From not even a scoreboard to a mega show: this is how the Eurovision Song Contest came into being Eurovision Song Contest

Europa heeft de Tweede Wereldoorlog nog maar net achter zich als in 1950 de European Broadcasting Union (EBU) wordt opgericht. De EBU moet de samenwerking tussen Europese landen op het gebied van cultuur en televisie promoten.

Via de EBU worden allerlei televisieprogramma’s uitgezonden. Maar het samenwerkingsverband zoekt nog naar een programma dat landen gezamenlijk maken en dat geen politieke lading heeft. Het idee is dat zo’n programma de kans op een nieuwe oorlog kleiner maakt.

In 1955 wordt onderzocht welke vorm die culturele samenwerking moet krijgen. Een inspiratiebron is het inmiddels wereldberoemde Festival van San Remo, waar sinds 1951 artiesten uit heel Italië aan meedoen.

Meer lezen van Lara in Malmö? Abonneer je op de tag Eurovisie Songfestival en blijf op de hoogte Stay informed with notifications

In 1956 the time has come in Lugano, Switzerland: the Netherlands opens what we now know as the Eurovision Song Contest. It is not yet as spectacular and grand as the Eurovision Song Contest is now, because at that time few people had a television set.

Seven countries participate that year, including the Netherlands, and everyone sings two songs. Ultimately, host country Switzerland wins with the song Refrain.

The public cannot yet vote during the first Eurovision Song Contest. It is not even announced how many points the jury gave to all acts. A scoreboard is not introduced until a year later.

In the 1960s, between sixteen and eighteen countries participated every year. The popularity of the competition increased in subsequent years and more and more countries from all over the world wanted to participate. As a result, the European feeling disappears a bit. This blossoms again when, after the Cold War, more and more countries from Central and Eastern Europe participate.

As more and more countries participate, the television show lasts longer and longer. That is why a new round is introduced in 1993, in which new countries must qualify for the final.

The Eurovision Song Contest as we know it today, with a first and a second semi-final, has only existed since 2008. About forty countries now participate every year, while there is only room for 26 countries in the final.

Whether the event is really free of politics, as was hoped in the 1950s, has been a subject of discussion for years. Countries often vote for neighboring countries or countries with which they have important agreements. This year, Israel’s participation makes the event extra charged.

The songs must in any case be free of political lyrics. That is why Belarus was excluded from the Eurovision Song Contest in 2021. Israel had to be the number this year October Rain replaced due to the political connotation of the song. Furthermore, Russia is not allowed to participate because of the war in Ukraine.