If I tell you: " Sweden, 6 points ", " Italy, 12 points ", " 10 points go to France "... you say? Eurovision, of course! Every year, the song contest brings millions of viewers behind the television screen, eager to find out which artist and song will win the new edition. But do you know the history of Eurovision and how it came about? We tell you.
Eurovision' s origins lie in the founding of theEuropean Broadcasting Union (EBU). Created in 1950, this international organization brought together the pioneering broadcasters of Western Europe. The EBU's aim was clear: to federate and forge closer ties between the various European countries, just a few years after the end of the Second World War.
In 1955, EBU member broadcasters came up with the idea of launching an event to highlight theEuropean Broadcasting Union and promote the Eurovision television network. It was then that Marcel Bezençon, director general of Swiss public television at the time, brought up the idea of Sergio Pugliese of Rai (Italian state television): to create a television program dedicated to song, based on the model of the Italian Sanremo festival. The project went from strength to strength, until it was finally adopted in October 1955 by the delegates of all EBU member broadcasters.Eurovision was the obvious name, referring to the multi-service exchange network between the various EBU member television channels. The rules were also defined at this time. Eurovision will be broadcast live and simultaneously by all participating broadcasters. At the end of the broadcast, the country with the highest number of points would be declared the winner.
And it didn't take long for the television project to see the light of day, as the very first edition of Eurovision was broadcast on May 24, 1956. Seven countries took part: Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Switzerland.
At the time, the rules were quite different from those we know today. Only solo artists were allowed to compete. In addition, contestants had to perform not one, but two songs. And, surprisingly, the jury was allowed to vote for its own country! The rules soon evolved. In 1957, only one song could be performed by each candidate. Then, a year later, the winning country was given the task of organizing the next edition.
Over the years, new countries have joined the competition, sometimes showcasing artists who have gone on to become world-famous, such as Sweden's ABBA, winners in 1974 with their song " Waterloo "; Spain's Julio Iglesias, a candidate in 1970; Quebec's Céline Dion, representing Switzerland in 1988; not forgetting France Gall, who won the contest in 1965 with the song " Poupée de cire, poupée de son ". Although French, the artist was chosen to defend the colors of Luxembourg.
In 2015, Eurovision took a new step by opening up to countries outside the European Union, such as Australia. That same year, the contest also entered the Guinness Book of Records, becoming the longest annual music competition!
In 2020, due to the health crisis, the television show was cancelled, a first in the history of the song contest.
After a 2023 edition won by Swedish artist Loreen, Eurovision celebrates its 68th this year. We look forward to seeing you on May 11, 2024 , to find out who the new winner will be, this time in Malmö, Sweden!
Eurovision 2024: here's Slimane's song to represent France
Slimane has been chosen to represent France at the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest. But which song will be performed in Malmö, Sweden, next spring? We tell you all about it! [Read more]
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Eurovision 2024: here's Slimane's song to represent France
