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Eurovision Song Contest

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"Eurovision" redirects here. For the most recent contest, seeEurovision Song Contest 2024.For the upcoming contest, seeEurovision Song Contest 2025.For other uses, seeEurovision (disambiguation).

Eurovision Song Contest
The current Eurovision Song Contest logo, in use since 2015
Logo since 2015
Also known as
  • Eurovision
  • Eurosong
  • ESC
GenreMusic competition
Created byEuropean Broadcasting Union
Based onSanremo Music Festival
Presented byVarious presenters
Country of originVarious participating countries
Original languagesEnglish and French
No.of episodes
  • 68 contests
  • 104 live shows
Production
Production locationsVarious host cities
Running time
  • ~2 hours (semi-finals)
  • ~4 hours (finals)
Production companiesEuropean Broadcasting Union
Various national broadcasters
Original release
Release24 May 1956(1956-05-24)–
present
Related

TheEurovision Song Contest(French:Concours Eurovision de la chanson), often known simply asEurovision,is an internationalsong competitionorganised annually by theEuropean Broadcasting Union.Eachparticipating countrysubmits an original song to be performed live and transmitted to national broadcasters via theEurovision and Euroradio networks,with competing countries then casting votes for the other countries' songs to determine a winner.

The contest was inspired by and based on Italy's nationalSanremo Music Festival,held in theItalian Rivierasince 1951. Eurovision has been held annually since 1956 (except for2020due to theCOVID-19 restrictions), making it the longest-running international music competition on television and one of the world's longest-running television programmes. Active members of the EBU and invited associate members are eligible to compete; as of 2024,52 countrieshave participated at least once. Each participating broadcaster sends an original song of three minutes duration or less to be performed live by a singer or group of up to six people aged 16 or older. Each country awards 1–8, 10 and 12 points to their ten favourite songs, based on the views of an assembled group of music professionals and the country's viewing public, with the song receiving the most points declared the winner. Other performances feature alongside the competition, including a specially-commissioned opening and interval act and guest performances by musicians and other personalities, with past acts includingCirque du Soleil,Madonna,Justin Timberlake,Mika,Rita Oraand the first performance ofRiverdance.Originally consisting of a single evening event, the contest has expanded as new countries joined (including countries outside of Europe, such asIsraelandAustralia), leading to the introduction of relegation procedures in the 1990s, before the creation of semi-finals in the 2000s. As of 2024,Germanyhas competed more times than any other country, having participated in all butoneedition, whileIrelandandSwedenboth hold the record for the most victories, with seven wins each in total.

Traditionally held in the country that won the preceding year's event, the contest provides an opportunity to promote the host country and city as a tourist destination. Thousands of spectators attend each year, along with journalists who cover all aspects of the contest, including rehearsals in venue, press conferences with the competing acts, in addition to other related events and performances in the host city. Alongside the generic Eurovision logo, a unique theme is typically developed for each event. The contest has aired in countries across all continents; it has beenavailable onlinevia the official Eurovision website since 2001. Eurovision ranks among the world's most watched non-sporting events every year, with hundreds of millions of viewers globally. Performing at the contest has often provided artists with a local career boost and in some cases long-lasting international success. Several of thebest-selling music artistsin the world have competed in past editions, includingABBA,Celine Dion,Julio Iglesias,Cliff RichardandOlivia Newton-John;some of the world'sbest-selling singleshave received their first international performance on the Eurovision stage.

While having gained popularity with the viewing public in both participating and non-participating countries, the contest has also been the subject of criticism for its artistic quality as well as a perceived political aspect to the event. Concerns have been raised regarding political friendships and rivalries between countries potentially having an impact on the results. Controversial moments have included participating countries withdrawing at a late stage, censorship of broadcast segments by broadcasters, as well as political events impacting participation. Likewise, the contest has also been criticised for an over-abundance of elaborate stage shows at the cost of artistic merit. Eurovision has, however, gained popularity for itscampappeal, its musical span ofethnicand international styles, as well as emergence as part ofLGBT culture,resulting in a large, active fanbase and an influence on popular culture. The popularity of the contest has led to the creation of several similar events, either organised by the EBU or created by external organisations; several special events have been organised by the EBU to celebrate select anniversaries or as a replacement due to cancellation.

Origins and history

[edit]
Further information:History of the Eurovision Song Contest
Photo of Lys Assia, the first winner of the Eurovision Song Contest, performing at the third contest in 1958.
Lys Assia,the winner of the first Eurovision Song Contest in1956,performing at the1958 contest

The Eurovision Song Contest was developed by theEuropean Broadcasting Union(EBU) as an experiment inlive televisionbroadcasting and a way to produce cheaper programming for national broadcasting organisations.[1][2]The word "Eurovision" was first used by British journalist George Campey in theLondon Evening Standardin 1951, when he referred to aBBCprogramme being relayed by Dutch television.[3][4]Following several events broadcast internationally via theEurovision transmission networkin the early 1950s, including thecoronation of Elizabeth IIin 1953, an EBU committee, headed byMarcel Bezençon,was formed in January 1955 to investigate new initiatives for cooperation between broadcasters, which approved for further study a European song competition from an idea initially proposed byRAImanagerSergio Pugliese.[4][5][6]The EBU's general assembly agreed to the organising of the song contest in October 1955, under the initial title of theEuropean Grand Prix,and accepted a proposal by the Swiss delegation to host the event inLuganoin the spring of 1956.[3][4][7]The ItalianSanremo Music Festival,held since 1951, was used as a basis for the initial planning of the contest, with several amendments and additions given its international nature.[3]

Seven countries participated in thefirst contest,with each country represented by two songs; the only time in which multiple entries per country were permitted.[8][9]The winning song was "Refrain",representing the host country Switzerland and performed byLys Assia.[10]Voting during the first contest was held behind closed doors, with only the winner being announced on stage; the use of a scoreboard and public announcement of the voting, inspired by the BBC'sFestival of British Popular Songs,has been used since 1957.[11]The tradition of the winning country hosting the following year's contest, which has since become a standard feature of the event, began in 1958.[12][13]Technological developments have transformed the contest:colour broadcastsbegan in1968;satellite broadcastsin1985;andstreamingin2000.[5][14][15]Broadcasts inwidescreenbegan in 2005 and inhigh-definitionsince 2007, withultra-high-definitiontested for the first time in 2022.[16][17][18]

By the 1960s, between 16 and 18 countries were regularly competing each year.[19]Countries from outside the traditionalboundaries of Europebegan entering the contest, and countries in Western Asia and North Africa started competing in the 1970s and 1980s. Apart from Yugoslavia (a member of thenon-aligned movementand not seen as part of the Eastern Bloc at the time) no socialist or communist country ever participated. However, theIntervision Song Contestwhich held four editions in the 1970s and 1980s (and a one-off revival in 2008) saw the participation ofNATOandEECmembers – including some from outside Europe like Canada – in addition to the Eastern Bloc countries ofIntervisionthat had set up the contest. Only after theend of the Cold Wardid other countries fromCentral and Eastern Europeparticipate for the first time – some of those countries having gained or regained their independence in the course of the breakup of Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, and the Soviet Union. As a consequence, more countries were now applying than could feasibly participate in a one-night-event of reasonable length. Numerous solutions to this problem were tried out over the years. The1993 contestincluded a contest calledKvalifikacija za Millstreetwhich was a pre-qualifying round for seven of these new countries, and from1994,relegation systemswere introduced to manage the number of competing entries, with the poorest performing countries barred from entering the following year's contest.[19][20]From 2004, the contest expanded to become a multi-programme event, with a semi-final at the49th contestallowing all interested countries to compete each year; a second semi-final was added to each edition from 2008.[9][19]

There have been 68 contests as of 2024,making Eurovision the longest-running annual international televised music competition as determined byGuinness World Records.[21][22]The contest has been listed as one of the longest-running television programmes in the world and among the world's most watched non-sporting events.[23][24][25]A total of52 countrieshave taken part in at least one edition, with a record 43 countries participating in a single contest, first in2008and subsequently in2011and2018.[9][19]Australia became the first non-EBU member country to compete following an invitation by the EBU ahead of the contest's60th editionin 2015;[26][27]initially announced as a "one-off" for the anniversary edition, the country was invited back the following year and has subsequently participated every year since.[28][29][30]

Eurovision had been held every year until 2020, whenthat year's contestwas cancelled in response to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[9][31]No competitive event was able to take place due to uncertainty caused by thespread of the virus in Europeand the various restrictions imposed by the governments of the participating countries. In its place a special broadcast,Eurovision: Europe Shine a Light,was produced by the organisers, which honoured the songs and artists that would have competed in 2020 in a non-competitive format.[31][32][33]

Naming

[edit]

