United By Music
Original title
Eurovision Song Contest
Released
5/24/1956
Origin country
CH
Genre
Reality
Production companies
Eurovision Media Production, European Broadcasting Union
Status
Returning series
Number of seasons
69
Number of episodes
107
The Eurovision Song Contest is an international song competition, organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and featuring participants representing primarily European countries. Each participating country submits an original song to be performed on live television and radio, transmitted to national broadcasters via the EBU's Eurovision and Euroradio networks, with competing countries then casting votes for the other countries' songs to determine the winner.
Inspired by the Italian Sanremo Festival, the idea to organise a pan-European musicial competition was born at a meeting of the European Broadcasting Union in Monaco in 1955. It was decided that the first ever Eurovision Song Contest would be hosted the following year in the Swiss resort of Lugano. The 1956 Eurovision Song Contest was primarily a radio show, although some cameras were taping the contest for the few Europeans who had a television set at that time. Lohengrin Filipello hosted the programme, which lasted 1 hour and 40 minutes. The seven participating countries each submitted two entries. The songs of the contest were not to exceed three and a half minutes, and the performers were accompanied by an orchestra of 24 musicians, led by Fernando Paggi.
Swedish national broadcaster SVT decided to stage the 1985 Eurovision Song Contest in Gothenburg's Scandinavium, the biggest venue to have hosted the show to date.
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. Iceland had wanted to participate for some years but the small Atlantic island nation had to wait until a satellite connection to Iceland could be established. The 1986 Eurovision Song Contest also marked a historic landmark as the 500th Eurovision song was performed in Bergen - Luxembourg's entry L'Amour De Ma Vie by Canadian-born Sherisse Laurence.
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.
13,000 spectators were at the final in the Globen Arena in Stockholm, which was a new record.
For the first time ever in the history of the Eurovision Song Contest, a Semi-Final was held to ensure that all countries who wanted could participate in the event.
The Eurovision Song Contest 2018 was the 63rd edition of the annual Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Lisbon, Portugal, following Salvador Sobral's win at the 2017 contest in Kiev, Ukraine with the song "Amar pelos dois". It was the first time the contest took place in Portugal - 53 years after the Iberian nation made its debut.
The Eurovision Song Contest 2019 was the 64th edition of the annual Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Tel Aviv, Israel.
The Eurovision Song Contest 2021 takes place in Rotterdam. The Dutch city was due to host the Contest in 2020 before the event was cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
After Måneskin won the 2021 contest, Eurovision will return to Italy for the third time.
Liverpool is the Host City for the 67th Eurovision Song Contest, this year's hosts are Alesha Dixon, Hannah Waddingham and Julia Sanina joined in the grand final by Graham Norton.
Malmö was chosen following a strong city bid process that examined facilities at the venue; the ability to accommodate thousands of visiting delegations, crew, fans and journalists; infrastructure; and other criteria.
Following Nemo's victory in the 2024 contest, Eurovision returns to its home country for the first time since 1989.
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