166-478: The Barbara Dex Award was a fan-voted accolade awarded annually to the worst-dressed contestant in the Eurovision Song Contest . The award was created by the fansite The House of Eurovision in 1997, which hosted it until the site's closure in 2016. Songfestival.be presented the award from 2017 onwards, changing its criterion to the "most striking look" in 2019. Ahead of the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 ,
332-477: A lampshade ". The Barbara Dex Award was initially awarded to the worst-dressed contestants. Malta's Eurovision Song Contest 1997 entrant, Debbie Scerri , was the first recipient. After two years of deciding the recipient internally, The House of Eurovision opened the award to public voting in 1999. The House of Eurovision shut down after the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 and handed the Barbara Dex Award to
498-455: A committee appointed by the broadcaster; and a mixed format where some decisions are made internally and the public are engaged in others. Among the most successful televised selection shows is Sweden's Melodifestivalen , first established in 1959 and now one of Sweden's most watched television shows each year. Each show typically begins with an opening act consisting of music and/or dance performances by invited artists, which contributes to
664-554: A constituent part of the Danish Realm . In late 2018, KVF showed renewed interest in joining the EBU and participating in the contest. According to the broadcaster, it was not excluded by the rule that only independent nations can join, and as a result, the Faroese broadcaster started internal discussions on applying for EBU membership and participating in the contest, and additionally organising
830-479: A different nationality or were born in a different country to that which they represented. No performer may compete for more than one country in a given year. 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 winner Lena competed again in 2011. However, in
996-556: A duration of three minutes or less. This rule applies only to the version performed during the live shows. 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. All competing entries must include vocals and lyrics of some kind, a cappella songs and purely instrumental pieces are not allowed. Competing entries may be performed in any language, be that natural or constructed , and participating broadcasters are free to decide
1162-412: A fine or temporary ban. China aired the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 and then Chinese provincial television channel Hunan Television had confirmed its interest in participating in the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 . The EBU had responded saying "we are open and are always looking for new elements in each Eurovision Song Contest". However, on 3 June 2015, the EBU denied that China would participate as
1328-453: A future Qatari entry. Australia, where the contest has been broadcast since the 1970s, has been represented every year since its debut in 2015, as its broadcaster is an EBU associate member and had received special approval from the contest's Reference Group. The number of countries represented each year has grown steadily, from seven in 1956 to over twenty in the late 1980s. A record forty-three countries participated in 2008, 2011, and 2018. As
1494-528: A guest or full participant in 2016. During the Chinese broadcast of the 2018 contest's first semi-final on Mango TV , both Albania and Ireland were edited out of the show, along with their snippets in the recap of all nineteen entries. Albania was skipped due to a ban that took effect in January 2018 prohibiting showing on television performers with tattoos while Ireland was censored due to its representation of
1660-460: A homosexual couple on-stage. In addition, the LGBT flag and tattoos on other performers were also blurred out from the broadcast. As a result, the EBU terminated its partnership with Mango TV, citing that censorship "is not in line with the EBU's values of universality and inclusivity and its proud tradition of celebrating diversity through music," which led to a ban on televising the second semi-final and
1826-547: 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. The Eurovision Song Contest was developed by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) as an experiment in live television broadcasting and
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#17328513791921992-423: 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 its camp appeal, its musical span of ethnic and international styles, as well as emergence as part of LGBT culture , resulting in
2158-467: A local career boost and in some cases long-lasting international success. Several of the best-selling music artists in the world have competed in past editions, including ABBA , Celine Dion , Julio Iglesias , Cliff Richard and Olivia Newton-John ; some of the world's best-selling singles have received their first international performance on the Eurovision stage. While having gained popularity with
2324-403: A member of Moje 3 in 2013 and as a solo artist in 2019 . After Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia in 2008, RTK applied for EBU membership, and wished to enter Kosovo into the 2009 contest . There is a signed co-operation agreement between the EBU and RTK; and the EBU supports the membership of RTK. Since 2013, RTK has had observer status within the EBU, and did participate in
2490-408: A national final similar to Dansk Melodi Grand Prix . The first Faroese artist to compete in the contest was Reiley , who represented Denmark in 2023 . Contextually to his participation, KVF, backed by Minister of Social Affairs and Culture Sirið Stenberg , resumed its attempts to gain full EBU membership. In May 2023, KVF announced that it would apply for EBU membership before the summer, with
2656-589: A non-competitive format. 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 of Grand Prix Eurovision de la Chanson Européenne in French and as the Eurovision Song Contest Grand Prix in English, with similar variations used in the languages of each of the broadcasting countries. From 1968,
2822-517: A one-off revival in 2008) saw the participation of NATO and EEC members – including some from outside Europe like Canada – in addition to the Eastern Bloc countries of Intervision that had set up the contest. Only after the end of the Cold War did other countries from Central and Eastern Europe participate for the first time – some of those countries having gained or regained their independence in
2988-527: 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. 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 of 2023 , when the United Kingdom hosted the contest on behalf of Ukraine, which went first). The qualifying acts in
3154-403: A similar style or tempo are performed in sequence. Since the creation of a second semi-final in 2008 , a semi-final allocation draw is held each year. 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. Countries are then randomly assigned to compete in either
3320-584: 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 in Central and Eastern Europe participating in Kvalifikacija za Millstreet , held in Ljubljana , Slovenia one month before the event. Following a vote amongst the seven competing countries, Bosnia and Herzegovina , Croatia and Slovenia were chosen to head to
