senhit | „Adrenalina“ | English | 22 | 50 |
Final voting results (Jury vote)
| Voting procedure used: 100% Televoting 100% Jury vote | Total score | Jury score | Israel | Poland | San Marino | Albania | Malta | Estonia | North Macedonia | Azerbaijan | Norway | Spain | Austria | United Kingdom | Italy | Slovenia | Greece | Latvia | Ireland | Moldova | Serbia | Bulgaria | Cyprus | Belgium | Germany | Australia | Finland | Portugal | Ukraine | Iceland | Romania | Croatia | Czech Republic | Georgia | Lithuania | Denmark | Russia | France | Sweden | Switzerland | Netherlands | |
| Contestants | Cyprus | 94 | 44 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 12 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Albania | 57 | 35 | 2 | 12 | 7 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Israel | 93 | 20 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Belgium | 74 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 6 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Russia | 204 | 100 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 8 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Malta | 255 | 47 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 5 | 8 | 12 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 12 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 6 | 7 | |||||
| Portugal | 153 | 27 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 10 | 1 | 12 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Serbia | 102 | 82 | 1 | 12 | 7 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| United Kingdom | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Greece | 170 | 79 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 8 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 12 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Switzerland | 432 | 165 | 12 | 7 | 4 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 12 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 7 | 8 | 12 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 10 | 8 | 12 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 5 | ||||||
| Iceland | 378 | 180 | 10 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 10 | ||||||||||||
| Spain | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Moldova | 115 | 62 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 6 | 12 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Germany | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Finland | 301 | 218 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 8 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Bulgaria | 170 | 30 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 12 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 10 | ||||||||||||||
| Lithuania | 220 | 165 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ukraine | 364 | 267 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 8 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| France | 499 | 251 | 8 | 12 | 10 | 3 | 10 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 8 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 12 | 4 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 5 | 6 | 12 | 12 | |||||||
| Azerbaijan | 65 | 33 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Norway | 75 | 60 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Netherlands | 11 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Italy | 524 | 318 | 5 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 10 | 5 | 6 | 12 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 12 | 6 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 8 | ||||||||||||
| Sweden | 109 | 63 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| San Marino | 50 | 13 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 4 |
Final voting results (Televoting)
| Voting procedure used: 100% Televoting 100% Jury vote | Total score | Televoting score | Israel | Poland | San Marino | Albania | Malta | Estonia | North Macedonia | Azerbaijan | Norway | Spain | Austria | United Kingdom | Italy | Slovenia | Greece | Latvia | Ireland | Moldova | Serbia | Bulgaria | Cyprus | Belgium | Germany | Australia | Finland | Portugal | Ukraine | Iceland | Romania | Croatia | Czech Republic | Georgia | Lithuania | Denmark | Russia | France | Sweden | Switzerland | Netherlands | |
| Contestants | Cyprus | 94 | 50 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 12 | 2 | 12 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Albania | 57 | 22 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 7 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Israel | 93 | 73 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Belgium | 74 | 71 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Russia | 204 | 104 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 12 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Malta | 255 | 208 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Portugal | 153 | 126 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Serbia | 102 | 20 | 4 | 12 | 12 | 4 | 12 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 12 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| United Kingdom | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Greece | 170 | 91 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 12 | 2 | 8 | 12 | 10 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Switzerland | 432 | 267 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 12 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 7 | ||||||
| Iceland | 378 | 198 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 10 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 12 | 12 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 5 | 8 | |||||||||||
| Spain | 6 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Moldova | 115 | 53 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 12 | 12 | 2 | 3 | 7 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Germany | 3 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Finland | 301 | 83 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 12 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 1 | 12 | 4 | 4 | |||
| Bulgaria | 170 | 140 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 7 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lithuania | 220 | 55 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 12 | 4 | 3 | 12 | 5 | 12 | 12 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 6 | 5 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 3 | |||||||||||||
| Ukraine | 364 | 97 | 12 | 12 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 12 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 4 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 6 | 12 | 1 | 7 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 5 | ||
| France | 499 | 248 | 8 | 5 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 12 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 12 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 12 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 12 | ||
| Azerbaijan | 65 | 32 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Norway | 75 | 15 | 3 | 10 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Netherlands | 11 | 11 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Italy | 524 | 206 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 3 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 12 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 3 | 10 | 2 | ||
| Sweden | 109 | 46 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 1 | 10 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| San Marino | 50 | 37 | 3 | 3 | 7 |
Incidents
Disqualification of Belarus
Two days after „Ya nauchu tebya (I’ll Teach You)“ was announced as the Belarusian entry for the contest, the EBU ruled that the song did not comply with the contest’s rules against political entries, and that the song was not eligible to compete in the contest unless it was modified or replaced. After failing to meet an extended deadline for submitting an eligible entry, with their second submission „Pesnya pro zaytsa (Song About Hares)“ also being found to not comply with the rules, it was announced on 26 March 2021 that Belarus was disqualified from the contest.