Over the years the name used to describe the contest, and used on the official logo for each edition, has evolved. The first contests were produced under the name ofGrand Prix Eurovision de la Chanson Européennein French and as theEurovision Song Contest Grand Prixin English, with similar variations used in the languages of each of the broadcasting countries. From 1968, the English name dropped the 'Grand Prix' from the name, with the French name being aligned as theConcours Eurovision de la Chanson,first used in 1973.[19][34][35]The contest's official brand guidance specifies that translations of the name may be used depending on national tradition and brand recognition in the competing countries, but that the official nameEurovision Song Contestis always preferred; the contest is commonly referred to in English by the abbreviation "Eurovision", and in internal documents by the acronym "ESC".[36]

On only four occasions has the name used for the official logo of the contest not been in English or French: the Italian namesGran Premio Eurovisione della CanzoneandConcorso Eurovisione della Canzonewere used when Italy hosted the1965and1991contests respectively; and theDutchnameEurovisiesongfestivalwas used when the Netherlands hosted in1976and1980.[19]

Format

[edit]

Original songs representing participating countries are performed in a live television programme broadcast via theEurovision and Euroradio networkssimultaneously to all countries. A "country" as a participant is represented by one television broadcaster from that country, a member of the European Broadcasting Union, and is typically that country's nationalpublic broadcastingorganisation.[37]The programme is staged by one of the participant countries and is broadcast from anauditoriumin the selected host city.[38]Since 2008, each contest is typically formed of three live television shows held over one week: two semi-finals are held on the Tuesday and Thursday, followed by a final on the Saturday. All participating countries compete in one of the two semi-finals, except for the host country of that year's contest and the contest's biggest financial contributors known as the "Big Five" —France,Germany,Italy,Spainand theUnited Kingdom.[37][39]The remaining countries are split between the two semi-finals, and the 10 highest-scoring entries in each qualify to produce 26 countries competing in the final.[37]Since the introduction of the semi-final round in 2004,LuxembourgandUkraineare the only countries outside of the "Big Five" to have qualified for the final of every contest they have competed in.

Photograph of the opening act during the 2011 contest; Stefan Raab performs with a band while multiple women dressed as Lena dance behind them while waving the flags of the participating countries
The opening act during the final of the2011 contestinDüsseldorf,Germany

Each show typically begins with an opening act consisting of music and/or dance performances by invited artists, which contributes to a unique theme and identity created for that year's event; since 2013, the opening of the contest's final has included a "Flag Parade", with competing artists entering the stage behind their country's flag in a similar manner to theprocession of competing athletesat theOlympic Games opening ceremony.[40][41]Viewers are welcomed byone or more presenterswho provide key updates during the show, conduct interviews with competing acts from thegreen room,and guide the voting procedure in English and French.[42][43][44]Competing acts perform sequentially, and after all songs have been performed, viewers are invited to vote for their favourite performances—except for the performance of their own country—viatelephone,SMS and the official Eurovision app.[37]The public vote comprises 50% of the final result alongside the views of a jury of music industry professionals from each country.[37][44]Aninterval actis invariably featured during this voting period, which on several occasions has included a well-known personality from the host country or an internationally recognised figure.[40][41]The results of the voting are subsequently announced; in the semi-finals, the 10 highest-ranked countries are announced in a random order, with the full results undisclosed until after the final. In the final, the presenters call upon a representative spokesperson for each country in turn who announces their jury's points, while the results of the public vote are subsequently announced by the presenters.[37][45]In recent years, it has been tradition that the first country to announce its jury points is the previous host, whereas the last country is the current host (with the exception of2023,when the United Kingdom hosted the contest on behalf of Ukraine, which went first).[46]The qualifying acts in the semi-finals, and the winning delegation in the final are invited back on stage; in the final, atrophyis awarded to the winning performers and songwriters by the previous year's winner, followed by a reprise of the winning song.[37][47]The full results of the competition, including detailed results of the jury and public vote, are released online shortly after the final, and the participating broadcaster of the winning entry is traditionally given the honour of organising the following year's event.[37][45]

Selection

[edit]
Main article:National selections for the Eurovision Song Contest

Each participating broadcaster has sole discretion over the process it may employ to select its entry for the contest. Typical methods in which participants are selected include a televised national final using a public vote; an internal selection by a committee appointed by the broadcaster; and through a mixed format where some decisions are made internally and the public are engaged in others.[48]Among the most successful televised selection shows is Sweden'sMelodifestivalen,first established in 1959 and now one of Sweden's most watched television shows each year.[49]

Participation

[edit]
Further information:List of countries in the Eurovision Song Contest
Map of countries in Europe, North Africa and Western Asia in grey, with the boundaries of the European Broadcasting Area superimposed in red
The European Broadcasting Area, shown in red
Map of countries in Europe, North Africa and Western Asia, with a cut-out of Australia in top-right corner; countries are coloured to indicate contest participation and eligibility: countries which have entered at least once are coloured in green; countries which have never entered but eligible to do so are coloured in yellow; countries which intended to enter but later withdrew are coloured in red; and countries which competed as a part of another country but never as a sovereign country are coloured in light green.
Participation since 1956:
Entered at least once
Never entered, although eligible to do so
Entry intended, but later withdrew
Competed as a part of another country, but never as asovereign country
Map of countries in Europe, North Africa and Western Asia, with Australia as an insert in the top-right corner, coloured to indicate the decade in which they first participated in the contest: 1950s in red, 1960s in orange, 1970s in yellow, 1980s in green; 1990s in sky blue; 2000s in blue; and 2010s in purple
Participants in the Eurovision Song Contest, coloured by decade of debut

Active members (as opposed to associate members) of the European Broadcasting Union are eligible to participate; active members are those who are located in states that fall within theEuropean Broadcasting Area,or aremember states of the Council of Europe.[50]Active members include media organisations whose broadcasts are often made available to at least 98% of households in their own country which are equipped to receive such transmissions.[51]Associate member broadcasters may be eligible to compete, dependent on approval by the contest's Reference Group.[52]

The European Broadcasting Area is defined by theInternational Telecommunication Unionas encompassing the geographical area between the boundary ofITU Region 1in the west, themeridian 40° EastofGreenwichin the east, andparallel 30° Northin the south. Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and the parts of Iraq, Jordan, Syria, Turkey and Ukraine lying outside these limits, are also included in the European Broadcasting Area.[53][54]

Eligibility to participate in the contest is therefore not limited to countries in Europe, as several states geographically outside the boundaries of the continent or which spanmore than one continentare included in the Broadcasting Area.[52]Countries from these groups have taken part in past editions, including countries in Western Asia such as Israel andCyprus,countries which span Europe and Asia like Russia and Turkey, and North African countries such asMorocco.[19]Australia became the first country to participate from outside the European Broadcasting Area in 2015, following an invitation by the contest's Reference Group.[26]

EBU members who wish to participate must fulfil conditions as laid down in the rules of the contest, a separate copy of which is drafted annually. A maximum of 44 countries can take part in any one contest.[44]Broadcasters must have paid the EBU a participation fee in advance to the deadline specified in the rules for the year in which they wish to participate; this fee is different for each country based on its size and viewership.[55]

Fifty-two countries have participated at least once.[19]These are listed here alongside the year in which they made their debut:

Year Country making its debut entry
1956 Belgium
France
Germany[a]
Italy
Luxembourg
Netherlands
Switzerland
1957 Austria
Denmark
United Kingdom
1958 Sweden
1959 Monaco
1960 Norway
1961 Finland
Spain
Yugoslavia[b]
1964 Portugal
1965 Ireland
Year Country making its debut entry
1971 Malta
1973 Israel
1974 Greece
1975 Turkey
1980 Morocco
1981 Cyprus
1986 Iceland
1993 Bosnia and Herzegovina
Croatia
Slovenia
1994 Estonia
Hungary
Lithuania
Poland
Romania
Russia
Slovakia
1998 North Macedonia[c]
Year Country making its debut entry
2000 Latvia
2003 Ukraine
2004 Albania
Andorra
Belarus
Serbia and Montenegro
2005 Bulgaria
Moldova
2006 Armenia
2007 Czech Republic[d]
Georgia
Montenegro
Serbia
2008 Azerbaijan
San Marino
2015 Australia[e]
  1. ^RepresentedWest Germanyuntil 1990;East Germanynever competed. Presented on all occasions as 'Germany', except in 1967 as 'Federal Republic of Germany', in 1970 and 1976 as 'West Germany', and in 1990 as 'F.R. Germany'.
  2. ^Represented theSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslaviauntil 1991, and theFederal Republic of Yugoslaviain 1992.
  3. ^Presented as the 'Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia' before 2019.
  4. ^Presented as 'Czechia' from 2023.
  5. ^Associate member broadcaster; initially announced as a one-off participant to commemorate the contest's 60th anniversary, has subsequently participated every year since.[29][30]

