OREANDA-NEWS. The Dutch authorities have allowed the public to attend the Eurovision Song Contest, to be held in Rotterdam in May, to check the safety of mass events amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This was confirmed by the organizers of the competition.

In a statement from the executive supervisor of the competition, Martin Osterdahl, published on the Eurovision website, it is said: "We welcome this decision by the Dutch government and the opportunity to invite fans to join the Eurovision song contest in May."

According to the Netherlands Broadcasting Corporation (NOS), the Dutch cabinet intends to conduct an experiment to find out how to safely hold mass events with a large audience.

All nine shows - six rehearsals, two semi-finals and the final - will be simultaneously attended by a maximum of 3.5 thousand spectators. However, in order to be admitted to the event, they must have a negative PCR test for coronavirus with them. 3.5 thousand people is about half of the expected number last year.

At the same time, the authorities did not rule out that viewers will have to watch Eurovision on TV if the situation with the spread of coronavirus in the country worsens. In addition, due to travel restrictions, only viewers from the Netherlands are welcome to enter the competition so far.

The International Eurovision Song Contest, canceled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, will be held May 18-22 at the Ahoy Arena in Rotterdam.