The first ever Eurovision Song Contest took place in Lugano, Switzerland, at the Teatro Kursaal, on 24th of May 1956.
The 1957 Eurovision Song Contest was hosted by the Hessischer Rundfunk on behalf of Deutsches Fernsehen ARD.
The Dutch entry Net Als Toen by Corry Brokken had brought the first victory to the Netherlands in Frankfurt am Main the previous year and Dutch TV was the proud host in 1958. It was the first time that the winning country from the previous year had hosted the contest.
The Eurovision Song Contest of 1959 welcomed the small principality of Monaco. Moreover, the United Kingdom re-entered the contest after one year of absence, and Luxembourg decided not to participate. A new rule was introduced to this fourth Eurovision Song Contest; musical experts were no longer allowed in the national juries, but other than that, the same voting system as in 1957 and 1958 was used.
The capital of the United Kingdom, London, provided the setting for the fifth Eurovision Song Contest. This was despite the fact that the Netherlands actually won the Eurovision Song Contest in Cannes the year before with Een Beetje, performed by Teddy Scholten. Following the victory the Dutch national broadcaster did not want to host the contest again so the honour went to the UK which had finished second the year before.
Just like in 1959, the Palais des Festivals was the venue of this year's contest. The presenter of the show was Jacqueline Joubert, who already did this task in 1959. The stage used for the show was much bigger than in previous years, and it was magnificently decorated with flowers.
After the victory in Cannes in 1961, Luxembourg was the host of the seventh Eurovision Song Contest. The stage was decorated with twinkling stars, but unfortunately they could not be seen for parts of the evening because there were some problems with the lights in the big auditorium of the Villa Louvigny.
The honour of hosting this year's song contest was handed over by the French to the United Kingdom. The main reason was that France did not want to host the song contest so soon after hosting it twice in Cannes in 1959 and 1961.
The 1964 Eurovision Song Contest took place in the famous Tivoli Concert Hall in Copenhagen. The event became highly politicised with demands that right-wing dictatorships in Spain and Portugal should be excluded from the contest. There was even some trouble during the contest as just before the Belgian entry, a man entered the stage holding a banner saying "Boycott Franco and Salazar". He was quickly removed from the stage.
Italy and its national broadcaster RAI hosted this year's contest for the first time. 18 countries took part, at that point, the number of participants ever. After a year of absence, Sweden returned to the competition and Ireland debuted.
The capital city of Luxembourg was the home of the 11th Eurovision Song Contest. The rules for the contest were changed and national juries could include music experts again. The major change was that a rule was introduced stipulating that songs had to be performed in one of the official languages of the participating country.
The 1967 Eurovision Song Contest took place at the Großer Festsaal der Wiener Hofburg in Vienna. The number of participants went down from 18 to 17 because Denmark chose to withdraw from the contest and would not come back to the contest until 1978. The contest had a very glamorous setting: the stage included three revolving mirrors and a staircase entrance in the middle.
France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom broadcast the 1968 contest in colour despite the fact that very few TV-viewers at home owned a colour TV set. However, colour was here to stay and all song contests since then have been broadcast primarily in colour.
For the first time in the history of the Eurovision Song Contest, the outcome of the voting resulted in a tie for first place. Four countries gained 18 points each: France, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom. Since there was no solution for this situation, all four countries were declared winners.
There were plenty of host countries to choose from as a result of the four-way tie in 1969; the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, France and Spain. Eventually, Amsterdam was chosen to host the fifteenth Eurovision Song Contest by the drawing of lots. For the second year in a row, the number of participants went down.
For the first time in the history of the Eurovision Song Contest, Ireland hosted the event at the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin. Compared to 1970, the number of participants rose to 18 as Finland, Norway, Sweden and Portugal all returned to the contest after a year of absence. Malta also made its debut. The contest was broadcast in 29 countries.
The BBC stepped in to host the Eurovision Song Contest in 1972 and chose a venue outside of London for the first time. The contest was broadcast live to Asia for the first time with viewers in Japan, Taiwan, The Philippines, Hong Kong and Thailand, all able to watch the show. It also was the first year that a video wall was used to present song titles and artists.
For the third time in the 18-year-old history of the Eurovision Song Contest, Luxembourg had the honour of hosting the event with 17 nations present. After ending up in last position two years in a row, Malta decided to withdraw from the contest. Austria decided not to participate either. Instead, a new country joined the song contest, Israel. It was the first non-European country to enter the contest. Israel was allowed to do so because the country was already a member of the European Broadcasting Union.
1974 saw the first participation of Greece who sent their national star Marinella. France was to enter the song contest with the entry La Vie A Vingt-cinq Ans by Dani, but the French singer never got the chance to perform though as the French president, Georges Pompidou, died in the week of the contest and France withdrew.