Hosting

[edit]
Further information:List of Eurovision Song Contest host cities
Countries which have hosted the Eurovision Song Contest
A single hostingMultiple hostings

The winning country traditionally hosts the following year's event, withsome exceptionssince1958.[56][19]Hosting the contest can be seen as a unique opportunity for promoting the host country as a tourist destination and can provide benefits to the local economy and tourism sectors of the host city.[57]However, there is a perception reflected in popular culture that some countries wish to avoid the costly burden of hosting – sometimes resulting in them sending deliberately subpar entries with no chance of winning. This belief is mentioned inEurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga(2020) and a plot point in theFather Tedepisode "A Song for Europe"(1996).[58]Preparations for each year's contest typically begin at the conclusion of the previous year's contest, with the winning country's head of delegation receiving a welcome package of information related to hosting the contest at the winner's press conference.[37][59][60]Eurovision is a non-profit event, and financing is typically achieved through a fee from each participating broadcaster, contributions from the host broadcaster and the host city, and commercial revenues from sponsorships, ticket sales, televoting and merchandise.[55]

The host broadcaster will subsequently select a host city, typically a national or regional capital city, which must meet certain criteria set out in the contest's rules. The host venue must be able to accommodate at least 10,000 spectators, a press centre for 1,500 journalists, should be within easy reach of aninternational airportand with hotel accommodation available for at least 2,000 delegates, journalists and spectators.[61]A variety of different venues have been used for past editions, from small theatres and television studios to large arenas and stadiums.[19]The largest host venue isParken Stadiumin Copenhagen, which was attended by almost 38,000 spectators in2001.[9][62]With a population of 1,500 at the time of the1993 contest,Millstreet,Ireland remains the smallest hosting settlement, although itsGreen Glens Arenais capable of hosting up to 8,000 spectators.[63][64]

Unlike theOlympic GamesorFIFA World Cup,whose host venues are announced several years in advance, there is usually no purpose-built infrastructure whose construction is justified with the needs of hosting the Eurovision Song Contest. However, the2012 edition,hosted inBaku,Azerbaijan, was held atBaku Crystal Hall,a venue that had not existed when Azerbaijan won the previous year.[65]Most other editions have been held in pre-existing venues, but renovations or modifications have sometimes been undertaken in the year prior to the contest which are justified with the needs of Eurovision.[66]

Eurovision logo and theme

[edit]
Previous generic logo used at the contest between 2004 and 2014
Logo used from 2004 to 2014

Until 2004, each edition of the contest used its own logo and visual identity as determined by the respective host broadcaster. To create a consistent visual identity, a generic logo was introduced ahead of the2004 contest.This is typically accompanied by a unique theme artwork designed for each individual contest by the host broadcaster, with the flag of the host country placed prominently in the centre of the Eurovision heart.[36]The original logo was designed by the London-based agency JM International, and received a revamp in 2014 by the Amsterdam-based Cityzen Agency for the contest's60th edition.[67][68]

An individual theme is utilised by contest producers when constructing the visual identity of each edition of the contest, including the stage design, the opening and interval acts, and the "postcards".[69][70][71][72]The short video postcards are interspersed between the entries and were first introduced in 1970, initially as an attempt to "bulk up" the contest after a number of countries decided not to compete, but has since become a regular part of the show and usually highlight the host country and introduce the competing acts.[73][74]Aunique sloganfor each edition, first introduced in2002,was also an integral part of each contest's visual identity, which was replaced by a permanent slogan from2024onwards. The permanent slogan, "United by Music", had previously served as the slogan for the2023 contestbefore being retained for all future editions as part of the contest's global brand strategy.[75]

Preparations

[edit]
A press conference during the 2012 contest; the Serbian delegation are seated at a long table with rows of journalists seated facing them, with a large screen on the wall behind the delegation projecting a live relay of the conference.
Press conference with the Israeli delegation following its win at the2018 contest
Photo of the EuroClub in 2012; a large group of delegates are seen conversing
The EuroClub at the2012 contestinBaku,Azerbaijan

Preparations in the host venue typically begin approximately six weeks before the final, to accommodate building works and technical rehearsals before the arrival of the competing artists.[76]Delegations will typically arrive in the host city two to three weeks before the live show, and each participating broadcaster nominates a head of delegation, responsible for coordinating the movements of their delegation and being that country's representative to the EBU.[44][77]Members of each country's delegation include performers, composers, lyricists, members of the press, and—in the years where a live orchestra was present—a conductor.[78]Present if desired is a commentator, who provides commentary of the event for their country's radio and/or television feed in their country's own language in dedicated booths situated around the back of the arena behind the audience.[79][80]

Each country conducts two individual rehearsals behind closed doors, the first for 30 minutes and the second for 20 minutes.[81][82]Individual rehearsals for the semi-finalists commence the week before the live shows, with countries typically rehearsing in the order in which they will perform during the contest; rehearsals for the host country and the "Big Five" automatic finalists are held towards the end of the week.[81][83]Following rehearsals, delegations meet with the show's production team to review footage of the rehearsal and raise any special requirements or changes. "Meet and greet" sessions with accredited fans and press are held during these rehearsal weeks.[81][84]Each live show is preceded by three dress rehearsals, where the whole show is run in the same way as it will be presented on TV.[84]The second dress rehearsal, alternatively called the "jury show" or "evening preview show"[85]and held the night before the broadcast, is used as a recorded back-up in case of technological failure, and performances during this show are used by each country's professional jury to determine their votes.[83][84][86]The delegations from the qualifying countries in each semi-final attend a qualifiers' press conference after their respective semi-final, and the winning delegation attends a winners' press conference following the final.[84]

A welcome reception is typically held at a venue in the host city on the Sunday preceding the live shows, which includes ared carpetceremony for all the participating countries and is usually broadcast online.[87][88]Accredited delegates, press and fans have access to an official nightclub, the "EuroClub", and some delegations will hold their own parties.[84][89][90]The "Eurovision Village" is an official fan zone open to the public free of charge, with live performances by the contest's artists and screenings of the live shows on big screens.[91]

Rules

[edit]
Further information:Rules of the Eurovision Song Contest
Photo of Martin Österdahl
Martin Österdahl,the contest's Executive Supervisor since2021

The contest is organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), together with the participating broadcaster of the host country. The event is monitored by anExecutive Supervisorappointed by the EBU, and by theReference Groupwhich represents all participating broadcasters, who are each represented by a nominated Head of Delegation.[92]The current Executive Supervisor isMartin Österdahl,who took over the role fromJon Ola Sandin May 2020.[93]A detailed set of rules is written by the EBU for each contest and approved by the Reference Group. These rules have changed over time, and typically outline, among other points, the eligibility of the competing songs, the format of the contest, and the voting system to be used to determine the winner and how the results will be presented.[44]

Song eligibility and languages

[edit]
Further information:List of languages in the Eurovision Song Contest

All competing songs must have a duration of three minutes or less.[44]This rule applies only to the version performed during the live shows.[94]In order to be considered eligible, competing songs in a given year's contest must not have been released commercially before the first day of September of the previous year.[44]All competing entries must include vocals and lyrics of some kind, a cappella songs and purely instrumental pieces are not allowed.[95]Competing entries may be performed in any language, be thatnaturalorconstructed,and participating broadcasters are free to decide the language in which their entry may be performed.[44]

Rules specifying in which language a song may be performed have changed over time. No restrictions were originally enacted when the contest was first founded; however, following criticism over the1965 Swedish entrybeing performed in English, a new rule was introduced for the1966 contestrestricting songs to be performed only in an official language of the country it represented.[96][97][98]This rule was first abolished in1973,and subsequently reinstated for most countries in1977,with onlyBelgiumandGermanypermitted freedom of language as their selection processes for that year's contest had already commenced.[99][100][101]The language rule was once again abolished ahead of the1999 contest.[102][103]

There is no restriction on the national origin, country of residence or age of the songwriter(s). Furthermore, unlike performers who may only represent one country in any given year, songwriters are free to enter multiple songs in a single year sung by different acts. For example, in the 1980 edition, both Germany's and Luxembourg's entry were (co-)written byRalph Siegel,who – in a career spanning over 40 years – was involved in some form in the writing of dozens of entries — both advancing to the final and failing to make it past the national selection, includingthe winning entryin 1982.

