Serene Song Contest 3

A Saturn Return

## Participation Map

**Serene Song Contest #3**, often referred to as SSC #3, is the third edition of the Serene Song Contest. The contest will take place in Edinburgh, United Kingdom following their win in the second edition with the song "Quiet, I Can't Think" by Safesp8ce. It will be the first time that the United Kingdom host the contest, and the contest will be hosted at the Royal Highland Centre, and the live shows will be hosted by AJ Odudu and Alison Hammond.

Twenty-six participated in the contest. The country list was determined by the results of the previous edition. Finland, Morocco, and New Zealand all announced their debuts to the contest. Brazil, France, and Germany returned to the contest after being relegated from edition two. Japan, Netherlands, Philippines, Romania, Spain, and Sweden all announced their withdrawals after finishing in the bottom six of the previous edition.

## Location

*Further information on the host country: United Kingdom*

### Host City

**Edinburgh** is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. The city is located in south-east Scotland, and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth estuary and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh had a population of 506,520 in mid-2020, making it the second-most populous city in Scotland and the seventh-most populous in the United Kingdom.

Recognised as the capital of Scotland since at least the 15th century, Edinburgh is the seat of the Scottish Government, the Scottish Parliament, the highest courts in Scotland, and the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland. It is also the annual venue of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. The city has long been a centre of education, particularly in the fields of medicine, Scottish law, literature, philosophy, the sciences and engineering. The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1582 and now one of three in the city, is considered one of the best research institutions in the world. It is the second-largest financial centre in the United Kingdom, the fourth largest in Europe, and the thirteenth largest internationally.

The city is a cultural centre, and is the home of institutions including the National Museum of Scotland, the National Library of Scotland and the Scottish National Gallery. The city is also known for the Edinburgh International Festival and the Fringe, the latter being the world's largest annual international arts festival. Historic sites in Edinburgh include Edinburgh Castle, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the churches of St. Giles, Greyfriars and the Canongate, and the extensive Georgian New Town built in the 18th/19th centuries. Edinburgh's Old Town and New Town together are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which has been managed by Edinburgh World Heritage since 1999. The city's historical and cultural attractions have made it the UK's second-most visited tourist destination, attracting 4.9 million visits, including 2.4 million from overseas in 2018.

### Venue

**The Royal Highland Centre (RHC)**, originally the Royal Highland Showground, is an exhibition centre and showground located at Ingliston in the western outskirts of Edinburgh, Scotland, adjacent to Edinburgh Airport and the A8. The RHC now welcomes over 1 million visitors annually to a wide range of events. The largest event is the Royal Highland Show, which attracts over 200,000 visitors each year.

The Royal Highland Centre has played host to live music over the years including David Bowie, The Jacksons, Genesis, Queen, Teardrop Explodes, Rainbow, Oasis, Big Country, Boston, The Jam, Rush, Electric Light Orchestra, Iron Maiden, Anthrax, Slayer, Megadeth, Billy Idol, The Police, Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, Barry Manilow, Boyzone, Madness, and Roxette. The Ingliston showground has also played host to a number of concerts including the Edinburgh Rock festival of 1979 featuring Van Morrison, Talking Heads, The Undertones, Squeeze, Steel Pulse and The Chieftains.

In 2013 and 2014, it hosted the Professional Darts Corporation's Masters tournament. In 2017, the pop girl-band Little Mix played the first concert in the newly formed outdoor South Arena on the RHC site. As of October 2019, Monopoly Events holds the popular Comic Con Scotland annual event in the Royal Highland Centre with a large audience and many high calibre celebrity guest names attending. In 2021, the venue was used as a vaccination centre during the COVID-19 pandemic.

## Participating Countries

### Final

Twenty-six countries participated in the final and cast their votes. Non-participants' vote were combined into one rest of the world set of votes.

## Other countries

*Further information: List of Countries in the Serene Song Contest*

Eligibility for potential participation in the contest requires a national broadcaster with active SBU membership that would be able to broadcast the contest. As in every edition, an invitation to all the members has been sent to confirm whether they will participate or not.

### Active Members

* Japan: After finishing twenty-sixth in the previous edition Japan was forced to withdraw, but plans for future returns have not been ruled out.
* Netherlands: After finishing twenty-fourth in the previous edition Netherlands was forced to withdraw, a return in edition four is yet to be discussed.
* Philippines: After finishing twenty-second in the previous edition Philippines was forced to withdraw. A return in edition four is unlikely due to low viewing figures.
* Romania: After finishing twenty-fifth in the previous edition Romania was forced to withdraw. TVR has been discussing a return in edition four and has been reaching out to various composers and music producers.
* Spain: After finishing twenty-third in the previous edition Spain was forced to withdraw. RTVE is likely to return within the next two editions due to high popularity of the contest among Spanish people.
* Sweden: After finishing twenty-first in the previous edition Sweden was forced to withdraw, but plans for future returns are going ahead.

### Other Members

* China: China initially confirmed a return to the contest, however announced their withdrawal for the second edition in a row. They were replaced in the country list by Brazil.
* Mexico: Mexico announced another non participation so that the broadcaster can focus on other projects.
* Russia: Russia was not included in the final list of participants. A spokesperson for TV Rain stated that they are continuing to scout for artists interested in performing at the contest.