Singer Mustii performs Belgium's entry at the Eurovision Semi-Finals in 2024. (Photo: Arkland, used under Creative Commons licence).
It’s that time of year again…. May is the month when Eurovision fever traditionally sweeps across nations participating in the annual celebration of songwriting and showmanship. Thousands of fans will descend on Switzerland for the 69th Eurovision Song Contest, while millions more will watch from their home countries, with many planning elaborate Eurovision parties. This year 37 acts will take to the stage to perform their nation’s song, hoping to win the approval of the national juries and the voting public alike.
We look at the history behind the contest and some of its memorable moments.
Eurovision’s beginnings
Today we take for granted the ability to stage a live broadcast across several nations simultaneously – but in the 1950s, this was quite a technical feat. The Eurovision Network had been created in 1954 by the European Broadcasting Union – an alliance of different national broadcasters – to distribute live broadcasts of major events to its members. The Eurovision Song Contest was developed by the network as they sought to provide more spectacular content, taking inspiration from the Sanremo Italian Song Festival, which was staged annually by the Italian broadcaster RAI.
The first ever Eurovision Song Contest was held on 24th May 1956, with just seven nations taking part: the Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Germany, France, Luxembourg and Italy. Each country entered two songs, and the winner was selected by a jury made up of two people from each participating country. The jury watched the performances together on a small television screen, to try to replicate the experience of viewers in their homes, and each juror was asked to rate each song with a score between one and ten.
Hosts Switzerland triumphed with the highest score for the song 'Refrain', which was composed by Géo Voumard with lyrics by Émile Gardaz, and performed by Lys Assia.
The contest’s evolution
Over time, more nations joined the contest, which today features entrants from countries across Europe and beyond. Participating broadcasters are responsible for choosing their country’s entry, with some choosing to air a televised programme for the public to vote, and others using an internal selection process. For example, this year the BBC worked with UK music industry representatives including record labels, publishers and songwriters to choose the UK's entry, 'What the Hell Just Happened?' by vocal harmony act Remember Monday.
In the first few years, songs were traditionally performed in each country’s native language. But as the contest grew in popularity, many songwriters began crafting entries in English, in the hope that lyrics which could be widely understood would have a better chance of winning. Over the years, the rules on this have changed several times, and entries are now accepted in any language. Today’s rules state that songs must be original, and must not have been released or performed before September in the year before the contest. Entries can be no longer than three minutes, and the lead singers must perform live with recorded backing tracks.
Eurovision has become known for its dramatic performances: flamboyant costumes and high-energy dance routines are as much a part of the event as the songwriting. Each year typically showcases a range of genres, with songwriters turning to pop, hip hop, industrial metal and more, and many incorporating elements of their home countries’ traditional music.
Since it began, Eurovision has launched the careers of several household names – notably ABBA, who won in 1974 with ‘Waterloo’, which went on to be the first of many global hits for the group. Julio Iglesias had already found success in Spain before representing the country in 1970, but following his performance, his song 'Un canto a Galicia' topped the charts in several European countries, marking the beginning of his meteoric rise to fame. And in 1988, the singer Celine Dion helped Switzerland to win the contest with her performance of 'Ne partez pas sans moi', with the event serving as a launchpad for her international career.
Bringing people together
For some, Eurovision has a reputation as being over-the-top and embarrassingly cheesy – but others embrace the contest as a joyfully kitsch celebration of diversity and self-expression that brings people together. The contest has also offered an inclusive platform for several trans and non-binary artists over the years, such as Dana International, Conchita Wurst and Nemo – whose entry last year secured a win for Switzerland, bringing the contest back to its original host country.
In 2016, Stockholm’s host presenters Petra Mede and Måns Zelmerlöw used their interval act to deliver an affectionately teasing song about Eurovision, ‘Love, Love, Peace, Peace’. Examining what makes a winning entry, it suggested:
Let it be about something everyone can relate to
Love works
Peace is also a popular way to go
Yes, peace is good
While the song is tongue-in-cheek, many popular Eurovision songs do carry a message of love and peace – so perhaps it’s not bad advice!
For many, the Eurovision Grand Final is an opportunity to come together with friends and celebrate. Food is a common theme at Eurovision parties, with people opting to serve national dishes of that year’s host nation, or bringing a range of foods from participating countries – be it schnitzel, pizza or baklava. And of course, no Eurovision party would be complete without scorecards for guests to rank the entries for their costumes and performances, and crucially, for their songwriting.
Further information
Read more about Eurovision’s history, and find out about past winners and this year’s entrants at eurovision.tv
This year’s Grand Final will be held on Saturday 17 May in Basel, Switzerland.
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