In 1975 another voting system was implemented. Juries in every country would give 1 - 12 points to their 10 favourite songs, starting with 12 points to their top favourite, then 10 to the second favourite, 8 to their third favourite, 7 to their fourth favourite and ending with 1 point for their tenth favourite. This formula is still in place today. A record of 19 participating countries took part in the 1975 Eurovision Song Contest. After its debut in the preceding year, Greece withdrew from the contest. On the other hand, Turkey sent its first entry to the song contest and France and Malta returned.
After being host of the 1975 Eurovision Song Contest, Sweden withdrew from the contest as Swedish TV thought that the contest had become too commercial. They were also afraid of winning again and having to host the expensive show so soon. Turkey and Malta withdrew as well, but Greece and Austria returned. 18 countries participated in the 1976 song contest altogether. Former Dutch Eurovision Song Contest winner Corry Brokken hosted the contest.
This 1977 Eurovision Song Contest took place at the Wembley Conference Centre in London. The event was postponed for five weeks because of the fact that the cameramen and technicians were on strike. The song contest was supposed to take place on the 2nd of April, but it did not take place until 7th May. 18 countries took part this year. Sweden returned, and Yugoslavia withdrew from the contest. Tunisia was supposed to participate as well, performing in 4th position, but the country later withdrew its entry.
For the third time in Eurovision Song Contest history, the event was held in France. After having hosted the two previous contests in Cannes, French Television decided to host it in the capital Paris. A record 20 countries participated in 1978. Denmark returned to the contest after an 11 year absence. Turkey also participated, and no country withdrew from the previous year. For the first time, the show was presented by two people; Denise Fabre and Léon Zitrone. It was the first time contest was broadcast live in Dubai.
Jerusalem was this year's host city that welcomed 19 different delegations. Turkey withdrew from the contest because it took place in Israel and many Arab countries put pressure on Turkey not to go to Jerusalem.
The Hague was once again the host city for the song contest after both Israel and the United Kingdom declined to stage the contest after Israel declined the opportunity to host the show twice in succession. As a result of these delays, the 1980 contest was hastily arranged and Dutch TV NOS had to re-use most of the stage from 1976, the last time they hosted the contest. NOS picked 19th April as the date for the song contest, but as this was the Holocaust Memorial Day in Israel, the defending champion decided not to participate which marked the only time when the winner of one Eurovision Song Contest did not participate in the next.
Songs of Europe is a concert television programme commemorating the Eurovision Song Contest's twenty-fifth anniversary. The event was held in Mysen, Norway in 1981, featuring nearly all the winners of the Eurovision Song Contest from its first edition in 1956 to 1981, and broadcast to more than 100 million viewers all over Europe.[citation needed] The concert, which was the largest ever in Norway at the time, and still the largest in Mysen, was hosted by Norwegian television personalities Rolf Kirkvaag and Titten Tei, who led the two-hour live broadcast in English, German, French, Norwegian and Spanish. The majority of entries were conducted by Sigurd Jansen, although the song "Hallelujah" was conducted, as it was in 1979, by composer Kobi Oshrat.[1] "Nous les amoureux" was conducted by Raymond Bernard, "La, la, la" by Manuel Gas, and "Boom Bang-a-Bang" by Kenny Clayton
For the second time, the Eurovision champion winner, Ireland, was the host for the event which took place in Dublin. In 1981, the total amount of participating countries was 20 once again equalling the record set three years earlier in Paris. Morocco withdrew after their first participation, and Italy decided to stay at home as well because the interest in the country had diminished. Yugoslavia returned to the contest after five years of absence, so did Israel after the county had missed out on one contest. Finally, Cyprus made its Eurovision debut. It was also the first year Egypt's television viewers could follow the contest live on television.
Harrogate, the host city of the 1982 Eurovision Song Contest, was largely unknown to international viewers, something that was not lost on the BBC. The opening sequence of the show included the question "Where is Harrogate" in the languages of the participating countries. France withdrew from the contest only to return a year later with a different broadcaster. Greece also withdrew from the contest, leaving 18 countries in the competition. Greece was supposed to enter the contest with the song Sarantapente Kopelies performed by Themis Adamantidis but the Greek Minister of Culture Melina Mercouri decided to withdraw the song just two weeks before the contest as was unhappy with it.
In 1983 the Eurovision Song Contest was held in Germany for the first time since 1957. The host for the evening was Marlene Charell who presented the show in three languages, German, French and English. Due to the trilingual presentation, the contest lasted more than 3 hours for the first time ever. The total number of participants rose to 20 again as Italy, France and Greece returned.
After having held the contest last in 1973, Luxembourg played the host for the 1984 Eurovision Song Contest. The total number of participants was 19, one country less than in the preceding year as Greece decided not to enter a song. The contest also clashed with Israel's Remembrance Day, so the country wasn't present in Luxembourg either. Ireland returned to the contest though, finishing second.