3486-456: A standard feature of the event, began in 1958. Technological developments have transformed the contest: colour broadcasts began in 1968 ; satellite broadcasts in 1985 ; and streaming in 2000 . Broadcasts in widescreen began in 2005 and in high-definition since 2007, with ultra-high-definition tested for the first time in 2022. By the 1960s, between 16 and 18 countries were regularly competing each year. Countries from outside
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#17328513791923652-499: 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 the procession of competing athletes at the Olympic Games opening ceremony . Viewers are welcomed by one or more presenters who provide key updates during the show, conduct interviews with competing acts from
3818-599: A way to produce cheaper programming for national broadcasting organisations. The word "Eurovision" was first used by British journalist George Campey in the London Evening Standard in 1951, when he referred to a BBC programme being relayed by Dutch television. Following several events broadcast internationally via the Eurovision transmission network in the early 1950s, including the coronation of Elizabeth II in 1953, an EBU committee, headed by Marcel Bezençon ,
3984-558: Is Martin Österdahl , who took over the role from Jon Ola Sand in May 2020. 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. All competing songs must have
4150-467: Is Parken Stadium in Copenhagen, which was attended by almost 38,000 spectators in 2001 . With a population of 1,500 at the time of the 1993 contest , Millstreet , Ireland remains the smallest hosting settlement, although its Green Glens Arena is capable of hosting up to 8,000 spectators. Unlike the Olympic Games or FIFA World Cup , whose host venues are announced several years in advance, there
4316-546: Is a full EBU member, has been encouraged to take part in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest , where it made its debut in 2018 , finishing in last place. Wales participated in the inaugural Eurovision Choir in 2017 , where it finished second. The country is also eligible to take part in the minority language song contest Liet-Lávlut . In May 2024, a campaign was started by record label Coco & Cwtsh – to which Cân i Gymru winner Sara Davies
4482-406: 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. The host broadcaster will subsequently select a host city, typically a national or regional capital city, which must meet certain criteria set out in
4648-401: Is allowed during performances. The main vocals of competing songs must be performed live during the contest. Previously live backing vocals were also required; since 2021 these 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. Since 2013 ,
4814-528: 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. 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. This spokesperson is typically well known in their country; previous spokespersons have included former Eurovision artists and presenters. Historically,
4980-743: Is from Mitrovica , represented Serbia in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2007 . After the breakup of Yugoslavia , numerous Kosovo Albanian singers have participated at the Festivali i Këngës , the Albanian national selection for Eurovision organised by RTSH . The most notable participants to date are Rona Nishliu , Lindita , and Albina Kelmendi and her family, who represented Albania in 2012 , 2017 and 2023 , respectively. Numerous Kosovo Serb singers have participated in Serbian national selections organised by RTS . Nevena Božović also represented Serbia as
5146-451: Is held annually between members of the union who participate representing their countries. Broadcasters submit songs to the event where they are performed live by the performer(s) they had selected and cast votes to determine the winning song of the competition. Participation in the contest is primarily open to all broadcasters with active EBU membership, with only one entrant per country allowed in any given year. To become an active member of
Barbara Dex Award - Misplaced Pages Continue
5312-414: Is 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. 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
5478-511: Is limited to a maximum of six, and no live animals are allowed. Since 1990 , all contestants must be aged 16 or over on the day of the live show in which they perform. Sandra Kim , the winner in 1986 at the age of 13, shall remain the contest's youngest winner while this rule remains in place. 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
5644-550: Is mentioned in Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020) and a plot point in the Father Ted episode " A Song for Europe " (1996). 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. Eurovision
5810-588: Is not a member of the United Nations and RTK not a member of the International Telecommunication Union , RTK cannot apply to become a full member of the EBU. Jugovizija was the national pre-selection of Yugoslavia organised by the Yugoslav broadcaster Yugoslav Radio Television (JRT) since 1961 and it featured entries submitted by the subnational public broadcasting centres based in
5976-425: 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. Participating broadcasters are required to air live the semi-final in which they compete, or in
6142-519: Is signed – for Wales to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest; however, as in other Eurovision events, this can only happen if the BBC renounces to its right to represent the United Kingdom as a whole. The table lists the participating countries in each decade since the first Eurovision Song Contest was held in 1956. Seven countries participated in the first contest. Since then,
6308-498: Is typically held at a venue in the host city on the Sunday preceding the live shows, which includes a red carpet ceremony for all the participating countries and is usually broadcast online. Accredited delegates, press and fans have access to an official nightclub, the "EuroClub", and some delegations will hold their own parties. The "Eurovision Village" is an official fan zone open to the public free of charge, with live performances by
6474-533: Is typically that country's national public broadcasting organisation. The programme is staged by one of the participant countries and is broadcast from an auditorium in the selected host city. 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
6640-474: Is ugly and what is not and does not want to place the Song Contest in a bad light". On 13 March 2022, Songfestival.be announced that it would be ending the Barbara Dex Award, citing the negative connotation associated with it. Instead, the website would organise a new, replacement award for the "most notable outfit". Following an online vote, Songfestival.be announced on 29 April that the new award would be named
6806-462: Is usually no purpose-built infrastructure whose construction is justified with the needs of hosting the Eurovision Song Contest. However, the 2012 edition , hosted in Baku , Azerbaijan, was held at Baku Crystal Hall , a venue that had not existed when Azerbaijan won the previous year. Most other editions have been held in pre-existing venues, but renovations or modifications have sometimes been undertaken in
Barbara Dex Award - Misplaced Pages Continue
