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135-669: The University of Gdańsk was established in 1970 by the merger of the Higher School of Economics in Sopot (founded in 1945) and Gdańsk College of Education (formed in 1946). Nowadays, the University of Gdańsk is the largest institution of higher learning in Poland's northern region of Pomerania . The University of Gdańsk boasts significant scientific achievement which enforces its leading position, particularly through activity and research connected with

270-422: A sanatorium was opened to the public, as well as a 63-metre pier , cloakrooms, and a park. Haffner died in 1830, but his enterprise was continued by his stepson, Ernst Adolf Böttcher. The latter continued to develop the area and in 1842 opened a new theatre and sanatorium. By then the number of tourists coming to Zoppot every year had risen to almost 1,200. In 1870 Zoppot saw the opening of its first rail line:

405-455: 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

540-479: 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

675-556: 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

810-521: A holiday resort for the inhabitants of nearby Danzig, as well as wealthy aristocrats from Berlin, Warsaw , and Königsberg . Poles visited the city in large numbers and the spa was very popular among the Polish intellectual elite, to the extent that the early 20th-century Polish writer Adolf Nowaczyński  [ pl ] named it "the extension of Warsaw to the Baltic Sea". Germans and Russians also visited

945-593: 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

1080-423: 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

1215-467: 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

1350-589: 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,

1485-517: 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

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1620-527: 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

1755-490: A result in 1999 Sopot regained its official spa town status. In 1999, Pope John Paul II visited Sopot, about 800,000 pilgrims attended his mass. In 2001, Sopot celebrated the 100th anniversary of its city charter. Sopot is currently undergoing a period of intense development, including the building of a number of five star hotels and spa resorts on the waterfront. The main pedestrianized street, Monte Cassino, has also been extended by diverting traffic underneath it, meaning

1890-403: 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

2025-614: 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 including Cirque du Soleil , Madonna , Justin Timberlake , Mika , Rita Ora and

2160-584: 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

2295-456: 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

2430-499: 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

2565-599: 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 ,

2700-558: 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

2835-467: 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

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2970-643: Is a major health-spa and resort destination. It has the longest wooden pier in Europe, at 511.5 metres, stretching out into the Bay of Gdańsk . The city is also famous for the Sopot International Song Festival , the largest such event in Europe after the Eurovision Song Contest . Among its other attractions is a fountain of bromide spring water, known as the "inhalation mushroom". The city's name

3105-406: 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

3240-653: Is a seaside resort city in Pomerelia on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea in northern Poland , with a population of approximately 40,000. It is located in Pomerania Province and has the status of county – the smallest city in Poland to have that status. Sopot lies between the larger cities of Gdańsk to the southeast and Gdynia to the northwest. The three cities together form the Tricity metropolitan area . Sopot

3375-401: 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 ,

3510-448: 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 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

3645-528: 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,

3780-414: 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

3915-511: 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

4050-550: 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

4185-481: Is one of four Polish towns to have trolleybuses . The others are Lublin , Tychy and Gdynia . There are many popular professional sports teams in Sopot and the tri-city area. The most popular in Sopot today is probably basketball thanks to the award-winning Prokom Trefl Sopot . Amateur sports are played by thousands of Sopot citizens, as well as in schools of all levels (elementary, secondary, and university). Sopot held

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4320-425: 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

4455-414: Is thought to derive from an Old Slavic word, sopot , meaning "stream" or "spring". The same root occurs in a number of other Old Slavic toponyms ; it is probably onomatopeic , imitating the murmur ( Šepot ) of running water. The name is first recorded as Sopoth in 1283 and Sopot in 1291. The German Zoppot is directly derived from the original name. In the 19th century and in the interwar years

4590-498: 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

4725-533: 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

4860-528: 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

4995-553: The Baltic Sea . With time the significance of the stronghold diminished and by the 10th century it was reduced to a fishing village, eventually abandoned. However, a century later the area was settled again and two villages were founded within the borders of today's city: Stawowie and Gręzowo. They were first mentioned in 1186 as being granted to the Cistercian abbey in Oliwa . Another of the villages that constitute today's Sopot, Świemirowo,

5130-450: 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

5265-602: 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

5400-555: 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;