The city of Gothenburg was chosen by the Swedish broadcaster to be host city to the 1985 Eurovision Song Contest. This year, the Netherlands chose to withdraw from the contest because it collided with the country's national Remembrance Day. Yugoslavia also decided to stay home because of a national holiday. Israel and Greece returned to the contest so the number of participants was 19 again, just as in the previous year.
For the first time, Norway had the honour of hosting the 31st Eurovision Song Contest. Just like in Munich three years earlier, 20 countries participated in the contest. The Netherlands and Yugoslavia returned, Italy and Greece withdrew from the from the contest and Iceland made its debut.
Belgium had the honour of hosting the 1987 Eurovision Song Contest for the first time in the country's history. The highest number of participants ever, 22, entered the contest in 1987. Greece and Italy returned to the contest after a year of absence. The 1986 contest was won by a Walloon entry, but in 1987 the Flemish broadcaster, BRT, was responsible for the Belgian entry. BRT also wanted to co-organise the contest, but the Walloon broadcaster, RTBF decided to organise the event on its own. The presenter of the 3-hour-show was the successful Belgian artist Viktor Laszlo who opened the contest presenting her latest song Breathless.
The 1988 Eurovision Song Contest was hosted in Dublin for the third time, 21 countries competed for the trophy. Host broadcaster RTE introduced a modern set, at that point the largest in the history of the contest. Two giant video walls and a computerised scoreboard were also unveiled. At the time, it was a ground breaking production and set the standard for future editions of the contest.
Switzerland hosted the very first Eurovision Song Contest in 1956 but did not host again until 1989. Céline Dion opened the show with a shortened reprise of her winning song from 1988, Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi and also performed her new English language single, Where Does My Heart Beat Now. The song would go on to be her first major hit in the United States.
22 countries participated in the 1990 Eurovision Song Contest, the same line up as in 1989. Many of the songs reflected the wider political developments that were taking place in Europe.
The 1991 Eurovision Song Contest was supposed to be held in the seaside resort San Remo which is known for its annual festival of Italian music, but host broadcaster RAI moved it to Rome at a very late stage due to ongoing instability in the Balkan region. For the second time since the very first Eurovision Song Contest in 1956, the Netherlands decided to withdraw from the contest due to the country's Remembrance Day. Malta took the open spot which meant that the country was back for the first time since 1975.
A new record of participating countries was set in 1992 as the Netherlands returned to the contest and Malta continued to participate. The venue for the show was the MalmöMässan, a large exhibition and conference centre. The stage was in the shape of a Viking ship's bow and the floor design was an adaption of the EBU's Eurovision logo.
Following the fall of the Iron Curtain and the dislocation of Yugoslavia, the number of countries wishing to participate in the contest grew strongly. For the second consecutive year, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) expanded the maximum number of participating countries from twenty-three to twenty-five. As Yugoslavia was excluded, only the twenty-two other countries that participated in the 1992 edition of the competition immediately won a place in the final. The EBU decided that the last three places would be awarded through a preselection, which would be organized by Slovenian public television
The 1993 Eurovision Song Contest, held in Millstreet, a small town in South West Ireland, home to 1500 people, was an ambitious production for national broadcaster RTE. The 1993 contest is to date, the only competition in Ireland that has been held outside of the capital Dublin.
In 1994 seven countries joined the Eurovision Song Contest in what was the biggest single expansion in participants since the contest began in 1956. Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Russia and Slovakia all competed in the 39th Eurovision Song Contest in Dublin. Poland's debut at the Eurovision Song Contest was very successful when their representative Edyta Gorniak finished second with 166 points. The interval act in 1994 was the then unknown Riverdance, an act which combined traditional Irish folk music with modern dance. Riverdance became a global phenomenon, with the exception of participating artists, it is arguably the biggest money-spinner ever created by Eurovision. Lithuania scored zero points with its first ever entry.
1995 was the first time ever that the Eurovision Song Contest took place in the same city for two years in a row. In 1994, the European Broadcasting Union decreased the number of participants to 23 to make sure that the song contest would not last longer than three hours. All of the five relegated countries from the preceding year - Turkey, Slovenia, Israel, Denmark and Belgium - returned to the contest. In contrast, the bottom seven countries of the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest were relegated: Lithuania, Estonia, the Netherlands, Finland, Romania, Slovakia and Switzerland.
For the 1996 contest the European Broadcasting Union replaced the relegation system with an audio preselection. Apart from the host country of Norway, all other potential participants - 29 countries in total - competed in this audio preselection, in which the national juries solely listened to audio tapes with the recordings of the 29 songs. 22 out of the 29 countries plus the host nation Norway were allowed access into the final on 18th May in Oslo. Germany, Israel, Denmark, Hungary, Russia, FYR Macedonia and Romania all failed to qualify.