6972-523: The 2008 edition . Two of the countries that have previously sought to enter the competition, Lebanon and Tunisia, in Western Asia and North Africa respectively, are also outside of Europe. A broadcaster from the Persian Gulf state of Qatar, in Western Asia, announced in 2009 its interest in joining the contest in time for the 2011 edition. However, this did not materialise, and there are no known plans for
7138-499: The COVID-19 pandemic . No competitive event was able to take place due to uncertainty caused by the spread of the virus in Europe and 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
7304-602: The Dutch name Eurovisiesongfestival was used when the Netherlands hosted in 1976 and 1980 . Original songs representing participating countries are performed in a live television programme broadcast via the Eurovision and Euroradio networks simultaneously 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
7470-555: The Eurovision feed transmitted by the EBU, the EBU/Eurovision network 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) to Marc-Antoine Charpentier 's Te Deum . Originally, the same logo was used for both the Eurovision network and the European Broadcasting Union, but they now have two different logos;
7636-511: The Eurovision 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 national Sanremo Music Festival , held in the Italian Riviera since 1951. Eurovision has been held annually since 1956 (except for 2020 due to the COVID-19 restrictions ), making it the longest-running international music competition on television and one of
7802-488: The International Radio and Television Organisation (OIRT), which further expanded the number of broadcasters by including those from countries of the former Eastern Bloc . These events impacted the contest as they expanded the number of broadcasters eligible to participate with those from new countries. 29 countries registered to take part in the 1993 contest, a figure the EBU considered unable to fit reasonably into
7968-566: The Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2018 alongside Wales , placing sixth. On 30 July 2018, the EBU stated that the decision to invite Kazakhstan was made solely by the Junior Eurovision Steering Group, and there were no current plans to invite associate members other than Australia. On 22 November 2018, the then executive supervisor of the contest, Jon Ola Sand , stated in a press conference that "we need to discuss if we can invite our associate member Kazakhstan to take part in
8134-466: The green room , and guide the voting procedure in English and French. 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—via telephone , SMS and the official Eurovision app. The public vote comprises 50% of the final result alongside the views of a jury of music industry professionals from each country. An interval act
8300-593: The post-Soviet states which emerged or re-emerged following this process went on to compete in the Eurovision Song Contest. All former republics of the Soviet Union which were geographically situated in Europe (except for Kazakhstan ) went on to make their debut appearances in the contest during the 1990s and 2000s: Estonia , Lithuania and Russia in 1994 ; Latvia in 2000 ; Ukraine in 2003 ; Belarus in 2004 ; Moldova in 2005 ; Armenia in 2006 ; Georgia in 2007 ; and Azerbaijan in 2008 . Of
8466-487: The " You're a Vision Award ", adding that the new name would serve the purpose of promoting creativity, diversity and positivity in Eurovision onstage fashion. Australia's Eurovision Song Contest 2022 entrant, Sheldon Riley , was the first recipient of the new award. In a January 2006 interview with ESCToday , Dex stated that there was "nothing wrong" with the Barbara Dex Award. A 2015 poll by Wiwibloggs found Guildo Horn , Germany's 1998 Eurovision act , to be considered
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#17328513791928632-454: The "Big Four/Five", participating in one of the semi-finals. Some countries, such as Germany, France, Belgium, and the United Kingdom, have entered most years, while Morocco has only entered once. Two countries, Tunisia and Lebanon, have attempted to enter the contest but withdrew before making a debut. The following table lists the countries with a broadcaster that have participated in the contest at least once, up to 2023. Planned entries for
8798-588: The 1992 contest as the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia , which consisted of only those two republics. Montenegro and Serbia have each competed as separate countries since 2007. The Belarusian broadcaster BTRC was expelled from the EBU in July 2021, preventing them from competing in future editions of the contest, or any EBU event indefinitely. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine and subsequent exclusion of Russia from
8964-612: The 2022 contest, the Russian broadcasters VGTRK and Channel One announced their intention to withdraw their EBU membership in February 2022 and were suspended from the union in May, preventing Russia from competing in future editions of the contest, or any EBU event for an indefinite period of time. The following countries have broadcasters eligible to participate in the contest, but have never done so: Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, and Tunisia have broadcasters that are members of both
9130-456: The Belgian website Songfestival.be and its founder, Jasper van Biesen. Van Biesen hoped that this transition would broaden the award's reach. Starting with the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 , the award criterion was changed to the "most notable outfit", refined to "most striking look" for the 2021 contest . Songfestival.be noted that "this prize for the most striking outfit does not intend to say what
9296-507: The EBU and the Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU). Although they could participate, it is believed that they refuse to do so due to the ongoing participation of Israel. However, Tunisia and Lebanon attempted to compete in 1977 and 2005 respectively. Vatican City could participate through its member broadcaster Vatican Radio (RV), which was also a founding member of the EBU, though RV only broadcasts papal events, and
9462-594: The EBU, a broadcaster has to be from a country which is covered by the European Broadcasting Area –that is not limited only to the continent of Europe–, or is a member state of the Council of Europe . Thus, eligibility is not determined by geographic inclusion within Europe, despite the "Euro" in "Eurovision", nor does it have a direct connection with the European Union . Several countries geographically outside
9628-466: The English name dropped the 'Grand Prix' from the name, with the French name being aligned as the Concours Eurovision de la Chanson , first used in 1973. 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 name Eurovision Song Contest is always preferred;
9794-661: The European Broadcasting Area. 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 span more than one continent are included in the Broadcasting Area. Countries from these groups have taken part in past editions, including countries in Western Asia such as Israel and Cyprus , countries which span Europe and Asia like Russia and Turkey, and North African countries such as Morocco . Australia became
9960-406: The Eurovision Song Contest for the first time, should they decide to join the EBU, a pre-requisite for entering the contest. Shortly after its foundation however, the broadcaster announced that they were not interested in joining the EBU or Eurovision at that time because they had no budget for membership. In July 2009, the broadcaster officially announced its intention to apply to join the EBU by
