Eurovision 2021 Final: times, TV and how to watch in the US

A total of 26 will be competing in tonight’s LXV Eurovision Song Contest, the world's most popular live music event live from Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The event returns after being cancelled last year due to the Coronavirus pandemic. A reduced audience of 3,500 will be admitted to Ahoy Rotterdam to watch the performances after undergoing Covid-19 tests.

Iceland and Australia entries to be pre-recorded

Favourites Iceland will not be able to perform live during the finals, after a band member tested positive for Covid-19 - a pre-recorded video of their entry will be shown, as will Australia's. The organisation will instead broadcast its back-up performance, which each country can use in an emergency. Among other countries tipped by bookmakers to take the big prize is Malta, with an up-tempo dance floor track Je me casse, France with singer Barbara Pravi's classic chanson Voila, Italy's glam rock band Maneskin, which will perform Zitti E Buoni and Lithuania's The Roop with the retro-pop song Discoteque.

Due to travel restrictions, most Eurovision fans outside the Netherlands will have to watch from home. The Eurovision Song Contest draws a global television audience of about 200 million and will be broadcast live in 44 countries worldwide. The event will also be streamed live on the organisers' official Youtube channel although the broadcast will be geo-blocked in several countries, including Australia, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine, United States and the United Kingdom.

Where can I watch the Eurovision Song Contest in the US?

The 2021 Eurovision Song Contest will take place on Saturday 22 May and starts at 21:00 hours local time (CEST), that’s 3 p.m. ET (12:00 PT). In the United States, the event will be streamed live by Peacock, the only broadcaster with the rights in the US. You will however need to have a Peacock subscription - Peacock TV costs have three tiers: Peacock Free, Peacock Premium ($4.99/month), and Peacock Premium Plus ($9.99/month).

Eurovision goes Stateside

An American version of the Eurovision Song Contest has been organised as NBC has secured the 'American Song Contest' - a co-production between Propagate and Universal Television Alternative Studio, a division of Universal Studio Group. The show will feature live performances, representing all 50 states, five United States territories and the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C, competing to win the country’s vote for the ‘Best Original Song’. Interested applicants have been encouraged to apply with their entry.