Just like in 1993, 1994 and 1995, Ireland hosted the 1997 Eurovision Song Contest. Despite initial discussions that state broadcaster RTE were to team up with the BBC in Northern Ireland, they decided to go it alone. It was fourth time in five years at that the same country had hosted the event, a record that RTE were said to be extremely proud of.
25 countries competed in the 1998 Eurovision Song Contest. All countries that were relegated in 1997 Eurovision Song Contest returned and FYR Macedonia entered the contest for the first time. Austria, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Denmark, Russia and Iceland were relegated in 1998 as their 5-year-average points were lower than those of the other countries.
In 1999 it was also decided that France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom, as the highest-paying European Broadcasting Union members, would automatically be allowed to participate every year, irrespective of their five-year point average. For the first time since the 1970s participants were free to choose which language they performed in. In a controversial move, the orchestra became an optional requirement in 1999 meaning that for the first time in the history of the contest, all entries would perform using a backing track.
24 countries participated in the contest in 2000. Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Lithuania, Romania and Bosnia & Herzegovina were all relegated due to their lower average scores. Greece was initially supposed to take part but withdrew.
23 countries participated in the 2001 Eurovision Song Contest. Bosnia & Herzegovina, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Lithuania and Greece all returned to the contest, replacing the seven countries with the lowest average result in the past five contests: Romania, Switzerland, FYR Macedonia, Finland, Belgium, Austria and Cyprus.
23 countries participated in 2002. Latvia entered the contest after Portugal declined the opportunity to participate. This was a rather peculiar situation, since Latvia ended up winning the whole contest in the end! There was no clear favorite among the 24 countries competing. Sweden, Germany and the host country Estonia were tipped as winners, but it was Marie N (Marija Naumova) who lifted the trophy.
A record 26 countries took part in the Eurovision Song Contest in the Latvian capital Riga. The slogan for 2003 was Rendezvous in Riga. Ukraine made its debut in the competition and sent one of the country's biggest stars, Olexandr Ponomariov.
This year's Eurovision contest was the first to be a two-day event, with one qualifying round held on a Wednesday and the grand final held on the following Saturday. 22 countries performed, Andorra, Albania, Belarus and Serbia and Montenegro participated in the Contest for the first time, with Monaco returning after a 25-year absence.
Ten countries qualified from the Semi-Final and join to the 'Big 4'; France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom (as the largest financial contributors to the European Broadcasting Union) and the ten highest placed finishers in the 2003 contest.
25 countries performed in this semifinal.
The 2005 contest was seen by many as an open competition with fans and pundits divided over which country would win. The Kyiv contest marked the 50th anniversary of the Eurovision Song Contest.
23 countries performed in this semi-final.
With the Eurovision Song Contest already enjoying enormous popularity in Greece, Helena Paparizou's victory in 2005 created the perfect circumstances to organise the show. Under the Greek sun, the 2006 contest took place in Athens!
28 countries performed in this semifinal!
The Final of the 52nd Eurovision Song Contest took place in Helsinki, Finland, at the Hartwall Arena. For the occasion, the venue was referred to as the Helsinki Arena. Czech Republic and Georgia debuted in the Semi-Final, so did Serbia and Montenegro as independent states. Of those countries, only Georgia and Serbia managed to qualify for the Final, together with returning country Hungary.
Serbia's debut entry as an independent nation, the ballad "Molitva" by Marija Šerifović, won the Eurovision Song Contest 2007, receiving 268 points. Serbia became the first country that won with debut entry after Switzerland's win at the first edition. After this, they were the host of the 2008 contest in the Serbian capital of Belgrade.
This year there are 42 entries to the Eurovision Song Contest, with San Marino withdrawing due to financial difficulties and Georgia being forced out of the contest as their song breached the rules of the contest, while Slovakia makes a return to the contest after an 11 year absence. The 54th Eurovision Song Contest is being hosted by Moscow, Russia, following Dima Bilan's win for Russia in the 53rd Eurovision Song Contest. The Contest will take place in Moscow's Olympic Indoor Arena.
This year there are 42 entries to the Eurovision Song Contest, with San Marino withdrawing due to financial difficulties and Georgia being forced out of the contest as their song breached the rules of the contest, while Slovakia makes a return to the contest after an 11 year absence. The 54th Eurovision Song Contest is being hosted by Moscow, Russia, following Dima Bilan's win for Russia in the 53rd Eurovision Song Contest. The Contest will take place in Moscow's Olympic Indoor Arena.
The 20 acts that qualified through the two Semi-Finals will join the five pre-qualified countries: Norway (the Host Country), France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom. Viewers and professional juries in over 40 participating countries will vote. Viewers and professional juries each have a 50 percent stake in the outcome. The professional juries will feature six members in each country. The running order of the represented countries in the FInal will be determined by draw, right after each of the two Semi-Finals.