10126-528: The Eurovision Song Contest. Nevertheless, they have broadcast the Eurovision Song Contests from 2010 onwards. However, according to the EBU, no Kazakh broadcaster has ever formally applied to join the EBU. On 18 December 2015, it was announced that Khabar Agency , a major media outlet in Kazakhstan, had been accepted into the EBU as an associate member, but were still not eligible to take part in
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#173285137919210292-406: The Eurovision Song Contest. For broadcasters to participate, they must be a member of the EBU and register their intention to compete before the deadline specified in the rules of that year's event. Each participating broadcaster pays a fee towards the organisation of the contest. Should a country withdraw from the contest after the deadline, they will still need to pay these fees, and may also incur
10458-611: The Eurovision Song Contest. However, GBC cannot obtain EBU membership due to the British Overseas Territory not being independent from the United Kingdom. The final of the contest was broadcast in Gibraltar between 2006 and 2008 . Kazakhstan has never participated in the Eurovision Song Contest. K-1 is negotiating to join the European Broadcasting Union. It has been hoping for pending or approved EBU membership since 2008. If this happens, they may be eligible to compete in
10624-700: The Eurovision Song Contest. In 1969, Cân i Gymru was launched by BBC Cymru Wales as a selection show for the contest, with songs to be performed in Welsh. However, it was decided that the BBC would continue to send one entry for the whole of the United Kingdom. Despite this, Cân i Gymru has been broadcast every year since, with the exception of 1973. The winning song takes part in the annual Pan Celtic Festival in Ireland. Wales has appeared as an independent country in another EBU production, Jeux sans frontières , and Welsh national broadcaster Sianel Pedwar Cymru (S4C), that
10790-525: The Eurovision Young Dancers 2011. According to the Kosovan newspaper Koha Ditore , a possible entry would have been selected via a national final called Akordet e Kosovës , a former pop show that had been taken off the air some years ago. In February 2023, RTK announced that it was developing a format bearing the same title of Festivali i Këngës , with the long-term aim of using it as
10956-433: The Kosovan national final for the contest, similarly to its Albanian counterpart. Later that year, the broadcaster confirmed that it would continue its efforts to obtain EBU membership, and opened a submission period for the first edition of the event, which was held between 26 and 28 October 2023. Shortly before the launch, the festival's director, Adi Krasta, reported that people at EBU had expressed their enthusiasm about
11122-429: The United Kingdom in a Eurovision event. The Scottish Media Group (STV) is a full EBU member. Its participation in the Eurovision Song Contest would represent Scotland. As in other Eurovision events, it can only happen if the BBC renounces its right to represent the United Kingdom as a whole. Établissement de la radiodiffusion-télévision tunisienne (ERTT) attempted to enter the 1977 edition representing Tunisia and
11288-420: The adult ESC in the future, but this is part of a broader discussion in the EBU and I hope we can get back to you on this issue later." However, Sand later clarified that Kazakhstan would not have an entry in the 2019 edition. Khabar Agency has not broadcast the contest since 2022 due to low viewership and the time zone difference. Kosovo has never participated in the Eurovision Song Contest on its own, but
11454-399: The announcements were made through telephone lines from the countries of origin, with satellite links employed for the first time in 1994 , allowing the spokespersons to be seen visually by the audience and TV spectators. Scoring is done by both a national jury and a national televote. Each country's jury votes are consecutively added to the totals scoreboard as they are called upon by
11620-404: The arrival of the competing artists. 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. Members of each country's delegation include performers, composers, lyricists, members of
11786-594: The award was succeeded by the You're a Vision Award , which was intended to carry a more positive connotation. The Barbara Dex Award created by Edwin van Thillo and Rob Paardekam, the founders of the Dutch Eurovision fansite The House of Eurovision, in 1997. It was named after Belgian singer Barbara Dex , who represented Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest 1993 wearing a self-made, semi-transparent dress, which William Lee Adams of Wiwibloggs described her "looking like
11952-557: The boundaries of Europe have been represented in the contest: Israel, and Armenia, in Western Asia, since 1973 and 2006 respectively; Morocco, in North Africa, in the 1980 competition alone; and Australia making a debut in the 2015 contest . In addition, several transcontinental countries with only part of their territory in Europe have been represented: Turkey, from 1975 to 2012 ; Russia, from 1994 to 2021 ; Georgia, since 2007 ; and Azerbaijan, which made its first appearance in
12118-431: 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. 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. A welcome reception
12284-516: The broadcaster would not be aiming to apply for EBU membership, thereby indefinitely ruling out a debut in the Eurovision Song Contest. The broadcaster's intentions were reiterated the following year. On 15 May 2024, Liechtensteiner Vaterland reported that a different broadcaster, Radio Liechtenstein , was in the process of applying for EBU membership with the aim of participating in the contest. Qatar Radio (QR) first revealed on 12 May 2009 that they were interested in becoming active members of
12450-409: The cancelled 2020 contest and entries that failed to qualify in the qualification rounds in 1993 or 1996 are not counted. Shading indicates countries whose broadcaster have withdrawn from the contest or former participants that are unable to compete in future contests. Yugoslavia and Serbia and Montenegro were both dissolved, in 1991 and 2006 respectively. Serbia and Montenegro participated in
12616-476: The capitals of each of the constituent republics and autonomous provinces . Each broadcasting centre had its own regional jury. SAP Kosovo was represented by RTV Priština , but their entry never won. Jugovizija 1986 was organised by RTV Priština. Before the Kosovo declaration of independence in 2008, Viktorija , a singer from Vučitrn , represented Yugoslavia as part of Aska in 1982 ; and Nevena Božović , who
12782-465: 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 voting recap containing short clips of the performances, the voting procedure or semi-final qualification reveal, and the reprise of the winning song in the final. Since 1999, broadcasters who wished to do so were given the opportunity to provide advertising during short, non-essential hiatuses in
12948-513: The collapse of the USSR in Eastern Europe and the subsequent merger of EBU and the International Radio and Television Organisation (OIRT) gave numerous broadcasters from new countries the opportunity to compete. Three countries—Croatia, Slovenia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, all of them former Yugoslav republics—went through a pre-qualifier round to compete. After the 1993 event, a relegation system