5535-562: The IAAF World Indoor Championships in 2014 . Major corporations in the town include: Sopot is twinned with: Former twin towns: On 10 March 2022, Sopot terminated its partnership with the Russian city of Peterhof as a response to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine . Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest ( French : Concours Eurovision de la chanson ), often known simply as Eurovision ,

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5670-488: 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

5805-583: 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 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

5940-617: The Kingdom of Prussia in 1772 in the First Partition of Poland . Following the new laws imposed by King Frederick the Great , church property was confiscated by the state. The village was still being reconstructed and in 1806 the area was sold to the Danzig/Gdańsk merchant Carl Christoph Wegner. However, until 1819 it did not develop significantly, its population in 1819 was 350, compared to 301 in

6075-586: The Swedish Manor ( Dwór Szwedzki ) ever since. The Swedish Manor was later the place of stay of Polish Kings Augustus II the Strong (in 1710) and Stanisław Leszczyński (in 1733). During the 1733 War of the Polish Succession , Stanisław Leszczyński stayed in Sopot a few days before going to the nearby city of Gdańsk. Afterwards Imperial Russian troops besieged Gdańsk and a year later looted and burned

6210-683: The Université de Bretagne Occidentale (France), Kiel University (Germany) and the University of Malta (Malta), the University of Gdańsk forms a consortium of the European University of the Seas (SEA-EU). In 2020, the university became a member of the Daniel Fahrenheit Association of Gdańsk Universities ( Polish : Związek Uczelni w Gdańsku im. Daniela Fahrenheita ) which brings together

6345-466: 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

6480-463: The 1930s, tensions on the nearby Polish-German border and the rising popularity of Nazism in Germany and also among local Germans saw a decline in foreign tourism. The Nazi Party , supported by many local Germans, took power in the city. Local Poles and Jews were discriminated against and in 1938 local German Nazis burned down Zoppot's synagogue . World War II broke out on September 1, 1939, after

6615-466: 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;

6750-716: 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

6885-569: The German invasion of Poland . The following day the Free City of Danzig was annexed by Nazi Germany and most of the local Poles , Kashubians , and Jews were arrested and murdered during the Intelligenzaktion , imprisoned or expelled. Due to the war, the city's tourist industry collapsed. The last Wagner Festival was held in 1942. The city remained under German rule until early 1945. In March

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7020-462: The German name was re- Polonized as Sopoty (a plural form, closer to the German pronunciation). "Sopot" was made the official Polish name when the town came again under Polish rule in 1945. The area of today's Sopot contains the site of a 7th-century Slavonic (Pomeranian) stronghold. Initially it was a commercial trade outpost for commerce extending both up the Vistula river and to cities north across

7155-754: The Nazis began evacuating the German population along with forced laborers . On March 23, 1945, the Soviet Army took over the city after several days of fighting, in which Zoppot lost approximately 10% of its buildings; three days later, the Soviet 70th Army reached the Gdańsk Bay coast north of the city. As per the Potsdam Conference , Zoppot was incorporated into the post-war Polish state and renamed Sopot. The authorities of Gdańsk Voivodeship were located in Sopot until

7290-478: The School of Music, the School of Maritime Trade, a library, and an art gallery. During the city presidency of Jan Kapusta the town opened an annual Arts Festival in 1948. In 1952, the tramways were replaced by a heavy-rail commuter line connecting Gdańsk, Sopot, and Gdynia . Although in 1954 the School of Arts was moved to Gdańsk, Sopot remained an important centre of culture, and in 1956 the first Polish jazz festival

7425-399: 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

7560-694: The area and became the owners of all the area of the city. After the Second Peace of Thorn (1466) the area was reincorporated into the Kingdom of Poland . The spa for the citizens of Gdańsk has been active since the 16th century. Until the end of that century most noble and magnate families from Gdańsk built their manor houses in Sopot. During the negotiations of the Treaty of Oliva King John II Casimir of Poland and his wife Queen Marie Louise Gonzaga lived in one of them, while Swedish negotiator Magnus de la Gardie resided in another — it has been known as