Artist eligibility and performances

[edit]
Black and white photograph from the 1958 contest held in the AVRO Studios in Hilversum, the Netherlands; an orchestra seated to the left of a small stage, with Italian singer Domenico Modugno singing on the stage platform in front of a wall.
The orchestra was an integral part of the contest until 1998 (Domenico Modugnoperforming at the1958 contest)

The rules for the first contest specified that only solo performers were permitted to enter;[104]this criterion was changed the following year to permit duos to compete, and groups were subsequently permitted for the first time in1971.[105][106]Currently the number of people permitted on stage during competing performances is limited to a maximum of six, and no live animals are allowed.[44]Since1990,all contestants must be aged 16 or over on the day of the live show in which they perform.[107]Sandra Kim,the winner in1986at the age of 13, shall remain the contest's youngest winner while this rule remains in place.[108][109]There is no limit on the nationality or country of birth of the competing artists, and participating broadcasters are free to select an artist from any country; several winning artists have subsequently held a different nationality or were born in a different country to that which they represented.[110][10]No performer may compete for more than one country in a given year.[44]There is no restriction regarding performers who have participated in past events competing again – whether for the same country or a different one. It is even possible for a winning performer to try and defend their title in the next edition, as happened when 2010 winnerLenacompeted again in 2011.[111]However, in the history of the contest only two individuals have won more than once as a performer –Johnny Loganin 1980 and 1987 for Ireland, andLoreenin 2012 and 2023 for Sweden.[112]

The orchestra was a prominent aspect of the contest from 1956 to 1998.[9]Pre-recorded backing tracks were first allowed for competing acts in 1973, but any pre-recorded instruments were required to be seen being "performed" on stage. In 1997, all instrumental music was allowed to be pre-recorded, although the host country was still required to provide an orchestra.[113]In 1999, the rules were changed again, making the orchestra an optional requirement; the host broadcaster ofthat year's contest,Israel'sIBA,subsequently decided not to provide an orchestra, resulting in all entries using backing tracks for the first time.[114][102][103]Currently all instrumental music for competing entries must now be pre-recorded, and no live instrumentation is allowed during performances.[44][115]

The main vocals of competing songs must be performed live during the contest.[44]Previously live backing vocals were also required; since2021these may optionally be pre-recorded – this change has been implemented in an effort to introduce flexibility following the cancellation of the 2020 edition and to facilitate modernisation.[116][117]

Running order

[edit]

Since2013,the order in which the competing countries perform has been determined by the contest's producers, and submitted to the EBU Executive Supervisor and Reference Group for approval before public announcement. This was changed from a random draw used in previous years in order to provide a better experience for television viewers and ensure all countries stand out by avoiding instances where songs of a similar style or tempo are performed in sequence.[118]

Since the creation of a second semi-final in2008,a semi-final allocation draw is held each year.[119]Countries are placed into pots based on their geographical location and voting history in recent contests, and are assigned to compete in one of the two semi-finals through a random draw.[120]Countries are then randomly assigned to compete in either the first or second half of their respective semi-final, and once all competing songs have been selected the producers then determine the running order for the semi-finals.[121][122]The automatic qualifiers are assigned at random to a semi-final for the purposes of voting rights.[119]

Semi-final qualifiers make a draw at random during the qualifiers' press conference to determine whether they will perform during the first, second half, or a producer-determined position of the final, while the automatic finalists randomly draw their competing half or producer-determined position in the run-up to the final, except for the host country, whose exact performance position is determined in a separate draw.[122][123][124]The running order for the final is then decided following the second semi-final by the producers. The running orders are decided with the competing songs' musical qualities, stage performance, prop and lighting set-up, and other production considerations taken into account.[125]

Voting

[edit]
Further information:Voting at the Eurovision Song Contest
A screenshot from the 2004 contest showing the electronic scoreboard: video footage of Johnny Logan is superimposed onto the scoreboard; the name and flag of the country giving its points is shown at the bottom of the screen, and the flag and country name of the finalists, the number of points being given by the giving country, and the total number of points received is shown in two columns, with the sorting order updated to place the country with the highest score at the top.
The electronic scoreboard used at the2004 contest,withJohnny Loganannouncing the votes from Ireland

Since 2023, the voting system used to determine the results of the contest has worked on the basis ofpositional voting.[126][127]Each country awards 1–8, 10 and 12 points to the ten favourite songs as voted for by that country's general public or assembled jury, with the most preferred song receiving 12 points. In the semi-finals, each country awards one set of points, based primarily on the votes cast by that country's viewing public viatelephone,SMS or the official Eurovisionapp,while in the final, each country awards two sets of points, with one set awarded by the viewers and another awarded by a jury panel comprising five music professionals from that country.[45][126]Since 2023, viewers in non-participating countries have also been able to vote during the contest, with those viewers able to cast votes via an online platform, which are then aggregated and awarded as one set of points from an "extra country" for the overall public vote.[128][129]This system is a modification of that used since 1975, when the "12 points" system was first introduced but with one set of points per country, and a similar system used since 2016 where two sets of points were awarded in both the semi-finals and final.[130][131]National juries and the public in each country are not allowed to vote for their own country, a rule first introduced in 1957.[45][105]

Historically, each country's points were determined by a jury, consisting at various times of members of the public, music professionals, or both in combination.[98][110]With advances in telecommunication technology, televoting was first introduced to the contest in1997on a trial basis, with broadcasters in five countries allowing the viewing public to determine their votes for the first time.[113]From1998,televoting was extended to almost all competing countries, and subsequently became mandatory from2004.[132][133]A jury was reintroduced for the final in2009,with each country's points comprising both the votes of the jury and public in an equal split; this mix of jury and public voting was expanded into the semi-finals from 2010, and was used until 2023, when full public voting was reintroduced to determine the results of the semi-finals.[127][134][135]The mix of jury and public voting continues to be used in the final.[126][127]

Should two or more countries finish with the same number of points, a tie-break procedure is employed to determine the final placings. As of 2016,a combined national televoting and jury result is calculated for each country, and the country which has obtained more points from the public voting following this calculation is deemed to have placed higher.[45][failed verification]

Presentation of the votes

[edit]
Black and white photograph of the scoreboard in 1958; the running order numbers and song titles of the competing entries are printed on the left-hand side of the scoreboard, and rotating numbers on the right-hand side show the allocation of points to each song as each country's jury is called, and a total of all points received; song titles are sorted by order of appearance, with the first song to be performed appearing at the top of the scoreboard.
The scoreboard at the1958 contest

Since 1957, each country's votes have been announced during a special voting segment as part of the contest's broadcast, with a selected spokesperson assigned to announce the results of their country's vote.[45]This spokesperson is typically well known in their country; previous spokespersons have included former Eurovision artists and presenters.[136]Historically, the announcements were made throughtelephone linesfrom the countries of origin, withsatellite linksemployed for the first time in1994,allowing the spokespersons to be seen visually by the audience and TV spectators.[137]

Scoring is done by both a national jury and a national televote. Each country's jury votes are consecutively added to the totalsscoreboardas they are called upon by the contest presenter(s).[11]The scoreboard was historically placed at the side of the stage and updated manually as each country gave their votes; in1988acomputer graphicsscoreboard was introduced.[138][139]The jury points from 1–8 and 10 are displayed on screen and added automatically to the scoreboard, then the country's spokesperson announces which country will receive the 12 points.[136]Once jury points from all countries have been announced, the presenter(s) announce the total public points received for each finalist, with the votes for each country being consolidated and announced as a single value.[130]Since2019,the public points have been revealed in ascending order based on the jury vote, with the country that received the fewest points from the jury being the first to receive their public points.[45]A full breakdown of the results across all shows is published on the official Eurovision website after the final, including each country's televoting ranking and the votes of its jury and individual jury members. Each country's individual televoting points in the final are typically displayed on-screen by that country's broadcaster following the announcement of the winner.[130]

Broadcasting

[edit]

Participating broadcasters are required to air live the semi-final in which they compete, or in the case of the automatic finalists the semi-final in which they are required to vote, and the final, in its entirety; this includes all competing songs, the votingrecapcontaining short clips of the performances, the voting procedure or semi-final qualification reveal, and therepriseof the winning song in the final.[44][115][140]Since 1999, broadcasters who wished to do so were given the opportunity to provideadvertisingduring short, non-essential hiatuses in the show's schedule.[114]In exceptional circumstances, such as due to developing emergency situations, participating broadcasters may delay or postpone broadcast of the event.[141][142]Should a broadcaster fail to air a show as expected in any other scenario they may be subject to sanctions by the EBU.[143][144]Several broadcasters in countries that are unable to compete have previously aired the contest in their markets.[145][146][147]

As national broadcasters join and leave theEurovisionfeed transmitted by the EBU, the EBU/Eurovisionnetwork logo ident(not to be confused with the logo of the song contest itself) is displayed. The accompanying music (used on other Eurovision broadcasts) is the Prelude(Marche en rondeau)toMarc-Antoine Charpentier'sTe Deum.[4]Originally, the same logo was used for both the Eurovision network and the European Broadcasting Union, but they now have two different logos; the latest Eurovision network logo was introduced in 2012, and when the ident is transmitted at the start and end of programmes it is this Eurovision network logo that appears.[148][149]

