Eurovision Song Contest
annual song competition held among the members of the European Broadcasting Union
The Eurovision Song Contest (ESC for short; French: Concours Eurovision de la chanson), often known simply as Eurovision, is an international song competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) since 1956. Each participating broadcaster submits an original song representing its country to be performed live via the Eurovision and Euroradio networks, and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine a winner.
Inspired by the Italian Sanremo Music Festival held since 1951, the Eurovision Song Contest has been held annually since 1956 (except for 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic), making it the longest-running international music competition on television and one of the world's longest-running television programmes. EBU members and invited associates are eligible to compete; broadcasters from 52 countries have participated at least once. Each participating broadcaster sends an original song of three minutes duration or less to be performed live by a singer, or group of up to six people, aged 16 or older, of its choice; the minimum age will be raised to 18 starting in 2027. Each country awards 1–8, 10, and 12 points to their ten favourite songs, based on the views of an assembled group of music professionals and their viewing public, with the song receiving the most points declared the winner.
The event also features opening and interval acts and guest performances every year; such as Cirque du Soleil, Madonna, Justin Timberlake, Mika, Madcon, Rita Ora, and the first performance of Riverdance. Originally consisting of a single event, the contest has expanded as broadcasters from new countries joined (including non-European Israel, Morocco, and Australia), leading to the introduction of relegation procedures in the 1990s, before the creation of semi-finals in the 2000s. Germany has competed more than any other country, having participated in all but one edition, while Ireland and Sweden hold the record for the most victories, with seven wins each.
Traditionally held in the country that won the preceding year's event, the contest provides an opportunity to promote it as a tourist destination, with thousands of attendees each year.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Eurovision Song Contest” as annual song competition held among the members of the European Broadcasting Union. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the arts & letters register because the source frames it as annual song competition held among the members of the European Broadcasting Union. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Reception evidence should be dated and situated: later canonical status may differ sharply from the work’s initial circulation. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 17, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q276. VIAF identifies the subject as 168042371. The Library of Congress control number is n00068749. 3 of 4 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1956, 1951, 2020 and 2027.
Titles can refer to several editions, objects or performances, making precise identification essential before interpretation. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Separate the work, its editions or performances, and its later reception. Catalogue records, publication histories and object files often preserve different parts of that story.
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The original object or edition, catalogue raisonné, performance record, rights file and holding institution.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Eurovision Song Contest”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Eurovision Song Contest primary sources, Eurovision Song Contest archive and Eurovision research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
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This entry incorporates text from “Eurovision Song Contest” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.