13114-407: The competing songs' musical qualities, stage performance, prop and lighting set-up, and other production considerations taken into account. Since 2023, the voting system used to determine the results of the contest has worked on the basis of positional voting . 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
13280-431: 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. 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
13446-534: The contest has had a long history within the country, which has broadcast it since 1961. After the start of Kosovo's UN administration, the Kosovan public broadcaster RTK was independently licensed by the EBU to broadcast all three shows. Despite not having participated in the song contest, Kosovo did participate in the Eurovision Young Dancers 2011 and the Turkvision Song Contest . As Kosovo
13612-449: The contest in 1997 on a trial basis, with broadcasters in five countries allowing the viewing public to determine their votes for the first time. From 1998 , televoting was extended to almost all competing countries, and subsequently became mandatory from 2004 . A jury was reintroduced for the final in 2009 , 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
13778-502: The contest in Millstreet , Ireland, whilst Estonia , Hungary , Romania and Slovakia were forced to wait another year before being allowed to compete. A new relegation system was 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
13944-448: The contest in 2017, but that they would set their eyes on a future participation once they overcome their financial hurdles. Yet again, on 1 September 2017 they also announced they would not debut at the 2018 contest in Lisbon. On 4 November 2017, the broadcaster stated that it was planning to debut in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2019 and would organise a national selection to select both
14110-472: The contest is commonly referred to in English by the abbreviation "Eurovision", and in internal documents by the acronym "ESC". On only four occasions has the name used for the official logo of the contest not been in English or French: the Italian names Gran Premio Eurovisione della Canzone and Concorso Eurovisione della Canzone were used when Italy hosted the 1965 and 1991 contests respectively; and
14276-448: The contest presenter(s). The scoreboard was historically placed at the side of the stage and updated manually as each country gave their votes; in 1988 a computer graphics scoreboard was introduced. 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. Once jury points from all countries have been announced,
14442-400: The contest under the current rules. Only countries which are part of the European Broadcasting Area are eligible to participate, with Australia being the only exception after its broadcaster being an associate member for over thirty years. On 22 December 2017, Channel 31 announced that they planned to debut in the 2019 contest, due to their new EBU membership. Kazakhstan made its debut at
14608-439: The contest's Reference Group. The European Broadcasting Area is defined by the International Telecommunication Union as encompassing the geographical area between the boundary of ITU Region 1 in the west, the meridian 40° East of Greenwich in the east, and parallel 30° North in the south. Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and the parts of Iraq, Jordan, Syria, Turkey and Ukraine lying outside these limits, are also included in
14774-517: The contest's artists and screenings of the live shows on big screens. 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 an Executive Supervisor appointed by the EBU, and by the Reference Group which represents all participating broadcasters, who are each represented by a nominated Head of Delegation. The current Executive Supervisor
14940-446: 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 an international airport and with hotel accommodation available for at least 2,000 delegates, journalists and spectators. A variety of different venues have been used for past editions, from small theatres and television studios to large arenas and stadiums. The largest host venue
15106-475: The contest, including Israel , if the country received a membership. The broadcaster appeared as an associate member of the EBU in 2009, but was removed sometime later. Qatar is required to have a TV broadcaster which has at least associate membership of the EBU in order to have a chance to take part, as Qatar Radio is only a radio station and Qatar lies outside the European Broadcasting Area and cannot apply for Council of Europe membership, with Australia being
15272-482: The contest, including the stage design, the opening and interval acts, and the "postcards". 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. A unique slogan for each edition, first introduced in 2002 ,
15438-415: 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. 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
15604-479: The council would enable Kosovo to join the EBU as a full member and compete in the contest by 2025. In May 2024, RTK announced that it would submit an application for EBU membership "soon", and by mid-June, it submitted a formal request of invitation to the contest, despite still lacking full EBU membership; this was rejected in July. Liechtenstein has never participated in the Eurovision Song Contest:
15770-434: The countries with the lowest average scores over the previous five years were relegated. Countries could not be relegated for more than one year at a time. The relegation system used in 1994 and 1995 was used again between 2001 and 2003. Since 1999, the winning country in the previous year's contest automatically qualifies for the following year's final, along with the " Big Four/Five " — those countries whose broadcasters are
15936-427: The country it represented. This rule was first abolished in 1973 , and subsequently reinstated for most countries in 1977 , with only Belgium and Germany permitted freedom of language as their selection processes for that year's contest had already commenced. The language rule was once again abolished ahead of the 1999 contest . There is no restriction on the national origin, country of residence or age of
16102-476: 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. The 1993 contest included a contest called Kvalifikacija za Millstreet which was a pre-qualifying round for seven of these new countries, and from 1994 , relegation systems were introduced to manage
16268-403: 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. Fifty-two countries have participated at least once. These are listed here alongside the year in which they made their debut: The winning country traditionally hosts the following year's event, with some exceptions since 1958 . Hosting
16434-516: The draft of Kosovo's application to the Council of Europe took place on 16 April 2024, which was approved by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe . The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe was set to decide on Kosovo's membership in May 2024, but was removed from the agenda following Kosovo's rejection of French and German prerequisites for membership. Membership in