The EBU now holds the recordings of all but two editions of the contest in its archives, following a project initiated in 2011 to collate footage and related materials of all editions ahead of the event's 60th edition in 2015.[150]Although cameras were present to practice pan-European broadcasting for the first contest in 1956 to the few Europeans who had television sets, its audience was primarily over the radio. The only footage available is aKinescoperecording of Lys Assia's reprise of her winning song.[104][7]No full recording of the1964 contestexists, with conflicting reports of the fate of any copies that may have survived.[151][152][153]Audio recordings of both contests do, however, exist, and some short pieces of footage from both events have survived.[104][154][155]Until 2004, the host broadcaster owned the copyright of the contest that they produced, with the EBU owning the copyright of all subsequent editions.[150]

Expansion of the contest

[edit]
Further information:List of countries in the Eurovision Song Contest
Map of countries in Europe, North Africa and Western Asia showing boundaries in 1992; contest participants in 1992 are coloured in green, with Yugoslavia coloured in red.
Participating countries in1992;Yugoslavia(in red) participated for the final time
Map of countries in Europe, North Africa and Western Asia showing boundaries in 1994; contest participants in 1994 are coloured in green
Participating countries in1994
Changes in Europe in the 1980s and 1990simpacted the contest, asYugoslaviaceased participating under one name and new countries in Central and Eastern Europe started competing.

From the original seven countries which entered the first contest in 1956, the number of competing countries has steadily grown over time. 18 countries participated in the contest's tenth edition in 1965, and by 1990, 22 countries were regularly competing each year.[97][156]

Besides slight modifications to the voting system and other contest rules, no fundamental changes to the contest's format were introduced until the early 1990s, whenevents in Europe in the late 1980s and early 1990sled to thebreakup of Yugoslavia,with the subsequent admission into the EBU of the broadcasters of the countries that emerged from the breakup, and to the merger in 1993 of the EBU with its Eastern European counterpart, theInternational Radio and Television Organisation(OIRT), which further expanded the number of broadcasters by including those from countries of the formerEastern Bloc.These events impacted the contest as they expanded the number of broadcasters eligible to participate with those from new countries.[157]

Pre-selections and relegation

[edit]

29 countries registered to take part in the 1993 contest, a figure the EBU considered unable to fit reasonably into a single TV show. A pre-selection method was subsequently introduced for the first time in order to reduce the number of competing entries, with seven countries inCentral and Eastern Europeparticipating inKvalifikacija za Millstreet,held inLjubljana,Slovenia one month before the event. Following a vote amongst the seven competing countries,Bosnia and Herzegovina,CroatiaandSloveniawere chosen to head to the contest inMillstreet,Ireland, whilstEstonia,Hungary,RomaniaandSlovakiawere forced to wait another year before being allowed to compete.[63][158]A newrelegation systemwas introduced for entry into the 1994 contest, with the lowest-placed countries being forced to sit out the following year's event to be replaced by countries which had not competed in the previous contest. The bottom seven countries in 1993 were required to miss the following year's contest, and were replaced by the four unsuccessful countries inKvalifikacija za Millstreetand new entries fromLithuania,PolandandRussia.[63][137][159]

This system was used again in 1994 for qualification for the1995 contest,but a new system was introduced for the1996 contest,when an audio-only qualification round was held in the months before the contest inOslo,Norway; this system was primarily introduced in an attempt to appease Germany, one of Eurovision's biggest markets and financial contributors, which would have otherwise been relegated under the previous system.[160][161]29 countries competed for 22 places in the main contest alongside the automatically qualified Norwegian hosts. However, Germany would ultimately still miss out, and joined Hungary, Romania, Russia,Denmark,Israel,andMacedoniaas one of the seven countries to be absent from the Oslo contest.[160][161]As of 2024this is the only ESC Germany has not participated in. For the1997 contest,a similar relegation system to that used between 1993 and 1995 was introduced, with each country's average scores in the preceding five contests being used as a measure to determine which countries would be relegated.[162][113]This was subsequently changed again in 2001, back to the same system used between 1993 and 1995 where only the results from that year's contest would count towards relegation.[62][163]

The "Big Five"

[edit]

In 1999, an exemption from relegation was introduced for France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom, giving them an automatic right to compete in the 2000 contest and in all subsequent editions. This group, as the highest-paying EBU members which significantly fund the contest each year, subsequently became known as the "Big Four" countries.[102][103][114]This group was expanded in 2011 when Italy began competing again, becoming the "Big Five".[164]Originally brought in to ensure that the financial contributions of the contest's biggest financial backers would not be missed, since the introduction of the semi-finals in 2004, the "Big Five" now instead automatically qualify for the final along with the host country.[165][166]

There remains debate on whether this status prejudices the countries' results, based on reported antipathy over their automatic qualification and the potential disadvantage of having spent less time on stage through not competing in the semi-finals;[167]however, this status appears to be more complex given that the results of the "Big Five" countries can vary widely.[39][168][169]This status has caused consternation from other competing countries, and was cited, among other aspects, as a reason whyTurkeyhad ceased participating after2012.[170]

Introduction of semi-finals

[edit]
Map of countries in Europe, North Africa and Western Asia, with Australia as an insert in the top-right corner, shaded to indicate their semi-final qualification rates: countries with high rates are shown in shades of blue, while countries with low rates are shown in shades of red and orange
Qualification rates per country (2004–2023; automatic qualifications not included)

An influx of new countries applying for the2003 contestresulted in the introduction of a semi-final from 2004, with the contest becoming a two-day event.[171][172]The top 10 countries in each year's final would qualify automatically to the following year's final, alongside the "Big Four", meaning all other countries would compete in the semi-final to compete for 10 qualification spots.[165]The2004 contestinIstanbul,Turkey saw a record 36 countries competing, with new entries fromAlbania,Andorra,BelarusandSerbia and Montenegroand the return of previously relegated countries.[165][173]The format of this semi-final remained similar to the final proper, taking place a few days before the final; following the performances and the voting window, the names of the 10 countries with the highest number of points, which would therefore qualify for the final, were announced at the end of the show, revealed in a random order by the contest's presenters.[165][173]

The single semi-final continued to be held between 2005 and 2007; however, with 42 countries competing in the2007 contestinHelsinki,Finland, the semi-final had 28 entries competing for 10 spots in the final.[174]Following criticism over the mainly Central and Eastern European qualifiers at the 2007 event and the poor performance of entries from Western European countries, a second semi-final was subsequently introduced for the2008 contestinBelgrade,Serbia, with all countries now competing in one of the two semi-finals, with only the host country and the "Big Four", and subsequently the "Big Five" from 2011, qualifying automatically.[175][176]10 qualification spots would be available in each of the semi-finals, and a new system to split the competing countries between the two semi-finals was introduced based on their geographic location and previous voting patterns, in an attempt to reduce the impact ofbloc votingand to make the outcome less predictable.[119][177][178]

Entries and participants

[edit]
Further information:List of Eurovision Song Contest entries (1956–2003)andList of Eurovision Song Contest entries (2004–present)
Swiss singerNemois the most recent winner of the contest.
After winning the1974 contestwith the song "Waterloo",the Swedish pop groupABBAbecame one of the most commercially successful acts in the history of pop music.
Black and white photograph of Johnny Logan performing on stage at the 1980 contest
Johnny Loganis the first performer to have won the contest twice, in1980(pictured)and1987;he also wrote the winning song in1992.

