The Netherlands participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 with the song "Birth of a New Age" written by Jeangu Macrooy and Pieter Perquin. The song was performed by Jeangu Macrooy, who was internally selected to represent the Netherlands at the 2021 contest after he was due to compete in the 2020 contest with "Grow" before the event's cancellation. In addition to its participation, the Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS also hosted the contest in Rotterdam, after winning the competition in with the song "Arcade" by Duncan Laurence. Macrooy's re-appointment as the Dutch representative was announced on 18 March 2020, while the song, "Birth of a New Age", was presented to the public during a special live broadcast on 4 March 2021.
As the host country, the Netherlands qualified to compete directly in the final of the Eurovision Song Contest. The country placed twenty-third out of the 26 participating countries with 11 points.
Background
Prior to the 2021 contest, the Netherlands had participated in the Eurovision Song Contest sixty times since their début as one of seven countries to take part in the inaugural contest in . Since then, the country has won the contest five times: in with the song "" performed by Corry Brokken; in with the song "" performed by Teddy Scholten; in as one of four countries to tie for first place with "De troubadour" performed by Lenny Kuhr; in with "Ding-a-dong" performed by the group Teach-In; and finally in with "Arcade" performed by Duncan Laurence. Following the introduction of semi-finals for the 2004 contest, the Netherlands had featured in seven finals.
The Dutch national broadcaster, AVROTROS, broadcasts the event within the Netherlands and organises the selection process for the nation's entry. The Netherlands has used various methods to select the Dutch entry in the past, such as the , a live televised national final to choose the performer, song or both to compete at Eurovision. However, internal selections have also been held on occasion. Since 2013, the broadcaster has internally selected the Dutch entry for the contest. In 2013, the internal selection of Anouk performing "Birds" managed to take the country to the final for the first time in eight years and placed ninth overall. In 2014, the internal selection of the Common Linnets performing "Calm After the Storm" qualified the nation to the final once again and placed second, while the internal selection of Duncan Laurence in 2019 managed to achieve a Dutch victory for the first time since 1975. For 2021, the broadcaster opted to continue selecting the Dutch entry through an internal selection.
Before Eurovision
Internal selection
On 18 March 2020, the Dutch broadcaster confirmed that Jeangu Macrooy would remain as the Netherlands' representative for the Eurovision Song Contest 2021. On 4 March 2021, Macrooy's Eurovision entry, "Birth of a New Age", was presented to the public during a special live broadcast streamed online via the broadcaster's YouTube channel. The selection of the song, written by Jeangu Macrooy himself together with Pieter Perquin, occurred through the decision of Macrooy and a selection commission consisting of AVROTROS general director Eric van Stade, television host and author Cornald Maas, singer and television host Jan Smit, radio DJs Coen Swijnenberg and Sander Lantinga, and Dutch Eurovision delegation member Joyce Hoedelmans. "Birth of a New Age" became the first entry in the Eurovision Song Contest to feature lyrics in the Sranan Tongo language.
At Eurovision
According to Eurovision rules, all nations with the exceptions of the host country and the "Big Five" (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom) are required to qualify from one of two semi-finals in order to compete for the final; the top ten countries from each semi-final progress to the final. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) split up the competing countries into six different pots based on voting patterns from previous contests, with countries with favourable voting histories put into the same pot. The semi-final allocation draw held for the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 on 28 January 2020 was used for the 2021 contest, which the Netherlands was assigned to broadcast and vote in the first semi-final on 18 May 2021.