7695-404: 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

7830-431: 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

7965-465: 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

8100-547: The city limits, in the place where today the Sopot Festival is held every year. By 1912, a third complex of baths, sanatoria, hotels, and restaurants was opened, attracting even more tourists. Shortly before World War I the city had 17,400 permanent inhabitants and over 20,000 tourists every year. Following the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, Zoppot became a part of the Free City of Danzig in customs union with

8235-534: The city's major institutions of higher education including the Gdańsk University of Technology and the Medical University of Gdańsk . The objective of the newly established organization is to work on projects aimed at further federalization of the universities, to bolster the scientific cooperation among them and to pursue a common promotional and ranking policy. The University of Gdańsk has been listed in

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8370-469: The city. At the beginning of the 20th century it was a favourite spa of Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany . On October 8, 1901, Wilhelm II granted Zoppot city rights , spurring further rapid growth. In 1904 a new balneological sanatorium was opened, followed in 1903 by a lighthouse . In 1907, new baths south of the old ones were built in Viking style. In 1909 a new theatre was opened in the nearby forest within

8505-407: 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

8640-431: 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

8775-449: 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

8910-502: 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

9045-472: 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

9180-448: 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,

9315-518: 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

9450-517: 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

9585-446: 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

9720-482: 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 ,

9855-415: 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

9990-427: 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

10125-531: 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

10260-403: 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

10395-620: The economy. The dynamic development of the University of Gdańsk is reflected in its presence amongst the world's 200 best young universities in the Times Higher Education (THE) Young University Rankings 2019 in which the University of Gdańsk was the only Polish university to feature. Notable professors and lecturers affiliated with the University of Gdańsk: Other notable alumni include: Sopot Sopot ( Polish: [ˈsɔpɔt] ; Kashubian : Sopòt or Sopòtë ; German : Zoppot [ˈtsɔpɔt] )

10530-409: The end of 1946. Most of the German inhabitants who had remained in the city, by 1 November 1945 6,000 Germans still lived in the town, after the evacuation before the advancing Red Army were soon to be expelled , to make room for Polish settlers from former eastern Polish territories annexed by the Soviet Union . Sopot recovered rapidly after the war. A tramway line to Gdańsk was opened, as well as

10665-468: 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

10800-420: 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

10935-474: 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,

11070-424: 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

11205-400: 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

11340-406: 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

11475-485: 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

11610-430: 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

11745-523: 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

11880-458: 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

12015-443: 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

12150-534: 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

12285-429: 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

12420-415: 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

12555-480: 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

12690-470: 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

12825-535: The most important world rankings, thus joining the ranks of the best Polish universities. Its presence in such international rankings as the QS World University Ranking or the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Ranking is a reflection of the high quality of education, scientific research conducted and increasing international standing as well as a high level of knowledge transfer to

12960-460: The most luxurious hotels in Poland. A Richard Wagner festival was held in the nearby Forest Opera in 1922. The festival's success caused Zoppot to be sometimes referred to as the " Bayreuth of the North". As a result of the influx of Germans in the previous decades, who took over the most important functions in the city, some Poles became Germanized , however a significant indigenous Polish community

13095-500: 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

13230-483: The new Danzig- Kołobrzeg (then Kolberg ) rail road that was later extended to Berlin . Good rail connections added to the popularity of the area and by 1900 the number of tourists had reached almost 12,500 a year. In 1873, the village of Zoppot became an administrative centre of the Gemeinde . Soon other villages were incorporated into it and in 1874 the number of inhabitants of the village rose to over 2,800. In 1877,

13365-406: 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

13500-466: 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

13635-460: The permanent inhabitants of Zoppot, not only for the tourists. Among those were two new churches: Protestant (September 17, 1901) and Catholic (December 21, 1901). From the late 19th century, there was a significant influx of German settlers with the slow growth of the Polish population, resulting in a change in ethnic proportions in favor of the former. Since the late 19th century the city became

13770-417: 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

13905-412: 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

14040-517: The re-established Polish Republic . Due to the proximity of the Polish and German borders, the economy of the town soon recovered. The new casino became one of the main sources of income of the free-city state. In 1927, the city authorities rebuilt the Kasino-Hotel, one of the most notable landmarks in Sopot today. After World War II , it was renamed as the Grand Hotel and continues to be one of