For the first time since 1983, Germany hosted the Eurovision Song Contest. The 2011 Eurovision Song Contest was held in Düsseldorf following an open selection process. A total of forty-three countries took part in the 2011 contest held in Düsseldorf. The city emerged as the winner of an open selection process which saw several cities compete for the right to host the Eurovision Song Contest. The biggest news of this contest was the return of Italy, after more than ten years. Italy joined France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom to form the so-called Big Five countries that have automatic qualification to the Grand Final.
The 2012 Eurovision Song Contest was held in Baku, Azerbaijan. It is the furthest East that the contest had ever been held. Baku provided a unique setting for the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest. The slogan for the competition this year was Light Your Fire, which was fitting given that the event was being held in Azerbaijan, the Land of Fire.
The 2013 Eurovision Song Contest was in the Malmö Arena in Malmö, Sweden. 26 countries qualified for the Grand Final and took the stage in front of a live audience and millions watching at home.
The Grand Final of the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest took place on 10th May 2014. The slogan for the event was #JoinUs which was an attempt by the producers to incorporate social media into the shows. Austria won the 2014 contest with Rise Like A Phoenix, performed by bearded drag queen Conchita Wurst. Immediately after her victory Conchita became a household name. The Netherlands finished in second place with Calm After The Storm performed by The Common Linnets, which became a big hit following the contest.
Eurovision Song Contest's Greatest Hits (also known as Eurovision's Greatest Hits) was a live television concert programme organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and produced by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) to commemorate the Eurovision Song Contest's 60th anniversary. The concert took place on 31 March 2015 at the Eventim Apollo, in Hammersmith, London. Guy Freeman was the executive producer and Geoff Posner the director, both of whom held the same positions as the last time the BBC hosted the Eurovision Song Contest in 1998. Simon Proctor was the senior producer and David Arch was the musical director for the concert. Tickets for the event went on sale at 10 am on 6 February 2015. Graham Norton and Petra Mede hosted the event, which saw fifteen acts from thirteen countries performing their Eurovision entries from yesteryear. During the televised show, video montages for some of the Eurovision Song Contest archives were shown in-between each live performance. The United Kingdom entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 was performed at the concert, but never broadcast on the televised show. Riverdance performed a reprise of their 1994 Eurovision Song Contest interval act as part of the anniversary celebrations. Several countries confirmed that they would air the delayed broadcast of the concert on various dates that suited the broadcasters scheduling, including Australia, who first competed in the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 as a wildcard entry. The host broadcaster, BBC, and Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ), simulcast the show on Good Friday, 3 April 2015 across BBC One and RTÉ 2. The Dutch broadcaster, AVROTROS, were the first to announce their decision to not broadcast the event. Other countries also announced their decision to decline broadcasting the event, including Luxembourg, who had an act taking part in the event.
The first Semi-Final of the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest with 16 contestants representing Albania, Armenia, Belarus, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, F.Y.R. Macedonia, Finland, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Serbia and The Netherlands.
The second Semi-Final of the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest with 17 contestants representing Azerbaijan, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Montenegro, Norway, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Slovenia, Sweden and Switzerland.
The 60th Eurovision Song Contest was held in May 2015 in the capital of Austria, Vienna, the first time Austria has hosted the event since 1967. The right to host the contest came when Conchita Wurst brought home the trophy with her Rise Like A Phoenix from Copenhagen the year before. In order to mark the 60th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, Australia was invited to take part in the Grand Final for the very first time. 27 countries competed in the Grand Final of the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest, the largest number ever. 10 qualifiers from each of the Semi-Finals, the so-called Big Five as well as hosts Austria and special guest Australia all took to the stage.
