Denmark originally planned to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020. The Danish broadcaster DR organised the national final Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2020 in order to select the Danish entry for the 2020 contest in Rotterdam, Netherlands. However, due to 2019-20 pandemic of Coronavirus, the contest was cancelled.
Background
Prior to the 2020 contest, Denmark had participated in the Eurovision Song Contest forty-eight times since their first entry in. Denmark had won the contest, to this point, on three occasions: in the with the song "Dansevise" performed by Grethe and Jørgen Ingmann, in with the song "Fly on the Wings of Love" performed by Olsen Brothers, and again in with the song "Only Teardrops" performed by Emmelie de Forest. In the 2019 contest, "Love Is Forever" performed by Leonora came 12th in the final with 120 points. The Danish national broadcaster, DR, broadcasts the event within Denmark and organises the selection process for the nation's entry. DR confirmed their intentions to participate at the 2020 Eurovision Song Contest on 25 May 2019. Denmark has selected all of their Eurovision entries thus far through the national final Dansk Melodi Grand Prix.
Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2020 was the 50th edition of Dansk Melodi Grand Prix, the music competition that selects Denmark's entries for the Eurovision Song Contest. The event was held on 7 March 2020 at the Royal Arena in Copenhagen, hosted by Hella Joof and Rasmus Bjerg. For the first time since 1999, a live orchestra was be used in the final. The Antonelli Orchestra accompanied each performance in varying capacities.
Competing entries
DR opened a submission period for artists and composers to submit their entries on 1 November 2019. Nine entries were selected for the P4 radio selection and five entries were selected as a direct qualifier for the final.
P4 selection
The nine selected songs were divided into three groups of three songs, with a public vote selecting one song from each group to qualify for the final. Two jury wildcards will also be chosen among the remaining six songs that did not proceed from the vote. The five qualifying songs were announced on 24 January 2020.
Final
The final took place on 7 March 2020. In the first round of voting the top three advanced to a superfinal based on the votes of a five-member jury and a public vote. In the superfinal, the winner was selected solely by a public vote. As a result of to the COVID-19 pandemic, the final took place with no live audience being admitted.
At Eurovision
According to Eurovision rules, all nations with the exceptions of the host country and the "Big 5" 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 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. On 28 January 2020, a special allocation draw was held which placed each country into one of the two semi-finals, as well as which half of the show they would perform in. Denmark was placed into the second semi-final, to be held on 14 May 2020, and was scheduled to perform in the second half of the show. However, due to 2019-20 coronavirus pandemic, the contest was cancelled. In the Eurovision Song Celebration youtube broadcast in place of the heats, it was revealed that the song would have performed 11th, between Switzerland and Albania
