Nemo representing Switzerland with the song "The Code" celebrates on stage after winning the final of the 68th Eurovision Song Contest. photo by Tobias Schwarz
An overview of the longest running televised song contest, the Eurovision Song Contest.
Ever since 1956, people from around the world have gathered with their friends to watch the world’s longest-running television music competition. The Eurovision Song Contest, or ESC, was first formed from an idea developed by Sergio Pugliese and Marcel Bezençon. The goal was to bring audiences and countries together, as the political climate when the show first aired was rocky since World War II had just ended. Seven countries participated in the first ever edition: Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Switzerland, with Switzerland taking home the first ever win. Since then, Eurovision has expanded to 37 competing countries, no longer being limited to only European countries as Australia, Israel, and other non-European countries are now active participants.
The competition itself has many components, and different countries begin releasing their songs throughout the year, with less popular countries releasing theirs first with the hopes of going viral to increase their chances. The first round of the competition splits all competing countries into two sections and the ten Grand Finalists from each section are decided by public voting. Artists perform in the venue of the host city with each performance being unique, filled with special effects and specific themes while being supported by a huge audience. The “Big Five” are the five countries that automatically make it to the finals: France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom. This is because they make the largest financial contributions to the competition, and it also allows the other smaller countries to have a higher chance of making it to the Grand Finals. The host country (which is always the winner of the last Eurovision) also automatically makes it to the Grand Finals. The result of the Grand Finals is decided by twofactors: public voting and jury voting.
The public televote is open during the semi-finals and Grand Final after the last performance, though viewers in countries participating in the contest can vote during the live shows. People vote via phone, text message, or the official Eurovision app. Fans from non-participating countries can vote online through the “Rest of the World” option. This vote is open for 24 hours before the semi-finals and the Grand Final to accommodate time zone differences. When it comes to the jury vote, juries rank their top ten songs after watching a dress rehearsal the night before the live show, and their combined results are announced by a spokesperson. Typically spokespeople are past competitors that represented their countries or famous political personas.
Throughout the years Eurovision songs have gone viral worldwide, with people streaming them daily not even knowing their origin. For example, “Waterloo” by ABBA, a Swedish group, won in 1974 and now sits at over 445 million streams on Spotify. “Arcade” by Duncan Laurence, an artist representing the Netherlands, also took home the win in 2019 and has over 1.45 billion streams on Spotify. The winner of Eurovision 2025, hosted in Basel, Switzerland, was “Wasted Love” by JJ, Austria’s representative. Subsequently, the next Eurovision, which will be the 70th edition, will be hosted in Vienna, Austria.
Eurovision is far more than just a music competition; it’s a celebration of culture, unity, and creativity that transcends borders. What began in 1956 as a post-war effort to unite Europe through music has grown into a global phenomenon that connects millions of viewers each year. With its mix of dazzling performances, diverse genres, and unforgettable moments, Eurovision continues to showcase the power of music to bridge differences and bring people together. As the contest looks ahead to its 70th anniversary in Vienna, it remains a shining example of how art and entertainment can inspire connection across nations.