14175-470: 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

14310-406: 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

14445-631: The remaining two. Also the Sierakowski family acquired some properties, including the destroyed Swedish Manor. After the Partitions of Poland , in the 1790s, Count Kajetan Onufry Sierakowski  [ pl ] built the Sierakowski Mansion at the site of the Swedish Manor, a typical Polish manor house , which remains one of the most distinctive buildings of pre-spa Sopot. Sopot was annexed by

14580-494: The sea. In this regard, the university has been involved in cooperation with scientific research centres from nearly all corners of the globe. The University of Gdańsk is involved in the creation of a network of European universities selected in the ‘European Universities’ competition organised by the European Commission in conjunction with its partners, the University of Cádiz (Spain), the University of Split (Croatia),

14715-413: 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

14850-452: The self-government of the Gemeinde bought the village from the descendants of Haffner and started its further development. A second sanatorium was constructed in 1881 and the pier was extended to 85 metres. In 1885, the gas works were built. Two years later, tennis courts were built and the following year a horse-racing track was opened to the public. There were also several facilities built for

14985-442: 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

15120-405: 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

15255-412: 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

15390-467: 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

15525-453: 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

15660-423: 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

15795-483: 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

15930-455: 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

16065-413: 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

16200-542: The village of Sopot to the ground. Much of Sopot would remain abandoned during and in the following years after the conflict, as the patricians of Gdańsk, exhausted by the war, could not afford to rebuild the Sopot residences. In the 1750s, Polish nobility of Pomerania began to rebuild the village. In 1757 and 1758 most of the ruined manors were bought by the magnate family of Przebendowski. General Józef Przebendowski bought nine of these palaces and in 1786 his widow, Bernardyna Przebendowska (née von Kleist ), bought

16335-409: 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,

16470-459: The whole street is now pedestrianized. Sopot, aside from Warsaw boasts the highest property prices in Poland. Among the historic sights are: Other landmarks include: The city is covered by both the Gdynia and Gdańsk municipal bus lines, the regional commuter rail line (with three stops in the city: Sopot Wyścigi , Sopot , and Sopot Kamienny Potok ), and the Polish national railway, PKP. Sopot

16605-750: 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

16740-529: The year of Prussian annexation. In 1819, Wegner opened the first public bath in Zoppot and tried to promote the newly established spa among the inhabitants of Danzig (Gdańsk), but the undertaking was a financial failure. However, in 1823 Jean Georg Haffner , a former medic of the French army, financed a new bath complex that gained significant popularity. In the following years, Haffner erected more facilities. By 1824,

16875-405: 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

17010-493: 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

17145-478: 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

17280-470: 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

17415-426: 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

17550-524: Was first mentioned in 1212 in a document by Mestwin I , who granted it to the Premonstratensian (Norbertine) monastery in nearby Żukowo. The village of Sopot, which later became the namesake for the whole city, was first mentioned in 1283 when it was granted to the Cistercians. At that time it was part of Poland until the 14th-century Teutonic invasion. By 1316, the abbey had bought all villages in

17685-635: 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

17820-643: Was held there (until then jazz had been banned by the Communist authorities). This was the forerunner of the continuing annual Jazz Jamboree in Warsaw. In 1961, the Sopot International Song Festival was inaugurated, although it was held in Gdańsk for its first three years – it moved to its permanent venue at Sopot's Forest Opera in 1964. In 1963, the main street of Sopot ( Bohaterów Monte Cassino , "the Heroes of Monte Cassino ")

17955-438: 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

18090-491: Was still present in the city, and there was also a Jewish community. In 1928, the pier was extended to its present length of 512 metres. Since then it has remained the longest wooden pier in Europe and one of the longest in the world. In 1928, the city was visited by 29,192 visitors, mostly Poles and in the early 1930s it reached the peak of its popularity among foreign tourists — more than 30,000 annually (this number does not include tourists from Danzig itself). However, by

18225-536: Was turned into a pedestrian-only promenade . New complexes of baths, sanatoria, and hotels were opened in 1972 and 1975. By 1977, Sopot had approximately 54,500 inhabitants, the highest ever in its history. In 1979, the historical town centre was declared a national heritage centre by the government of Poland. In 1995, the southern bath and sanatoria complex were extended significantly and the Saint Adalbert (in Polish Św. Wojciech ) spring opened two years later, as

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