The contest has been used as a launching point for artists who went on to achieve worldwide fame, and several ofthe world's best-selling artistsare counted among past Eurovision Song Contest participants and winning artists.ABBA,the1974winners for Sweden, have sold an estimated 380 million albums and singles since their contest win brought them to worldwide attention, with their winning song "Waterloo"selling over five million records.[179][180]Celine Dion's win for Switzerland in1988helped launch her international career, particularly in theanglophonemarket, and she would go on to sell an estimated 200 million records worldwide.[138][181]Julio Iglesiaswas relatively unknown when he represented Spain in1970and placed fourth, but worldwide success followed his Eurovision appearance, with an estimated 100 million records sold during his career.[182][183]Australian-British singerOlivia Newton-Johnrepresented the United Kingdom in 1974, placing fourth behind ABBA, but went on to sell an estimated 100 million records, win fourGrammy Awards,and star in the critically and commercially successfulmusical filmGrease.[184][185]

A number of performers have competed in the contest after having already achieved considerable success. These include winning artistsLulu,[186][187]Toto Cutugno,[188][189]andKatrina and the Waves,[186][190]and acts that failed to win such asNana Mouskouri,[191][192]Cliff Richard,[186][193]Baccara,[194][195]Umberto Tozzi,[196][197]Plastic Bertrand,[194][198]t.A.T.u.,[199][200]Las Ketchup,[201]Patricia Kaas,[202][203]Engelbert Humperdinck,[204][200]Bonnie Tyler,[205][206]andFlo Rida.[207]Many well-known composers and lyricists have penned entries of varying success over the years, includingSerge Gainsbourg,[208][209]Goran Bregović,[210]Diane Warren,[211]Andrew Lloyd Webber,[212][213]Pete Waterman,[214][215]andTony Iommi,[216]as well as producersTimbaland[217]andGuy-Manuel de Homem-Christo.[218]

Past participants have contributed to other fields in addition to their music careers. The Netherlands'Annie M. G. Schmidt,lyricist of the first entry performed at Eurovision, has gained a worldwide reputation for her stories and earned theHans Christian Andersen Awardfor children's literature.[219]French "yé-yégirls "Françoise Hardyand contest winnerFrance Gallare household names of 1960s pop culture, with Hardy also being a pioneer ofstreet stylefashion trends and an inspiration for the globalyouthquakemovement.[220][221][222]Figures who carved a career in politics and gained international acclaim for humanitarian achievements include contest winnerDanaas a two-timeIrish presidential candidateandMember of the European Parliament(MEP);[223][224]Nana Mouskouri as Greek MEP and aUNICEF international goodwill ambassador;[225][226]contest winnerRuslanaas member ofVerkhovna Rada,Ukraine's parliament and a figure of theOrange RevolutionandEuromaidanprotests, who gained global honours for leadership and courage;[227][228][229]and North Macedonia'sEsma Redžepovaas member of political parties and a two-timeNobel Peace Prizenominee.[230]

Competing songs have occasionally gone on to become successes for their original performers and other artists, and some of thebest-selling singlesglobally received their first international performances at Eurovision. "Save Your Kisses for Me",the winning song in1976for the United Kingdom'sBrotherhood of Man,went on to sell over six million singles, more than any other winning song.[231][232]"Nel blu, dipinto di blu",also known as" Volare ", Italy's third-placed song in1958performed byDomenico Modugno,is the only Eurovision entry to win aGrammy Award.It was the first Grammy winner for bothRecord of the YearandSong of the Yearand it has since been recorded by various artists, topped theBillboardHot 100in the United States and achieved combined sales of over 22 million copies worldwide.[233]"Eres tú",performed by Spain'sMocedadesand runner-up in1973,became the first Spanish-language song to reach the top 10 of theBillboardHot 100,[234]and the Grammy-nominated "Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit",which came eighth in1996for the United Kingdom'sGina G,sold 790,000 records and achieved success across Europe and the US, reaching #1 on theUK Singles Chartand peaking at #12 on theBillboardHot 100.[235][236][237]

The turn of the century has also seen numerous competing songs becoming successes. "Euphoria",Loreen's winning song for Sweden in2012,achieved Europe-wide success, reaching number one in several countries and by 2014 had become the mostdownloadedEurovision song to date.[238][239]The video for "Occidentali's Karma"byFrancesco Gabbani,which placed sixth for Italy in2017,became the first Eurovision song to reach more than 200 million views on YouTube,[240]while "Soldi"byMahmood,the Italian runner-up in2019,was the most-streamed Eurovision song onSpotifyuntil it was overtaken by that year's winner for the Netherlands, "Arcade"byDuncan Laurence,followingviral successonTikTokin late 2020 and early 2021;[241][242]"Arcade" later became the first Eurovision song since "Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit" and the first Eurovision winning song since "Save Your Kisses for Me" to chart on theBillboardHot 100, eventually peaking at #30.[243][244][245]The2021 contestsaw the next major breakthrough success from Eurovision, withMåneskin,that year's winners for Italy with "Zitti e buoni",attracting worldwide attention across their repertoire immediately following their victory.[246][247][248]

Johnny Loganwas the first artist to have won multiple contests as a performer, winning for Ireland in1980with "What's Another Year",written byShay Healy,and in1987with the self-penned "Hold Me Now".Logan was also the winning songwriter in1992for the Irish winner, "Why Me?"performed byLinda Martin,and has therefore achieved three contest victories as either a performer or writer.[249]Four further songwriters have each written two contest-winning songs:Willy van Hemert,Yves Dessca,Rolf Løvland,andBrendan Graham.[250]Following their introduction in2004,Alexander Rybakbecame the first artist to win multiple Eurovision semi-finals, finishing in first at the second semi-finals in2009and2018;he remains the only entrant to have done so to date.[251][252]

Winners

[edit]
Further information:List of Eurovision Song Contest winners
Each country's win record in the contest as of 2024.

71 songs from 27 countries have won the Eurovision Song Contest as of 2024.[10]IrelandandSwedenhave recorded the most wins with seven each, followed byFrance,Luxembourg,theUnited Kingdomand theNetherlandswith five each.[9][10]Of the 52 countries to have taken part, 24[a]have yet to win.[19]Only one contest has featured multiple winners in a single year: in1969,four countries[b]finished the contest with an equal number of points and were all declared winners due to the lack of tiebreak rules at the time.[9][253]A majority of winning songs have been performed in English, particularly since the rule requiring native-language songs was abolished in 1999: since then, only seven winning songs have been performed either fully or partially in a language other than English.[19]

Two countries have won the contest on their first appearance:Switzerland,by virtue of winning the inaugural contest in 1956; andSerbia,which won in 2007 with its first participation as an independent country, following previous entries in union with now-defunct countriesYugoslaviaandSerbia and Montenegro.[17]Other countries have had relatively short waits before winning their first contest, withUkrainewinning on its second appearance in2004andLatviawinning with its third entry in2002.[254]Conversely, some countries have had considerable gaps between their debut entry and their first win:Greecerecorded its first win in2005,31 years after its first appearance, whileFinlandended a 45-year losing streak in2006.[254][255]Portugalholds the record for the most contest entries prior to its first win in2017,coming 53 years after it first competed.[256]Other countries have also had large gaps between their winning entries: Switzerland went 32 years between winning in 1956 and1988,and a further 36 years between then and winning in2024;Denmarkhad a 37-year gap between its wins in1963and2000;the Netherlands had a 44-year gap between its wins in1975and2019;andAustriaachieved its second win in2014,48 years after its first in1966.[19][254][257]

The United Kingdom holds the record for runner-up placements, having finished second sixteen times.[258]Norwayhas finished last on a record twelve occasions, including scoringnul pointsfour times; it shares the record for receiving this score with Austria.[9][259]Countries have recorded back-to-back wins on four occasions:Spainin1968and 1969; Luxembourg in1972and1973;Israel in1978and1979;and Ireland in1992,1993and1994,becoming the first and only country to date to win three times in a row.[254]Additionally, Ireland later won the1996 contest,giving it a record four wins in the span of five years.[260]

The Eurovision trophy
Replica of the Eurovision trophy inVäxjö,Sweden

The winning artists and songwriters receive a trophy, which since 2008 has followed a standard design: a handmade piece of sandblasted glass with painted details in the shape of a 1950s-stylemicrophone,designed by Kjell Engman of the Swedish-based glassworksKosta Boda.[47][261]The trophy is typically presented by the previous year's winner; others who have handed out the award in the past include representatives from the host broadcaster or the EBU, and politicians; in 2007, the fictional characterJoulupukki(originalSanta Clausfrom Finland) presented the award to the winnerMarija Šerifović.[17][262]

Interval acts and guest appearances

[edit]
Photograph of Riverdance cast
Riverdance(cast pictured at the Gaiety Theatre, Dublin in 2019) was the interval act at the 1994 contest.