16600-455: The earliest. The broadcaster had been trying to get government subsidies since 2010 to enable participation, and participation was likely if the Government approved funding by April 2012. On 10 September 2013, 1FLTV confirmed that Liechtenstein would not be participating at the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 in Copenhagen, Denmark. The broadcaster has no plans to join the EBU at the moment. This
16766-639: The end of July, with the intention to take part in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010 in Oslo . Peter Kölbel, managing director of 1FLTV, officially confirmed the broadcaster's interest, revealing that they had plans to develop a national final similar to Deutschland sucht den Superstar , the German version of the Idol series . In November 2009, 1FLTV decided to postpone EBU and Eurovision plans, for financial reasons, and began to search for other options for funding EBU membership in
16932-468: The event in Lugano in the spring of 1956. The Italian Sanremo 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. Seven countries participated in the first contest , with each country represented by two songs; the only time in which multiple entries per country were permitted. The winning song
17098-571: The event, with director-general of the EBU Noel Curran making a remote appearance during the first night of the festival to express his congratulations. Following the first edition, the CEO of RTK, Besnik Boletini, reaffirmed the country's continued efforts in order to be included in the contest as early as 2025. RTK was first present as an observer at the EBU general assembly in December 2023. A vote on
17264-420: The final and failing to make it past the national selection, including the winning entry in 1982. The rules for the first contest specified that only solo performers were permitted to enter; this criterion was changed the following year to permit duos to compete, and groups were subsequently permitted for the first time in 1971 . Currently the number of people permitted on stage during competing performances
17430-410: The final in the country. A spokesperson for the broadcaster's parent company Hunan TV said they "weren't aware" of the edits made to the programme. Since 2010, the Faroese national broadcaster Kringvarp Føroya (KVF) has been attempting to gain EBU membership and thus participate independently in the Eurovision Song Contest. However, KVF has so far been denied EBU membership due to the islands being
17596-474: 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 a Kinescope recording of Lys Assia's reprise of her winning song. No full recording of the 1964 contest exists, with conflicting reports of the fate of any copies that may have survived. Audio recordings of both contests do, however, exist, and some short pieces of footage from both events have survived. Until 2004,
17762-424: The first country to participate from outside the European Broadcasting Area in 2015, following an invitation by the contest's Reference Group. 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. Broadcasters must have paid the EBU a participation fee in advance to
17928-400: The first non-EBU member country to compete following an invitation by the EBU ahead of the contest's 60th edition in 2015; 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. Eurovision had been held every year until 2020, when that year's contest was cancelled in response to
18094-406: 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. The automatic qualifiers are assigned at random to a semi-final for the purposes of voting rights. Semi-final qualifiers make a draw at random during the qualifiers' press conference to determine whether they will perform during
18260-485: The first performance of Riverdance . Originally consisting of a single evening event, the contest has expanded as new countries joined (including countries outside of Europe, such as Israel and Australia ), leading to the introduction of relegation procedures in the 1990s, before the creation of semi-finals in the 2000s. As of 2024, Germany has competed more times than any other country, having participated in all but one edition, while Ireland and Sweden both hold
18426-430: 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. The running order for the final is then decided following the second semi-final by the producers. The running orders are decided with
18592-477: The following year's contest, and were replaced by the four unsuccessful countries in Kvalifikacija za Millstreet and new entries from Lithuania , Poland and Russia . This system was used again in 1994 for qualification for the 1995 contest , but a new system was introduced for the 1996 contest , when an audio-only qualification round was held in the months before the contest in Oslo , Norway; this system
18758-436: The future. 1FLTV submitted its application for EBU membership on 29 July 2010. If accepted, 1FLTV would have gained full EBU membership and would have been able to send an entry to the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 . However, Liechtenstein did not appear on the official list of participants for Eurovision 2011. In late 2012, Peter Kölbel, director of 1FLTV, stated that Liechtenstein would not be able to take part until 2013 at
18924-458: The history of the contest only two individuals have won more than once as a performer – Johnny Logan in 1980 and 1987 for Ireland, and Loreen in 2012 and 2023 for Sweden. The orchestra was a prominent aspect of the contest from 1956 to 1998. 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
19090-443: The host broadcaster owned the copyright of the contest that they produced, with the EBU owning the copyright of all subsequent editions. 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. Besides slight modifications to
19256-534: The host broadcaster, with the flag of the host country placed prominently in the centre of the Eurovision heart. 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's 60th edition . An individual theme is utilised by contest producers when constructing the visual identity of each edition of
19422-429: 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 been available online via 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
19588-492: The initial aim of obtaining the status of an associate member. In mid-February 2024, ahead of Faroese singer Janus Wiberg's participation in Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2024 , KVF stated that a five-year plan was being deployed in order to gain EBU membership. Since 2006, Gibraltarian broadcaster Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) has been attempting to gain EBU membership and thus participate independently in
19754-415: The language in which their entry may be performed. 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 the 1965 Swedish entry being performed in English, a new rule was introduced for the 1966 contest restricting songs to be performed only in an official language of
19920-462: The largest financial contributors to the EBU. In 2004, a semi-final was introduced. In addition to the Big Four, the countries that were in the top 10 the previous year received a bye and qualified directly for the final. A further ten countries qualified from the semi-final, making a total of 24 in the final. Since 2008, two semi-finals are held with all countries, except the previous year's winner and
20086-480: 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. 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. Although cameras were present to practice pan-European broadcasting for
