Eurovision in the Netherlands has been discussed in the Dutch news since winning the Eurovision Song Contest in 2019. After top city contestants such as Maastricht, Amsterdam and Eindhoven, Eurovision in Rotterdam has been decided to host the 2021 Eurovision in the Netherlands. Eurovision in Rotterdam is a wonderful choice and the perfect opportunity to visit the Netherlands! As a expat-turned-local in Rotterdam, I couldn’t wait to share this post of tips and local advice to visit Eurovision in Rotterdam!
Eurovision Throwback To Winning 2019!
In 2019 I remember watching the Eurovision Song Contest with my closest family, staying up until 2am watching the whole show and results. Duncan Laurence has sung his song Arcade and he was the bookmakers’ favourite to win. It was pretty nerve-racking in the end with the final moments between Sweden and The Netherlands. With a highest score from the public vote we took the lead and won!!
The last time the Netherlands had won the Eurovision song contest was in 1975. So it was quite a celebration after 44 years!
Did you watch last year when Duncan won? We hope you are excited for Eurovision In the Netherlands too!
Location Of The Eurovision In The Netherlands
For 2021 the Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. This beautiful city is home to just under 645,000 people surrounded by modern architecture, built up from the World War Two bombardment which destroyed the city in 1940.
Rotterdam is the second largest city in the Netherlands, located in the province of South Holland. Rotterdam is also home to the largest port in Europe. So you can imagine all the cruise and container ships arriving daily! The city itself has 14 sub municipalities, all reachable with either a tram, car, metro or the typical Dutch way like cycling.
Easiest Way To Get To Rotterdam
By Airport
The main airport in the Netherlands as you may know is Schiphol International Airport. However you can also reach the Netherlands with Rotterdam Airport and Eindhoven Airport too. These are the three main airports in the Netherlands that we can recommend. The closest to Rotterdam is obviously Rotterdam Airport, but with the good public transport in the Netherlands it is easy to reach with all three airports.
By Train
The easiest way to arrive in Rotterdam is by train with the NS. Firstly arriving at Rotterdam Airport, the closest of them all. From here there is a bus or metro straight to the city center!
From Schiphol International Airport you can get either an intercity train that takes around 50 minutes, or a faster intercity direct train which takes only 26 minutes. The difference is that you need an extra supplement for the faster one, costing only €2.50 extra at the train station. Worth it if you want to arrive faster!
Lastly is from Eindhoven Airport, you first need to take a bus (or taxi) to the train station. Then the intercity train will take around 1 hour to Rotterdam.
So the city of Rotterdam is pretty accessible by trains for your visit of the Eurovision In the Netherlands!
FYI – Check out these mistakes not to make when arriving in the Netherlands!
Best Hotels To Stay At Rotterdam
The Eurovision song contest will be located at Ahoy Rotterdam, the spacious and welcoming location in Rotterdam South. Based on the news there will also be other locations in the city center that will be used during this event.
Rotterdam South and Ahoy is very easily reachable with trams, trains, buses and bikes if you like cycling. With such great public transportation, you can sleep anywhere in Rotterdam and still be close!
We can recommend the following hotels in the central area.
- Citizen M Hotel – located perfectly at Blaak right next to the main touristic area
- Nhow Hotel – luxuriously located in Katendrecht with a gorgeous view of the famous Erasmus Bridge
- Cube House – go crazy and stay at this unique Airbnb! Don’t forget to use our 10% off with our Airbnb code!
- New Ocean Paradise Hotel – close to the famous Euromast!
- NH Atlanta Rotterdam Hotel – perfect between city center and the Eurovision location!
You can read more locations to stay at on our Where To Stay In Rotterdam post, which was written by travel bloggers when there was a travel conference in Rotterdam!
Top Places To Eat In Rotterdam
You can’t visit the Eurovision Song Contest without checking out nice restaurants and trying local cuisine. There are some amazing places to eat and drink at during your visit.
We can recommend the following, but of course there are loads of great places to choose from;
- Plenty of choices at our famous foodie’s paradise, the Markthal!
- Rotown – Easy lunch place with lots of fresh options
- Gauchos – Reserve your table here for the best steak in Rotterdam!
- Old Scula – The best delicious pizzas for a great price
For local Dutch cuisine, check out our list of all the Dutch treats and delicacies you need to try!
What Will The Weather Be Like During Eurovision Weekend?
Spring time in the Netherlands has some great temperatures, from average high of 20°c to a low of 8°c. However in 2019 we experienced a heatwave of maximum 31°c! So be prepared for your visit by checking out the weather forecast before you arrive.
At least we know that it will be Spring, so check out our Spring Photography of 2019 and Spring Time Rotterdam 2020 post for inspiration!
And with Spring you should also know that it’s the perfect time to visit these Top Tulip Locations and the Keukenhof in the Netherlands! Take a trip to one of the locations to make your Eurovision Weekend complete.
FYI – Check out these mistakes not to make when arriving in the Netherlands!
Extra Things To Do During Eurovision In Rotterdam
While the Eurovision is in the Netherlands, why not check out some local things to do during your stay too! Rotterdam offers fun activities, local parks, good shopping areas and plenty of museums.
- Dining at the Markthal, a foodie’s paradise!
- Exploring the Cubic Houses – literally cube shaped houses
- Download these Rotterdam based apps to help get around and explore!
- Get drinks at some of these fun skyline locations
- It will be Spring time, so get inspired by these Spring Rotterdam photos from 2020!
- Love cats? Check out Rotterdam’s famous kitty cafe!
- Check out the urban city side with Street Art walks
Check out our other posts about Rotterdam!
Discover the prettiest neighborhood Kralingen
‘De Rotterdam’ Tour – Highest Skyscraper In The Netherlands!
Summary of Eurovision In The Netherlands
We hope our short but sweet post helps you while you are visiting (or considering to visit) Eurovision In the Netherlands! As a local, it’s great to hear that the Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Rotterdam. However we hope you get to see the city as well as the event as Rotterdam has so much to offer!
Tips:
- Hotels will be booked pretty quick – so keep this in mind!
- Plan time to explore the beautiful modern city of Rotterdam (maybe include a day trip to Amsterdam too!)
- Enjoy the Eurovision in the Netherlands!!
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Are you planning to watch the Eurovision In the Netherlands? If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out!
2 Comments
Julie
6th September 2019 at 6:12 pmI’ve never heard of Eurovision but it sure sounds cool!! You included everything here for someone to plan for this occasion!! Love it.
Falke
8th September 2019 at 4:40 pmI’m so excited for Eurovision in the Netherlands! I’m from Belgium so it’s not far for me, but for some reason I’ve never been in Rotterdam before! I guess you guys just needed to win Eurovision!