Ukrainian rehearsal stand-in
Before Ukraine’s second rehearsal on 12 May, lead singer of the band Go_A, Kateryna Pavlenko, reported feeling unwell. In accordance with the contest’s health and safety protocols, Pavlenko was required to quarantine in her hotel room. The other band members tested negative and were able to rehearse, with Dutch stand-in singer Emmie van Stijn providing vocals instead of Pavlenko. Pavlenko took a COVID-19 PCR test, which came back negative the following day, allowing her to perform again.
Van Stijn received positive reactions for her performance, in particular for her pronunciation of the Ukrainian lyrics, and was invited to sit with the Ukrainian delegation in the green room during the first semi-final.
COVID-19 infections
A COVID-19 testing zone was set up outside Rotterdam Ahoy during the Eurovision event weeks.
Ahead of the „Turquoise Carpet“ event, one member of each of the Polish and Icelandic delegations tested positive for COVID-19. As a result, those delegations were absent from the event, having gone into self-isolation in accordance with the contest’s health and safety protocols. The Romanian and Maltese delegations were also absent from the event on a precautionary measure, as they were based in the same hotel as the Polish and Icelandic delegations.
All other members of the Polish and Icelandic delegations tested negative, and remained in quarantine until the jury show of the second semi-final. However, it was later confirmed that a member of the Icelandic group Daði og Gagnamagnið had tested positive, and as a result, the group withdrew from performing in the live shows. Footage from their rehearsal at Rotterdam Ahoy was broadcast instead during both the jury show and the live show of the second semi-final; this footage was also shown in the final. The remaining members of the Polish delegation were subsequently released from isolation.
On 20 May, the EBU confirmed that Duncan Laurence had tested positive and would not perform live in the final. He was due to perform his winning song „Arcade“ and his new single „Stars“ during the interval, and present the points on behalf of the Dutch jury; the latter role was filled by Romy Monteiro. Pre-recorded rehearsal footage of Laurence’s interval performance was broadcast instead during the final. Due to the positive test result, Laurence was also not present to hand over the trophy to the winner; the presenters handed over the trophy instead.
The day after the final, a member of the Norwegian delegation tested positive and was forced to remain in Rotterdam for isolation. It was later confirmed that six additional members of the delegation had tested positive after returning to Norway.
Technical issues
Jury show issues
During the jury show of the first semi-final, the Romanian, Ukrainian and Maltese delegations reported problems with their performances; most notably, Roxen was heard to be offbeat with the chorus of their song „Amnesia“. The EBU later confirmed that in-ear monitoring issues had occurred and that all artists involved would be given a second chance to perform. No issues occurred during the second performances.
During San Marino’s jury final performance, the rotating platform did not stop when it was supposed to, leading Senhit to have to jump from it while in motion. The Sammarinese delegation later filed a complaint, also claiming that all the camera shots were distorted due to these timing issues. The delegation offered to allow Senhit and Flo Rida to withdraw from the event, though they ultimately decided to stay. The contest’s executive supervisor, Martin Österdahl, apologised to the delegation and reaffirmed that the issue would be addressed moving forward and that they would be protected to the highest degree.
Camera breaking prior to Ireland’s performance
During the setup for Ireland’s performance in the first semi-final, a camera broke, which caused an extended delay after the postcard was shown. Co-presenter Chantal Janzen improvised in the green room during the live broadcast to fill in the time.
False allegation of drug use
During a green room segment in the final, Damiano David, lead singer of the Italian band Måneskin, was claimed by some online viewers on social media to be seen snorting a line of cocaine when leaned over a table, although there were no drugs in the footage and the singer was sitting away from the table, close to the Italian delegation members. In the band’s press conference following their victory, Torbjörn Ek, a journalist working at the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, asked about the allegations, which David denied by suggesting that fellow member Thomas Raggi had broken a glass which David was picking up off the floor, going on to say „I don’t use drugs, please guys, do not say that.“ The band later put out a statement on their official Instagram account, stating: „We are really shocked about what some people are saying about Damiano doing drugs. We really are AGAINST drugs and we never used cocaine. We are ready to get tested, cause we got nothing to hide.“ The EBU released a statement the following day, stating that the band, their management and the Italian head of delegation had denied any allegation, and the singer in question, Damiano, requested to be tested the same night, but as testing could not be immediately organized, he would „take a voluntary drug test after arriving home.“ It was also confirmed that „broken glass was found after an on site check“. The allegation case was mostly forced in the French press and got even commented by the French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, but France Télévisions announced that they won’t file any official charges, while in the Italian press it was described as a social media joke that had gone too far and become fake news.
On 24 May, the EBU released a statement confirming that no drug use took place in the green room during the final, following a negative drug test and inspection of all available footage. The EBU also expressed concern over „inaccurate speculation leading to fake news [that] has overshadowed the spirit and the outcome of the event and unfairly affected the band.“
Dutch televoting issues
The EBU confirmed on 24 May that they had issues handling the Dutch televote in the final. Many people on social media complained about their votes not being counted and had only received their confirmation texts hours after the show. The EBU later confirmed to NOS that those votes were not counted due to a problem with the Dutch branch of the telecom provider T-Mobile, while clarifying that they had no authority over the issue. The Dutch televote, however, remains valid.
Gallery