20252-470: The longest-running annual international televised music competition as determined by Guinness World Records . 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. A total of 52 countries have taken part in at least one edition, with a record 43 countries participating in a single contest, first in 2008 and subsequently in 2011 and 2018 . Australia became
20418-500: 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 via telephone , SMS or the official Eurovision app , 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. Since 2023, viewers in non-participating countries have also been able to vote during
20584-406: The number of competing entries, with the poorest performing countries barred from entering the following year's contest. From 2004, the contest expanded to become a multi-programme event, with a semi-final at the 49th contest allowing all interested countries to compete each year; a second semi-final was added to each edition from 2008. There have been 68 contests as of 2024, making Eurovision
20750-411: The number of contestants has risen, preliminary competitions and relegation have been introduced, to ensure that as many countries as possible get the chance to compete. In 1993, a preliminary show, Kvalifikacija za Millstreet ("Qualification for Millstreet"), was held to select three Eastern European countries to compete for the first time in the main contest. After the 1993 contest, a relegation rule
20916-419: The number of entries has increased steadily. In 1961, three countries debuted, Finland, Spain, and Yugoslavia, joining the thirteen already included. Yugoslavia would become the only socialist country to participate in the following three decades. In 1970, a Nordic-led boycott of the contest reduced the number of countries entering to twelve. By the late 1980s, over twenty countries had become standard. In 1993,
21082-521: The only exception after being an associate member for over 30 years. The broadcaster would most likely be Qatar Television (QTV), which is also owned by the Qatar General Broadcasting and Television Corporation (QGBTC). If Qatar Radio gets reaccepted, it would be able to air the contest alongside the television broadcast. The Soviet Union never participated in the Eurovision Song Contest prior to its dissolution in 1991 , however several of
21248-466: 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
21414-470: The population is less than 900 – the vast majority of whom are clergy . Following the dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1993, Slovakia and the Czech Republic made their debut as independent states in 1994 and 2007 respectively. Lebanon has never participated in the Eurovision Song Contest. Télé Liban (TL), was set to make the country's debut at the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 with
21580-417: 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. Since 2019 , 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. A full breakdown of the results across all shows
21746-412: The press, and—in the years where a live orchestra was present—a conductor. 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. Each country conducts two individual rehearsals behind closed doors, the first for 30 minutes and
21912-545: The principality has been prevented from competing due to the lack of a national broadcaster which is a member of the EBU. Attempts were made in the 1970s by the Liechtenstein government for the nation to participate, with a two-song national final held in November 1975 choosing "My Little Cowboy" sung by Biggi Bachmann and written by Mike Tuttlies and Horst Hornung as the winner over "Tu étais mon clown" by Anne Frommelt. The song
22078-470: 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
22244-406: The rehearsal and raise any special requirements or changes. "Meet and greet" sessions with accredited fans and press are held during these rehearsal weeks. 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. The second dress rehearsal, alternatively called the "jury show" or "evening preview show" and held the night before
22410-509: The same system used between 1993 and 1995 where only the results from that year's contest would count towards relegation. List of countries in the Eurovision Song Contest Broadcasters from fifty-two countries have participated in the Eurovision Song Contest since it started in 1956, with winning songs coming from twenty-seven of those countries. The contest, organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU),
22576-413: The second for 20 minutes. 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. Following rehearsals, delegations meet with the show's production team to review footage of
22742-442: The semi-final round in 2004, Luxembourg and Ukraine are the only countries outside of the "Big Five" to have qualified for the final of every contest they have competed in. 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 jury and/or public vote; an internal selection by
22908-405: The semi-finals and final. National juries and the public in each country are not allowed to vote for their own country, a rule first introduced in 1957. 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. With advances in telecommunication technology, televoting was first introduced to
23074-412: The semi-finals, and the winning delegation in the final are invited back on stage; in the final, a trophy is awarded to the winning performers and songwriters by the previous year's winner, followed by a reprise of the winning song. 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
23240-467: The seven countries to be absent from the Oslo contest. As of 2024 this is the only ESC Germany has not participated in. For the 1997 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. This was subsequently changed again in 2001, back to
23406-453: The show's schedule. In exceptional circumstances, such as due to developing emergency situations, participating broadcasters may delay or postpone broadcast of the event. Should a broadcaster fail to air a show as expected in any other scenario they may be subject to sanctions by the EBU. Several broadcasters in countries that are unable to compete have previously aired the contest in their markets. As national broadcasters join and leave
23572-531: The singer and the song. However, on 20 July 2018, the EBU stated that 1 FL TV had not applied for membership. The broadcaster later halted its plans to apply for EBU membership when its director, Peter Kölbel, unexpectedly died. It would also need the backing of the Liechtenstein government to be able to carry the cost of becoming an EBU member and paying the participation fee for the contest. On 9 August 2022, 1 FL TV's managing director Sandra Woldt confirmed that
23738-547: The song "Quand tout s'enfuit" performed by Aline Lahoud , but withdrew due to Lebanon's laws banning the broadcast of Israeli content. On 18 December 2018, it was announced that the Scottish Gaelic branch of the BBC, BBC Alba , would debut at Eurovision Choir in 2019 , which was held in Gothenburg , Sweden. However, they did not progress beyond the semi-final. This was the first time Scotland had competed separately from
23904-423: 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 by Ralph Siegel , who – in a career spanning over 40 years – was involved in some form in the writing of dozens of entries — both advancing to
