ROTTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) — After more than a week of rehearsals, two semifinals and 53,000 COVID-19 tests for fans, staff and performers…
ROTTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) — After more than a week of rehearsals, two semifinals and 53,000 COVID-19 tests for fans, staff and performers, the Eurovision Song Contest that was canceled last year because of the pandemic goes live Saturday in front of 3,500 fans and a global television audience. While the hugely popular music festival that oozes flamboyance is seen as a significant step toward a post-pandemic return to live entertainment, not everybody managed to avoid the virus. The popular Icelandic band Dadi og Gagnamagnid with their kitsch dance moves and green leisurewear are in the final, but cannot perform live because one member tested positive. Instead viewers will see a recording of one of the band’s dress rehearsals. “The point was to go and actually experience how it was to compete in Eurovision and that’s just really not happening,” lead singer Dadi Freyr said from isolation in Rotterdam.
