THE EUROVISION SONG Contest, which was due to be held tonight, is just one of many events that have been cancelled in recent months due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

This would have been the 65th edition of the contest.

Ireland’s entry, Lesley Roy, was due to sing Story of My Life in Rotterdam in the Netherlands, following the country’s victory at the 2019 contest in Israel. 

While the event itself has been called off, Eurovision: Europe Shine A Light will air in its place at 8pm on RTÉ One. 

RTÉ will be joining public service broadcasters from over 40 countries to air the show. 

The show will spotlight the 41 songs which were due to be performed tonight, along with special performances from popular artists from Eurovision’s past. 

During the show, this year’s artists will join together, from their locations across Europe, in a unifying performance of 1997′s Eurovision winner Love Shine A Light by Katrina And The Waves. 

“We want to make a show that puts a spotlight not only on the 41 artists that were due to appear in Rotterdam but also inspire those at home and connect people from across Europe and beyond in these difficult times,” Eurovision Song Contest executive producer Sietse Bakker said. 

Of course, we will also honour those who are affected by the coronavirus crisis and those who work so hard to fight it. Let’s make this an unforgettable moment in Eurovision history. 

During tonight’s show, Michael Schulte (Germany, 2018) will accompany DeLange from The Common Linnets (the Netherlands, 2014) performing Ein Bisschen Frieden, the song of Germany’s first winner (Nicole, 1982).

Israel’s Eurovision winner from 1979, Gali Atari, will also sing her hit Hallelujah alongside a choir featuring past participants from the Junior Eurovision Song Contest.

The Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra will add a classical touch to the show with a performance. 

Eurovision fans from across the world are set to bring a sing-along moment to the screen as they form a huge choir and sing Johnny Logan’s What’s Another Year with the three-time winner himself. 

BBC’s Eurovision host Graham Norton and Dutch YouTube star NikkieTutorials will also make appearances during the live broadcast. 

The show will be hosted by Dutch presenters Chantal Janzen, Edsilia Rombley and Jan Smit.  

Eurovision: Europe Shine A Light will air on RTÉ One from 8pm to 10pm tonight. The show will also be broadcast live from Eurovision’s official YouTube channel.