Alongside the song contest and appearances from local and international personalities, performances from non-competing artists and musicians have been included since the first edition,[41][263]and have become a staple of the live show.[262]These performances have varied widely, previously featuring music, art, dance and circus performances, and past participants are regularly invited to perform, with the reigning champion traditionally returning each year to perform the previous year's winning song.[41][264]

The contest's opening performance and the main interval act, held following the final competing song and before the announcement of the voting results, has become a memorable part of the contest and has included both internationally known artists and local stars. Contest organisers have previously used these performances as a way to explore their country's culture and history, such as in "4,000 Years of Greek Song" at the2006 contestheld in Greece;[265]other performances have been more comedic in nature, featuring parody and humour, as was the case with "Love Love Peace Peace" in2016,a humorous ode to the history and spectacle of the contest itself.[266]Riverdance,which later became one of the most successful dance productions in the world, first began as the interval performance at the 1994 contest in Ireland; the seven-minute performance oftraditional Irish musicanddancewas later expanded into a full stage show that has been seen by over 25 million people worldwide and provided a launchpad for its lead dancersMichael FlatleyandJean Butler.[267][268]

Among other artists who have performed in a non-competitive manner are DanishEuropopgroupAquain2001,[269][270]Finnish cello metal bandApocalypticain 2007,[271]Russian pop duot.A.T.u.in2009,[272]and American entertainersJustin TimberlakeandMadonnain2016and2019respectively.[273][274][275]Other notable artists, includingCirque du Soleil(2009),Alexandrov Ensemble(2009),Vienna Boys' Choir(1967and2015) andFire of Anatolia(2004), also performed on the Eurovision stage,[276][277]and there have been guest appearances from well-known faces from outside the world of music, including actors, athletes, and serving astronauts and cosmonauts.[278][199][279][280]Guest performances have been used as a channel in response to global events happening concurrently with the contest. The1999 contestin Israel closed with all competing acts performing a rendition of Israel's1979winning song "Hallelujah"as a tribute to the victims of thewar in the Balkans,[103][281]a dance performance entitled "The Grey People" in 2016's first semi-final was devoted to theEuropean migrant crisis,[282][283][284]the2022 contestfeatured known anti-war songs "Fragile","People Have the Power"and"Give Peace a Chance"in response to theRussian invasion of Ukrainethat same year,[285][286]and an interval act in2023's first semi-final alluded to therefugee crisiscaused by the aforementioned invasion.[287][288]

Photograph of performance of "Love Love Peace Peace" at the 2016 final: Petra Mede and Måns Zelmerlöw perform on stage surrounded by performers dressed in costumes of past Eurovision acts
"Love Love Peace Peace" at the 2016 final, performed by presentersPetra MedeandMåns Zelmerlöw,depicted several memorable moments from Eurovision history.

Criticism and controversy

[edit]

The contest has been the subject of considerable criticism regarding both its musical content and what has been reported to be a political element to the event, and several controversial moments have been witnessed over the course of its history.[289]

Musical style and presentation

[edit]

Criticism has been levied against the musical quality of past competing entries, with a perception that certain music styles seen as being presented more often than others in an attempt to appeal to as many potential voters as possible among the international audience.[290]Power ballads,folkrhythms andbubblegum pophave been considered staples of the contest in recent years, leading to allegations that the event has become formulaic.[291][292]Other traits in past competing entries which have regularly been mocked by media and viewers include an abundance ofkey changesand lyrics about love and/or peace, as well as thepronunciation of English by non-native users of the language.[290][293][294]Given Eurovision is principally a television show, over the years competing performances have attempted to attract the viewers' attention through means other than music, and elaboratelighting displays,pyrotechnics,andextravaganton-stage theatrics and costumes having become a common sight at recent contests;[295]criticism of these tactics have been levied as being a method of distracting the viewer from the weak musical quality of some of the competing entries.[296]

While many of these traits are ridiculed in the media and elsewhere, for others these traits are celebrated and considered an integral part of what makes the contest appealing.[297]Although many of the competing acts each year will fall into some of the categories above, the contest has seen a diverse range of musical styles in its history, including rock,heavy metal,jazz,country,electronic,R&B,hip hopandavant-garde.[298][299][300][301][302]

Political controversies

[edit]
Main article:Political controversies in the Eurovision Song Contest
A painted mural on a wall on a street in Girona, Spain: the Eurovision trophy appears covered in barbed wire surrounded by tower blocks, with the words "#BoycottEurovision2019" above, and "Free Palestine" in English and Arabic to the top left
A mural inGironapromoting a boycott of the2019 contestin Israel

As artists and songs ultimately represent a country, the contest has seen several controversial moments where political tensions between competing countries as a result offrozen conflicts,and in some cases open warfare, are reflected in the performances and voting.[303]

TheconflictbetweenArmeniaandAzerbaijanhas affected the contest on numerous occasions.Conflicts between the two countries at Eurovisionescalated quickly since both countries began competing in the late 2000s, resulting in fines and disciplinary action for both countries' broadcasters over political stunts, and a forced change of title for one competing song due to allegations of political subtext.[304][305][306]Interactions betweenRussiaandUkrainein the contest had originally been positive, but aspolitical relationssoured between the two countries so, too, haverelations at Eurovisionbecome more complex. Complaints were levied againstUkraine's winning song in2016,"1944",whose lyrics referenced thedeportationof theCrimean Tatars,but which theRussian delegationclaimed had a greater political meaning in light ofRussia's annexationofCrimea.[307][308]AsUkraineprepared to host thefollowing year's contest,Russia's selected representative,Yuliya Samoylova,was barred from entering the country due to having previously entered Crimea illegally according to Ukrainian law.[309]Russia eventually pulled out of the contest after offers for Samoylova to perform remotely were refused by Russia's broadcaster,Channel One Russia,resulting in the EBU reprimanding the Ukrainian broadcaster,UA:PBC.[310][311]In the wake of theRussian invasion of Ukraineand subsequent protests from other participating countries,Russiawas barred from competing in the2022 contest,whichUkrainewent on to win.[312][313][314]Georgia's planned entry for the2009 contestin Moscow, Russia, "We Don't Wanna Put In", caused controversy as the lyrics appeared to criticiseVladimir Putin,in a move seen as opposition to the then-Russian prime ministerin the aftermath of theRusso-Georgian War.After requests by the EBU for changes to the lyrics were refused, Georgia's broadcasterGPBsubsequently withdrew from the event.[315][316]Belarus' planned entry in2021,"Ya nauchu tebya (I'll Teach You)",also caused controversy in the wake ofdemonstrationsagainst disputedelectionresults, resulting in the country's disqualification when the aforementioned song and another potential song were deemed to breach the contest's rules on neutrality and politicisation.[317][318]

Israel's participation in the contest has resulted in several controversial moments in the past, with the country's first appearance in1973,less than a year after theMunich massacre,resulting in an increased security presence at the venue inLuxembourg City.[319][100][320]Israel's first win in1978proved controversial forArab statesbroadcasting the contest which would typically cut toadvertisementswhen Israel performed due to a lack ofrecognition of the country,and when it became apparent Israel would win, many of these broadcasters cut the feed before the end of the voting.[321][322][323]Arab states which are eligible to compete have declined to participate due to Israel's presence, withMoroccothe only Arab state to have entered Eurovision, competing for the first, and as of 2024the only time, in1980when Israel was absent.[324][325]Israeli participation has been criticised by those who oppose currentgovernmentpolicies in the state, with calls raised by various political groups for a boycott ahead of the2019 contestinTel Aviv,including proponents of theBoycott, Divestment and Sanctions(BDS) movement in response to the country's policies towardsPalestiniansin theWest BankandGaza,as well as groups who take issue with perceivedpinkwashingin Israel.[326][327]Others campaigned against a boycott, asserting that any cultural boycott would be antithetical to advancing peace in the region.[328][329]Israel's participation in the contest was again put into question following the outbreak of theIsrael–Hamas warin October 2023, withrenewed calls for the nation's exclusionahead of the2024 event;Israel's entry for that year's contestwas, however, accepted by the EBU,[330][331][332]although it was required to undergo rewrites as the EBU objected to the political nature of the original lyrics, which made reference to the7 October Hamas-led attack on Israel.[333][334][335]

Political and geographical voting

[edit]
Voting preferences in Eurovision 1997 to 2017
Voting preferences between countries in Eurovision between 1997 and 2017
Neglect in Eurovision 2010 to 2015
Mutual neglect of score allocations in Eurovision between 2010 and 2015
Produced using the methods presented by Mantzaris, Rein, and Hopkins:[336][337]a network of the significant score deviations can be viewed over a time period of interest.
Southwest Northwest North Central Southeast East

The contest has been described as containing political elements in its voting process, a perception that countries will give votes more frequently and in higher quantities to other countries based on political relationships, rather than the musical merits of the songs themselves.[338][339]Numerous studies and academic papers have been written on this subject, which have corroborated that certain countries form "clusters" or "cliques" by frequently voting in the same way; one study concludes thatvoting blocscan play a crucial role in deciding the winner of the contest, with evidence that on at least two occasions bloc voting was a pivotal factor in the vote for the winning song.[340][341]Other views on these "blocs" argue that certain countries will allocate high points to others based on similar musical tastes, shared cultural links and a high degree of similarity andmutual intelligibilitybetween languages, and are therefore more likely to appreciate and vote for the competing songs from these countries based on these factors, rather than political relationships specifically.[342][343]Analysis on other voting patterns have revealed examples which indicate voting preferences among countries based on shared religion, as well as "patriotic voting", particularly since the introduction of televoting in1997,whereforeign nationalsvote for their country of origin.[343][344]

