Eurovision Song Contest (1956)
The Eurovision Song Contest is an international song competition, organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and featuring participants representing primarily European countries. Each participating country submits an original song to be performed on live television and radio, transmitted to national broadcasters via the EBU's Eurovision and Euroradio networks, with competing countries then casting votes for the other countries' songs to determine the winner.
- Marcel Bezençon
- Sergio Pugliese
- Edward af Sillén
Stars:
-
Episode 1 - The Eurovision Song Contest 1997
Release Date: 1997-05-03Ireland hosted the Eurovision Song Contest for the fourth time in five years, a record for broadcaster RTÉ. 25 countries participated. The audio preselection from the previous year was replaced by a new system determining participation based on a country's average results over the last five contests. Israel withdrew voluntarily, allowing Bosnia & Herzegovina to take their place, while Belgium, Finland, Romania, and Slovakia were absent. For the first time, televoting was introduced as a trial in five countries: the United Kingdom, Sweden, Austria, Switzerland, and Germany. It would be expanded to most participating nations the following year. The show aimed to attract a younger audience, with Irish boy band Boyzone performing as the interval act and their lead singer, Ronan Keating, co-hosting the event. The opening sequence featured video messages from past contestants, including Céline Dion.