The first Semi-Final contenders 1. Finland: Sing It Away sung by Sandhja 2. Greece: Utopian Land sung by Argo 3. Moldova: Falling Stars sung by Lidia Isac 4. Hungary: Pioneer sung by Freddie 5. Croatia: Lighthouse sung by Nina Kraljić 6. Netherlands: Slow Down sung by Douwe Bob 7. Armenia: LoveWave sung by Iveta Mukuchyan 8. San Marino: I Didn't Know sung by Serhat 9. Russia: You Are The Only One sung by Sergey Lazarev 10. Czech Republic: I Stand sung by Gabriela Gunčíková 11. Cyprus: Alter Ego sung by Minus One 12. Austria: Loin d'ici sung by ZOË 13. Estonia: Play sung by Jüri Pootsmann 14. Azerbaijan: Miracle sung by Samra 15. Montenegro: The Real Thing sung by Highway 16. Iceland: Hear Them Calling sung by Greta Salóme 17. Bosnia & Herzegovina: Ljubav Je sung by Dalal, Deen, Ana & Jala 18. Malta: Walk on Water sung by Ira Losco
The second Semi-Final contenders : 1. Latvia: Heartbeat sung bu Justs 2. Poland: Color Of Your Life sung by Michał Szpak 3. Switzerland: The Last Of Our Kind sung by Rykka 4. Israel: Made Of Stars sung by Hovi Star 5. Belarus: Help You Fly sung by IVAN 6. Serbia: Goodbye (Shelter) sung by Sanja Vučić ZAA 7. Ireland: Sunlight sung by Nicky Byrne 8. FYR Macedonia: Dona sung by Kaliopi 9. Lithuania: I've Been Waiting For This Night sung by Donny Montell 10. Australia: Sound Of Silence sung by Dami Im 11. Slovenia: Blue And Red sung by ManuElla 12. Bulgaria: If Love Was A Crime sung by Poli Genova 13. Denmark: Soldiers Of Love sung by Lighthouse X 14. Ukraine: 1944 sung by Jamala 15. Norway: Icebreaker sung by Agnete 16. Georgia: Midnight Gold sung by Nika Kocharov and Young Georgian Lolitaz 17. Albania: Fairytale sung by Eneda Tarifa 18. Belgium: What's The Pressure sung by Laura Tesoro
26 countries competed in the final, which was the first to be broadcast on live television in the United States. A record-breaking 204 million viewers worldwide watched the contest, beating the 2015 viewing figures by over 5 million. The slogan for the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest was Come Together. The theme artwork, inspired by the dandelion, symbolised the power of resistance and resilience but also of regeneration – when the seeds fly away from the dandelion new life is created where they touch down.
The first Semi-Final features participants from 18 countries. 10 will qualify for the Grand Final. 01. Robin Bengtsson (Sweden) - "I Can’t Go On" 02. Tako Gachechiladze (Georgia) - "Keep the Faith" 03. Isaiah Firebrace (Australia) - "Don't Come Easy" 04. Lindita (Albania) - "World" 05. Blanche (Belgium) - "City Lights" 06. Slavko Kalezic (Montenegro) - "Space 07. Norma John (Finland) - "Blackbird" 08. Dihaj (Azerbaijan) - "Skeletons" 09. Salvador Sobral (Portugal) - "Amar pelos dois" 10. Demy (Greece) - "This is Love" 11. Kasia Mos (Poland) - "Flashlight" 12. SunStroke Project (Moldova) - "Hey Mamma" 13. Svala (Iceland) - "Paper" 14. Martina Barta (Czech Republic) - "My Turn" 15. Hovig (Cyprus) - "Gravity" 16. Artsvik (Armenia) - "Fly With Me" 17. Omar Naber (Slovenia) - "On My Way" 18. Triana Park (Latvia) - "Line"
Eighteen countries participated in the second semi-final. 01. Tijana Bogićević (Serbia) - "In Too Deep" 02. Nathan Trent (Austria) - "Running on Air" 03. Jana Burčeska (Macedonia) - "Dance Alone" 04. Claudia Faniello (Malta) - "Breathlessly" 05. Ilinca and Alex Florea (Romania) - "Yodel It!" 06. O'G3NE (Netherlands) - "Lights and Shadows" 07. Joci Pápai (Hungary) - "Origo" 08. Anja (Denmark) - "Where I Am" 09. Brendan Murray (Ireland) - "Dying to Try" 10. Valentina Monetta and Jimmie Wilson (San Marino) - "Spirit of the Night" 11. Jacques Houdek (Croatia) - "My Friend" 12. JOWST5 (Norway) - "Grab the Moment" 13. Timebelle (Switzerland) - "Apollo" 14. Naviband (Belarus) - "Story of My Life" 15. Kristian Kostov (Bulgaria) - "Beautiful Mess" 16. Fusedmarc (Lithuania) - "Rain of Revolution" 17. Koit Toome and Laura (Estonia) - "Verona" 18. IMRI (Israel) - "I Feel Alive"
42 countries competed in the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest including Romania and Portugal returned to the competition after a year’s absence. The 2017 contest was a special one for Austria, Denmark and the United Kingdom which are celebrating the 60th anniversary of their first participation in 1957. Kyiv was announced as Host City in September 2016 following a competitive city bid process. The decision was made after six candidate cities originally presented their bids to the Organising Committee of the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest; Kharkiv, Kherson and Lviv, Kyiv, Dnipro and Odesa. The committee and representatives from the EBU then reviewed and inspected the final city hopefuls and declared Kyiv the winner. The International Exhibition Centre, the venue for the contest, has capacity for up to 11,000 spectators.