24070-483: The traditional boundaries of Europe began entering the contest, and countries in Western Asia and North Africa started competing in the 1970s and 1980s. Apart from Yugoslavia (a member of the non-aligned movement and not seen as part of the Eastern Bloc at the time) no socialist or communist country ever participated. However, the Intervision Song Contest which held four editions in the 1970s and 1980s (and
24236-455: 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 , Spain and the United Kingdom . 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. Since the introduction of
24402-433: The union, which would allow Qatar to compete in the contest. The nation first became involved in the contest at that year's edition , where the broadcaster sent a delegation to the contest and broadcast a weekly radio show called 12pointsqatar dedicated to Eurovision, which received favourable responses. Qatar Radio said that they hoped to join Eurovision by 2011 and that they would be happy to join all other competitors in
24568-413: 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
24734-477: 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 including Cirque du Soleil , Madonna , Justin Timberlake , Mika , Rita Ora and
24900-409: The voting system and other contest rules, no fundamental changes to the contest's format were introduced until the early 1990s, when events in Europe in the late 1980s and early 1990s led to the breakup 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,
25066-632: The winning entry is traditionally given the honour of organising the following year's event. 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 the European Broadcasting Area , or are member states of the Council of Europe . 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. Associate member broadcasters may be eligible to compete, dependent on approval by
25232-441: The world's longest-running television programmes. Active members of the EBU and invited associate members are eligible to compete; as of 2024, 52 countries have 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
25398-464: The worst-dressed of the previous award recipients. House of Eurovision Songfestival.be Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest ( French : Concours Eurovision de la chanson ), often known simply as Eurovision , is an international song competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union . Each participating country submits an original song to be performed live and transmitted to national broadcasters via
25564-405: The year prior to the contest which are justified with the needs of Eurovision. 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 the 2004 contest . This is typically accompanied by a unique theme artwork designed for each individual contest by
25730-447: Was " Refrain ", representing the host country Switzerland and performed by Lys Assia . 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's Festival of British Popular Songs , has been used since 1957. The tradition of the winning country hosting the following year's contest, which has since become
25896-478: Was allowed to be pre-recorded, although the host country was still required to provide an orchestra. In 1999, the rules were changed again, making the orchestra an optional requirement; the host broadcaster of that year's contest , Israel's IBA , subsequently decided not to provide an orchestra, resulting in all entries using backing tracks for the first time. Currently all instrumental music for competing entries must now be pre-recorded, and no live instrumentation
26062-470: Was also an integral part of each contest's visual identity, which was replaced by a permanent slogan from 2024 onwards. The permanent slogan, "United by Music", had previously served as the slogan for the 2023 contest before being retained for all future editions as part of the contest's global brand strategy. Preparations in the host venue typically begin approximately six weeks before the final, to accommodate building works and technical rehearsals before
26228-512: Was confirmed again on 28 July 2014 in the run-up to the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 in Austria. 1FLTV did however state their interest in participating in the Eurovision Song Contest, but said that they would have to evaluate the costs of EBU membership, a necessary prelude to participation. Once again in 2016, the nation did not compete, due to lack of funds to join the EBU. On 21 September 2016, 1FLTV announced that they would not be able to debut to
26394-426: 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. The mix of jury and public voting continues to be used in the final. 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
26560-585: 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 by RAI manager Sergio Pugliese . The EBU's general assembly agreed to the organising of the song contest in October 1955, under the initial title of the European Grand Prix , and accepted a proposal by the Swiss delegation to host
26726-415: Was introduced in 2004 in an attempt to prevent situations like this. The EBU set a limit of forty countries, but by 2005, thirty-nine were competing. In 2007, the EBU lifted the limit, allowing forty-two countries to compete. Two semi-finals were held for the first time in 2008. A number of broadcasters in non-participating countries and territories have in the past indicated an interest in participating in
26892-556: Was introduced, allowing more Eastern European countries to compete, with seven more making their debut in 1994. In 2003, broadcasters from four countries applied to make their debut: Albania, Belarus, Bulgaria, and Ukraine. In addition, Serbia and Montenegro, who had not competed since 1992 when they competed as Yugoslavia, applied to debut. The EBU, having originally accepted the five countries' applications, later rejected all but Ukraine; allowing five further countries to compete would have meant relegating too many countries. The semi-final
27058-405: Was introduced: the six lowest-placed countries in the contest would not compete in the following year. In 1996, a new system was introduced. Audiotapes of all twenty-nine entrants were submitted to national juries. The twenty-two highest-placed songs after the juries voted reached the contest. Norway, as the host country, directly qualified for the final. From 1997 to 2001, a system was used whereby
27224-438: 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. 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 , and Macedonia as one of
27390-425: Was scheduled fourth in the running order; however, before selecting an act, it withdrew for undisclosed reasons. It is believed that it did not want to compete with Israel. In 2007, ERTT clarified that it would not participate in the contest in the foreseeable future due to government requests. In the 1960s, the late Welsh singer, scholar, and writer Meredydd Evans proposed that Wales should have its own entry in
27556-428: Was supposed to be the country's debut entry for the 1976 contest ; however due to a misunderstanding by Liechtenstein's government of the rules of participation, the entry was rejected due to a lack of national broadcaster with which to participate. On 15 August 2008, 1 FL TV , licensed by the country's government, became the first broadcaster based in Liechtenstein. This would allow the country to begin competing at
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