Eurovision Song Contest to Start Tuesday in Israel

By Paul Riegler on 13 May 2019
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The Eurovision Song Concert 2019 will take place next week in Tel Aviv. Tel Aviv was selected after Israel’s victory at the 2018 Eurovision contest in Lisbon, Portugal, by Netta with the song “Toy.”

The glitzy contest, to which all of Europe and some neighbors send entrants, is going on its 64th year.

Eurovision, which is followed by music fans across the globe, came about as war-torn Europe was rebuilding in the 1950s and the European Broadcasting Union was searching for a way to bring together different European nations via television. Drawing inspiration from the Festival della canzone italiana di Sanremo, or the Sanremo Music Festival, the contest was proposed by Sergio Pugliese of Italian broadcaster RAI and the first Eurovision contest took place in 1956 in Lugano, Switzerland.

Since 1957, only one entrant is permitted per country. Even though there’s no cash prize, the 42 countries that compete in it take it quite seriously. Last year’s final was watched by 186 million viewers across the globe.

Since 1973, entrants have been permitted to sing in the language of their choice, and most choose English. Until then, the performance had to be in one of the official languages of the entrant’s country.

The winner is chosen both by viewers, who vote via app or telephone and comprise 50% of the score, and by a professional jury.

Ireland has won the contest seven times, in 1970, 1980, 1987, 1992, 1993, 1994, and 1996, followed by Sweden in 1974, 1984, 1991, 1999, 2012, and 2015. France, Luxembourg, and the United Kingdom have each won five times; the Netherlands and Israel have each won four; Norway and Denmark, three; and Austria, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, and Ukraine each won twice.

(Photo: Accura Media Group)

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