The Eurovision Song Contest 2018 was the 63rd edition of the annual Eurovision Song Contest. It took place for the first time in Portugal following the country's first victory at the 2017 contest in Kiev, Ukraine with the song "Amar pelos dois", performed by Salvador Sobral. The contest was held at the Altice Arena in Lisbon, and consisted of two semi-finals on 8 and 10 May, and the final on 12 May 2018. The three live shows were hosted by Filomena Cautela, Sílvia Alberto, Daniela Ruah and Catarina Furtado. Forty-three countries participated in the contest, equalling the record of the 2008 and 2011 editions.
The Eurovision Song Contest 2019 will be the 64th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. The contest is scheduled to take place in Israel, following their victory at the 2018 contest in Lisbon, Portugal with the song "Toy", performed by Netta.
On Tuesday 12 May, the EBU will spotlight the songs that would have been shown in the first Semi-Final, including host country the Netherlands and 2 of the Big 5 countries: Germany and Italy.
On Tuesday you were able to see the first 20 songs that would have competed at the Eurovision Song Contest 2020. This show, which will be broadcast on Thursday 14 May, will feature the songs chosen for the second Semi-Final and will include the rest of the Big 5 countries: France, Spain and the United Kingdom.
Following the cancellation of the Eurovision Song Contest 2020, the EBU and its Dutch Members NPO, NOS and AVROTROS are producing a new show, 'Eurovision: Europe Shine A Light', to air in place of the Grand Final on Saturday 16 May at 21:00 CEST. Eurovision: Europe Shine A Light will be aired by 46 broadcasters. The show will honour all 41 songs, in a non-competitive format, as well as providing plenty of surprises for fans and viewers at home. The show also intends to bring together 2020’s artists, from their locations across Europe, in a unifying performance of Eurovision 1997's Love Shine A Light by Katrina And The Waves.
Some of the biggest stars in the recent history of the Eurovision Song Contest take to the stage in Amsterdam to perform their best known Eurovision bangers and ballads. The party is presented by Eurovision legend Edsilia Rombley, with the UK’s very own Rylan taking viewers back-stage to chat with the stars. Acts performing include 2022 winners Kalush Orchestra, Subwoolfer, Greece’s 2021 entry Stefania, and TIX.
Join Rylan and Liverpool's own Sunetra Sarker as Eurovision week kicks off. There will be highlights from this year's turquoise carpet, with Rylan and Sunetra catching up with this year's 37 Eurovision acts. Semi-final hosts Alesha Dixon, Hannah Waddingham and Julia Sanina gear up for their presenting debut together, and Rylan spends time backstage for all the final Eurovision preparations.
Comedian Jason Manford and singer-songwriter Chelcee Grimes explore how the Eurovision Song Contest became the world's largest live music event, with an audience on a par with the American Superbowl, creating global superstars and leaving an impact on the lives of millions.
As Scotland doesn't have a Eurovision entry of its own, brothers Conor and Tommy Reilly try to sneak into the competition by entering for San Marino.
Taking top spot at Eurovision guarantees fame and fortune. But failing to win is no bar to success either. In this Top 20 countdown show with a twist, Fleur East and a panel of celebrity Eurovision superfans toast the other entrants whose songs have gone on to rack up millions of internet views and streams worldwide.
Celebrating 50 years since ABBA won Eurovision in 1974 with Waterloo, through the extraordinary and entertaining story of how international stardom almost didn't happen for the group.
Graham Norton chats to Olly Alexander, the UK's act for Eurovision 2024. The two superfans talk candidly and reveal more details, including the music video for Olly’s song Dizzy.
Get ready for a spectacular show filled with some of the biggest names from the history of the Eurovision Song Contest. Straight from the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam, Eurovision legends come together to celebrate the rich musical legacy of the iconic event. The Big Eurovision Party is a celebration of music, energy and excitement as the artists take the stage to perform some of the most memorable songs from the past while Rylan catches up with some of them backstage. With performances by Conchita Wurst, Johnny Logan, Käärijä, Måns Zelmerlöw, Cornelia Jakobs, Gjon’s Tears, Alessandra, Rosa Linn and many more. You do not want to miss this party!
This revealing film follows high-profile pop star Olly Alexander as he navigates the road to representing the United Kingdom at Eurovision, the biggest song contest in the world.
The Eurovision year kicks off as Liverpool hands over the contest to Malmö home of the 2024 Edition. The show will also feature the draw which will determine which semi-final UK audiences will be able to vote in and is hosted by Swedish presenters Farah Abadi and Pernilla Månsson Colt. This 30 minute show also features a VT which explains the importance of the Semi-finals for the Eurovision year.
Hannah Waddingham invites you to join her for a special celebration to mark 50 years since ABBA’s glorious victory with Waterloo at the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest.
The British public will get the opportunity to take part in a live online vote to choose their all-time favourite Eurovision songs from the past 64 years. This eclectic shortlist of songs have been selected by a panel of Eurovision experts and super-fans including Radio 2's Ken Bruce, Eurovision semi-final commentators Rylan Clark-Neal and Scott Mills.
