13 Facts About Eurovision

Eurovision Song Contest, sometimes abbreviated to ESC and often known simply as Eurovision, is an international songwriting competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union, featuring participants representing primarily European countries.

Eurovision has gained popularity for its kitsch appeal, its musical span of ethnic and international styles, as well as emergence as part of LGBT culture, resulting in a large, active fanbase and an influence on popular culture.

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.

Eurovision had been held every year until 2020, when that year's contest was cancelled in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Eurovision 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.

Related searches

The "Eurovision Village" is an official fan zone open to the public free of charge, with live performances by the contest's artists and screenings of the live shows on big screens.

The Netherlands' Annie Schmidt, lyricist of the first entry performed at Eurovision, has gained a worldwide reputation for her stories and earned the Hans Christian Andersen Award for children's literature.

Conflicts between the two countries at Eurovision escalated quickly since both countries began competing in the late 2000s, resulting in fines and disciplinary action for both countries' broadcasters over political stunts, and a forced change of title for one competing song due to allegations of political subtext.

Arab states which are eligible to compete have declined to participate due to Israel's presence, with Morocco the only Arab state to have entered Eurovision, competing for the first, and as of 2022 the only time, in 1980 when Israel was absent.

The poor performance of the entries from more traditional Eurovision countries had subsequently been discussed in European national parliaments, and the developments in the voting was cited as among the reasons for the resignation of Terry Wogan as commentator for the UK, a role he had performed at every contest from 1980.

Eurovision has had a long-held fan base in the LGBT community, and contest organisers have actively worked to include these fans in the event since the 1990s.

Eurovision has a large online following and multiple independent websites, news blogs and fan clubs are dedicated to the event.

The Eurovision Dance Contest was an event featuring pairs of dancers performing ballroom and latin dancing, which took place for two editions, in 2007 and 2008.