Which broadcaster would host the following year if VRT/RTBF won Eurovision? 🇧🇪

[u/Bangaranga2026]

So I know that Belgium has two broadcasters, but how does it work in terms of hosting privileges if one broadcaster sends a winning song?

[u/Objective-Ruin-6481]

The winning broadcaster will host it, the other broadcaster will send a participant. This is what happened in 1987.

So if Belgium wins in 2027, VRT will host the contest in 2028 and an artist selected by RTBF will participate. Actually pretty simple.

[u/Bicou3190 → u/Objective-Ruin-6481]

I guess Brussels will be hosting the ESC, whatever broadcaster wins ?

[u/CGB_Yensit → u/Bicou3190]

I dont think so, i think Antwerp could host it too

[u/Objective-Ruin-6481 → u/CGB_Yensit]

If VRT wins, Antwerp has the best chance to host it.

[u/emanuele-sgarra_04 → u/CGB_Yensit]

Or Hasselt: the city has already hosted JESC in 2005, so it's not stranger to Eurovision events. Is the venue eligible or not?

[u/flopjul → u/emanuele-sgarra_04]

I think Antwerp would get priority since it hasnt hosted and is the main city of Flanders

[u/Vokkal → u/Bicou3190]

If RTBF wins, for sure.
If VRT wins, im pretty sure there would be a lot of political pressure to host in Antwerp.

[u/maxledaron → u/Vokkal]

Yeah I think the venue for an RTBF Eurovision would be ING arena, VRT would go to sportpaleis Antwerp (don't know the new name I think it stopped to be lotto arena)

[u/RozaJetis → u/maxledaron]

Lotto Arena is the small arena, AFAS Dome is the large arena, used to be Sportpaleis.

[u/Vokkal → u/maxledaron]

Yeah probably ING Arena indeed, i think Forest National is way too small.

And for Antwerp, Lotto Arena is probably too small aswell so it would be AFAS Dome.

[u/Litt82]

The original idea in 1987 was for RTBF and BRT to host the contest together. They couldn't agree on how and where to do it, so that's how we ended up with RTBF hosting and BRT selecting the entry.

I think if either broadcaster won now, chances are that they might actually share hosting duties this time. They did for the kid's contest in Hasselt and they have more experience working together than they had in the 1980s (i.e. for some charity and national day events).

[u/Objective-Ruin-6481 → u/Litt82]

I doubt if they will do that. It probably depends on how much the federal government finances it. If they pay a significant share, they may demand VRT and RTBF share hosting duties.

However, I’m sure there will be massive political pressure to make a Flemish edition if VRT wins it. Might be the other way around too. But I’m less sure about that, because RTBF already hosted once.

[u/Litt82 → u/Objective-Ruin-6481]

The people who are supermassive into promoting being Flemish are also the ones who love cutting VRT's budget, so that would pose a dilemma for sure.

[u/maxledaron → u/Litt82]

And that's how advertising arrived at RTBF, organizing song contest was so expensive they needed private funds

[u/SimoSanto]

Seeing the only year they won (1986, when the act was selected by RTBF), in 1987 the contest was hosted by RTBF (because they won) but the act was still selected in rotation by VRT.

So, the winner host the contest but they still continue to alternate for the acts.

[u/SuperNerdTom → u/SimoSanto]

BRT, not VRT

[u/MarkWrenn74 → u/SuperNerdTom]

They changed the name in 1998

[u/Comfortable_Mix2360]

When Belgium hosted JESC both hosted it

[u/LetsGetRowdyRowdy → u/Comfortable_Mix2360]

True but that was not a result of them winning the previous year...the question lies in where the prize for the broadcaster who won Eurovision ends and where the entitlement of the other broadcaster whose turn it is begins.

[u/CityEvening]

I’d imagine that for budget reasons it would be jointly hosted, with the usual selection manner for the entrant.

I’ve always found it interesting that for Brussels 87, the host (RTBF) technically didn’t have an entry with Belgium represented by BRT.

[u/PhilosophyOdd3514]

which ever broadcaster wins hosts and the other sends the act i think

[u/Ok_Refrigerator9242]

I wouldn't worry too much about that. I really don't see Belgium winning anytime soon.

[u/F12_Wael]

I think they both should host and for the artist selection, they do a national selection with half of the entries from VRT and half from RTBF