Rylan Clark-Neal, commentator of the BBC's Eurovision Song Contest semi-finals coverage and lifelong fan of the global singing competition, narrates a guide to all things Eurovision in this compilation of highlights.
Hosts and competitors tell the behind-the-scenes story of 60 years of Eurovision - the greatest and maddest song contest on earth.
In "Eurovision Song Contest 2020 - das deutsche Finale live aus der Elbphilharmonie" präsentiert Barbara Schöneberger die zehn ESC-Teilnehmer, die im Halbfinale im "World Wide Wohnzimmer" ins Finale gewählt wurden. Die Künstlerinnen und Künstler aus Dänemark, Island und Litauen gehören zu den diesjährigen ESC-Favoriten in Deutschland und waren live in der Show dabei. Am Ende wählten die Zuschauer The Roop aus Litauen mit "On Fire" zum ESC-Sieger der Herzen 2020. Peter Urban und Michael Schulte haben die Show kommentiert. In einem klassischen Voting haben die Zuschauenden entscheiden, wer der deutsche Sieger der Herzen beim ESC 2020 ist. Der deutsche Beitrag stand - wie im eigentlichen ESC - für das deutsche Publikum nicht zur Wahl. Auch die 100-köpfige ESC-Jury aus Deutschland stimmte mit ab. Beide Votings machten je 50 Prozent des Ergebnisses aus. Während der Abstimmung hat Michael Schulte seinen ESC-Hit aus Lissabon, "You Let Me Walk Alone", sowie seinen aktuellen Song "Keep Me Up" gesungen.
SBS Eurovision hosts Myf Warhurst and Joel Creasey will helm the show, which has been billed as a celebration of all the 2020 Eurovision artists and songs. And at the end of it, SBS will reveal which country Australian voters would have picked to win after a countdown that will be filled with the #drama and #suspense you've been hankering for. *Spoiler alert* it won't be Australia: we're ineligible to vote for ourselves, as per the official Eurovision Song Contest rules. Some things remain sacred even in pandemic times.
Some of the biggest highlights from the Semi-Final shows over the last 16 years were featured in a special live, online event in celebration of the fan-led initiative #EurovisionAgain. As voted by you, the 26 most popular non-qualifying songs were shown during the Eurovision Again Semi-Final Special on Saturday night. Performances from the past that didn't quite make it through to the Semi-Finals were given their time to shine again. In November, fans had the opportunity to choose their favourite performance from each country and 12 (douze!) Eurovision fan blogs and podcasts were also invited to select their favourites as well. During the show, our friends at #EurovisionAgain ran a fan poll on Twitter which allowed you to shower your forgotten favourites with the love, attention and points they deserve. The compilation of acts gave audiences a show that you'd come to expect from a usual Eurovision Song Contest. From pop songs, power ballads, folk influences, and rock jams to performances that included two astronauts from Montenegro and some police officers from Moldova.
Terry Wogan hosts a celebration of 50 years of Eurovision, with a performance by UK hopeful Daz Sampson. A chance to see all the best and some of the worst Eurovision moments ever.
Greg James and Russell Kane present an entertaining look at all the ingredients needed to become a Eurovision winner, adding a strong gimmick to what not to wear and throwing in a pinch of out-of-tune singing for good measure. They celebrate the UK's Eurovision success stories and delve into the depths of our Eurovision hall of shame, all in the name of finding out how to win Eurovision. Featuring interviews with Graham Norton, Bucks Fizz, Scott Mills and Daz Sampson.
In this special documentary, designed to celebrate the Golden Anniversary of Irish involvement, Angela Scanlon goes backstage to find what really happens behind the power ballads, sequinned costumes and glitter cannons.
Angela Rippon presents a guide to some of the Eurovision Song Contest's most disastrous moments. Including the kiss that ruined the chances of Danish singer Birthe Wilke.
Sam became a viral TikTok star during the pandemic, reaching a huge fanbase of 12 million people. We follow his journey as he represents the UK at the 66th Eurovision Song Contest
Nach 25 legendären Jahren mit allen musikalischen Höhen und Tiefen verabschiedet sich Peter Urban auf eigenen Wunsch. Niemand hat in jetzt 67 Jahren ESC den Wettbewerb häufiger für das Publikum in Deutschland kommentiert als Peter Urban. Und er hat in 25 Jahren alles erlebt: Vom ersten bis zum letzten Platz. Die Dokumentation zeigt noch einmal die größten und bewegendsten Momente, und Peter Urban erinnert sich daran, wie er diese Momente, die vielfach ins kollektive Gedächtnis der Deutschen Eingang gefunden haben, damals erlebt hat und heute sieht.