Voting patterns in the contest have been reported by news publishers, includingThe Economist,The TimesandBBC News.[345][346][347][348]Criticism of the voting system was at its highest in the mid-2000s, resulting in a number of calls for countries to boycott the contest over reported voting biases, particularly following the2007 contestwhere Eastern European countries occupied the top 15 places in the final and dominated the qualifying spaces.[349][350]The poor performance of the entries from more traditional Eurovision countries had subsequently been discussed in European national parliaments, and the developments in the voting was cited as among the reasons for the resignation ofTerry Woganas commentator for the UK, a role he had performed at every contest from1980.[351][352][353]In response to this criticism, the EBU introduced a second semi-final in2008,with countries split based on geographic proximity and voting history, and juries of music professionals were reintroduced in2009,in an effort to reduce the impacts of bloc voting.[135][134][354]

LGBT visibility

[edit]
Main article:LGBT visibility in the Eurovision Song Contest
Photograph of Dana International during a performance
Dana International,the contest's firsttransparticipant, and winner of the 1998 contest for Israel

Eurovision has had a long-held fan base in theLGBT community,and contest organisers have actively worked to include these fans in the event since the 1990s.[355]Paul Oscarbecame the contest's first openlygayartist to compete when he representedIcelandin1997.Israel'sDana International,the contest's firsttransperformer, became the first LGBT artist to win in1998.[356][132]In2021,Nikkie de Jagerbecame the first trans person to host the contest.[357]

Several open members of the LGBT community have since gone on to compete and win:Conchita Wurst,thedragpersona of openly gay Thomas Neuwirth, won the2014 contestforAustria.[358]Marija Šerifović,who won the 2007 contest forSerbia,subsequently came out publicly as a lesbian in 2013.[359]OpenlybisexualperformerDuncan Laurencewas the winner of the 2019 contest for theNetherlands;[360]and rock bandMåneskin,winners of the 2021 contest forItaly,features openly bisexualVictoria De Angelisas its bassist.[361]Nemo,theSwissentrant in2024,was the firstnon-binarywinner.[362]

Past competing songs and performances have included references and allusions tosame-sex relationships;"Nous les amoureux",the1961winning song, contained references to the difficulties faced by a homosexual relationship;[363]Krista Siegfrids' performance of "Marry Me" at the2013 contestincluded a same-sex kiss with one of her female backing dancers;[364]and the stage show ofIreland'sRyan O'Shaughnessy's "Together"in2018had two male dancers portraying a same-sex relationship.[365]Drag performers,such asUkraine'sVerka Serduchka,Denmark'sDQandSlovenia'sSestre,have appeared, including Wurst winning in 2014.[366][367][368]

In recent years, various political ideologies across Europe have clashed in the Eurovision setting, particularly onLGBT rights.Dana International's selection for the 1998 contest inBirminghamwas marked by objections and death threats from orthodoxreligious sections of Israeli society,and at the contest her accommodation was reportedly in the only hotel in Birmingham with bulletproof windows.[369][370]Turkey,once a regular participant and a one-time winner, first pulled out of the contest in2013,citing dissatisfaction in the voting rules and more recently Turkish broadcasterTRThave cited LGBT performances as another reason for their continued boycott, refusing to broadcast the 2013 event overFinland's same sex kiss.[170][371][372]LGBT visibility in the contest has been cited as a deciding factor forHungary's non-participation since2020,although no official reason was given by the Hungarian broadcasterMTVA.[373][374]The rise ofanti-LGBTQ sentimentin Europe has led to a marked increase inbooingfrom contest audiences, particularly since the introduction of a"gay propaganda" law in Russiain 2013.[375][376]Conchita Wurst's win was met with criticismon theRussian politicalstage, with severalconservativepoliticians voicing displeasure in the result.[377]Clashes on LGBT visibility in the contest have occurred in countries which do not compete, such as inChina,where broadcasting rights were terminated during the 2018 contest due tocensorshipof "abnormal sexual relationships and behaviours" that went against Chinese broadcasting guidelines.[378][379]

Cultural influence

[edit]
Fan media working at the2024 contestin Malmö

The Eurovision Song Contest has amassed a global following and sees annual audience figures of between 100 and 600 million.[380][381]The contest has become a cultural influence worldwide since its first years. It is regularly described as havingkitschappeal, and is included as a topic of parody in televisionsketchesand in stage performances at theEdinburgh FringeandMelbourne Comedyfestivals amongst others.[292][296][382][383]Several films have been created which celebrate the contest, includingEytan Fox's 2013 Israeli comedyCupcakes,and theNetflix2020 musical comedy,Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga,produced with backing from the EBU and starringWill FerrellandRachel McAdams.[384][385][386]

Eurovision has a large online following and multiple independent websites, news blogs andfan clubsare dedicated to the event.[387]One of the oldest and largest Eurovision fan clubs isOGAE,founded in 1984 in Finland and currently a network of over 40 national branches across the world. National branches regularly host events to promote and celebrate Eurovision, and several participating broadcasters work closely with these branches when preparing their entries.[388]

In the run-up to each year's contest, several countries regularly host smaller events between the conclusion of the national selection shows in March and the contest proper in May, known as the "pre-parties". These events typically feature the artists which will go on to compete at that year's contest, and consist of performances at a venue and meet-and-greets with fans and the press.Eurovision in Concert,held annually inAmsterdam,was one of the first of these events to be created, holding its first edition in 2008.[389][390]Other events held regularly include theLondon Eurovision Party,PrePartyESinMadrid,andIsrael CallinginTel Aviv.[391][392][393]Several community events have been held virtually, particularly since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe in 2020, among theseEurovisionAgain,an initiative where fans watched and discussed past contests in sync on YouTube and other social media platforms. Launched during the firstCOVID-19 lockdowns,the event subsequently became atop trend on Twitteracross Europe and facilitated over£20,000 in donations for UK-basedLGBTQ+ charities.[394][395][150]

[edit]
Destiny Chukunyerewon the2015 editionof theJunior Eurovision Song ContestforMalta
HostsGraham NortonandPetra MededuringEurovision Song Contest's Greatest Hits,a special event marking the contest's 60th anniversary

Several anniversary events, and related contests under the "Eurovision Live Events" brand, have been organised by the EBU with its member broadcasters.[396]In addition, participating broadcasters have occasionally commissioned special Eurovision programmes for their home audiences, and a number of other imitator contests have been developed outside of the EBU framework, on both a national and international level.[397][398]

The EBU has held several events to mark selected anniversaries in the contest's history:Songs of Europe,held in 1981 to celebrate its twenty-fifth anniversary, had live performances and video recordings of all Eurovision Song Contest winners up to 1981;[399][400]Congratulations: 50 Years of the Eurovision Song Contestwas organised in 2005 to celebrate the event's fiftieth anniversary, and featured a contest to determine the most popular song from among 14 selected entries from the contest's first 50 years;[401][402]and in 2015 the event's sixtieth anniversary was marked byEurovision Song Contest's Greatest Hits,a concert of performances by past Eurovision artists and video montages of performances and footage from previous contests.[403][404]Following the cancellation of the2020 contest,the EBU organised a special non-competitive broadcast,Eurovision: Europe Shine a Light,which provided a showcase for the songs that would have taken part in the competition.[405][406]

Other contests organised by the EBU includeEurovision Young Musicians,a classical music competition for European musicians between the ages of 12 and 21;[407]Eurovision Young Dancers,a dance competition for non-professional performers between the ages of 16 and 21;[408]Eurovision Choir,a choral competition for non-professional European choirs produced in partnership with theInterkultur[de]and modelled after theWorld Choir Games;[409]and theJunior Eurovision Song Contest,a similar song contest for singers aged between 9 and 14 representing primarily European countries.[410]TheEurovision Dance Contestwas an event featuring pairs of dancers performing ballroom and Latin dancing, which took place for two editions, in 2007 and 2008.[411]

Similar international music competitions have been organised externally to the EBU. TheSopot International Song Festivalhas been held annually since 1961; between 1977 and 1980, under the patronage of theInternational Radio and Television Organisation(OIRT), an Eastern European broadcasting union similar to the EBU, it was rebranded as theIntervision Song Contest.[412][413]AnIbero-Americancontest, theOTI Festival,was held by theOrganización de Televisión Iberoamericana(OTI) between 1972 and 2000 amonghispanophoneandlusophonebroadcasters in Europe and the Americas; and a contest for countries andautonomous regionswithTurkiclinks, theTurkvision Song Contest,has been organised since 2013.[414][415][416]Similarly, an adaption of the contest for artists in the United States, theAmerican Song Contest,was held in 2022 and featured songs representing U.S. states andterritories.[417][418][419][420]Adaptions of the contest for artists in Canada and Latin America are in development, though development on the former has been halted.[421][422][423][424]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^Serbia and Montenegroparticipated twice (in2004and2005) but did not win. However, this country ceased to exist since.
  2. ^NamelyFrance,Spain,theNetherlandsand theUnited Kingdom

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