70 years of Eurovision: the first years

1956

Seven countries lined up at the start of the Song Contest. Lugano, Switzerland hosted the event. Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Switzerland took part. Each country could submit two songs, which helped fill the programme. Lohengrin Filipello presented the show entirely in Italian. The scoring lacked suspense. Two jurors from each country gave their verdict. At the end of the evening, Rolf Liebermann, the Martin Green of his time, came on stage and announced Switzerland as the winner. That result did not come as a surprise. Luxembourg did not send any jurors and instead asked two Swiss jurors to vote on their behalf.

The winning song was the Swiss “Refrain”. When singer Lys Assia had to sing her song again, it became too much for her. She said she was overcome by emotions and decided to start over. Few moving images of the festival have survived; however, an audio recording does.

1957

United Kingdom, Denmark, and Austria joined the seven already participating countries. The contest was held in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. And this time, there was a voting procedure. Host Anaid Iplikjan had an assistant who established the telephone connections. It was a tough job for the presenter: not every jury chairman had read the instructions properly. Anaid had to constantly make adjustments.

One entry that should not go unmentioned is that of Denmark. Birthe Wilke and Gustav Winckler played a fishing couple. She said goodbye to him because he had to go sailing. The act ended with a kiss. At a sign from the director, the two were supposed to let go of each other. However, the person who was supposed to give that sign was not paying attention, causing the kiss to last an extremely long time. And this happened in 1957!

It did not get any more exciting after that. The Dutch Corry Brokken won with a landslide. She made quite an impression with her “Net als toen”. This was due in no small part to the beautiful solo by violinist Sem Nijveen.

1958

For the first time, the winning country hosted the Song Contest the following year. Ten countries competed in the AVRO studio in Hilversum. Great Britain skipped this edition, but Sweden made its debut. Hannie Lips served as the host. She only appeared after all the songs had been performed. At that point, she explained that technical problems had prevented some countries from broadcasting the first entry, Italy’s song. The organisers therefore repeated it.

He did not win. However, it was a lucrative experience for the Italian Domenico Modugno. His song “Nel blu dipinto di blu”, under the title “Volare”, probably became the biggest Eurovision hit ever. Countless versions have been made of it. Dean Martin’s is the best known, but David Bowie and Paul McCartney also sang the song.

The battle for first place was incredibly exciting. This one was between France and Switzerland. 1956 winner Lys Assia seemed poised to take first place with her “Giorgio”. She just missed out. It was the Frenchman André Claveau who claimed first place with “Dors mon amour”. And for anyone who thinks he went on to buy a villa or a yacht with the proceeds from this song: not at all. He happily announced that he could now purchase an extra cow for his herd!

Martijn
March 29, 2026
9:00 pm
1956, 1957, 1958, France, Frankfurt am Main, Hilversum, Lugano, Switzerland

Martijn

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🇬🇷 Marinella dies at 87; Greece’s first Eurovision participant passes away

Greek music icon Marinella has died at the age of 87. Her family announced that she passed away on Saturday, 28 March 2026, after a long period of fragile health. In September 2024, Marinella suffered a stroke while performing at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus in Athens. She spent four months in hospital and later continued her rehabilitation at home. For Eurovision fans, Marinella will always hold a unique place in history. She was the very first Greek participant ever at the Eurovision Song Contest. In 1974, she represented Greece in Brighton with the song “Krassi, Thalassa Ke T’agori Mou.” That appearance marked Greece’s first-ever participation in the contest. Marinella finished in 11th place, but her performance opened the door to a Eurovision journey that would become an important part of Greek music history. Greece’s first Eurovision participant The name Marinella means far more than one Eurovision result. Still, her 1974 appearance remains historic. Every Greek artist who followed her on the Eurovision stage did so after Marinella had taken that first step. Because of that, her place in Eurovision history is secure. She did not just sing Greece’s debut entry. She became part of the foundation of Greece in the contest. A career that shaped Greek music Born as Kyriaki Papadopoulou in Thessaloniki, Marinella grew into one of the best-known voices in Greek music. Kathimerini described her as a singer whose name became linked with some of the biggest recording successes of the 20th century, while Euronews noted that her career stretched across more than six decades and included 66 solo albums. She also worked with major Greek composers such as Mikis Theodorakis, Stavros Xarhakos and Manos Hadjidakis. Kathimerini also recalled that Marinella never fully embraced the label of “legend.” In earlier interviews, she stressed that singing was about love and direct contact with her audience. That attitude perhaps explains why so many people in Greece felt close to her. She was not only admired for her voice, but also for the emotion and sincerity she brought to the stage. A lasting legacy Marinella dies, but her legacy will remain. For Greece, she was one of the defining voices of modern popular music. For Eurovision, she will always be remembered as the artist who started the Greek story in the contest. Her result in Brighton may not have brought Greece a trophy, yet her role was bigger than that. Marinella was first. That alone makes her unforgettable. source: Kathimerini

March 29, 2026 No Comments

History

70 years of Eurovision: the first years

The Eurovision Song Contest is celebrating its 70th anniversary. That is a wonderful milestone. We at Eurovision Universe love diving into the history of the contest. That is why we are taking a closer look at the contests of the past 70 years. 1956 Seven countries lined up at the start of the Song Contest. Lugano, Switzerland hosted the event. Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Switzerland took part. Each country could submit two songs, which helped fill the programme. Lohengrin Filipello presented the show entirely in Italian. The scoring lacked suspense. Two jurors from each country gave their verdict. At the end of the evening, Rolf Liebermann, the Martin Green of his time, came on stage and announced Switzerland as the winner. That result did not come as a surprise. Luxembourg did not send any jurors and instead asked two Swiss jurors to vote on their behalf. The winning song was the Swiss “Refrain”. When singer Lys Assia had to sing her song again, it became too much for her. She said she was overcome by emotions and decided to start over. Few moving images of the festival have survived; however, an audio recording does. 1957 United Kingdom, Denmark, and Austria joined the seven already participating countries. The contest was held in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. And this time, there was a voting procedure. Host Anaid Iplikjan had an assistant who established the telephone connections. It was a tough job for the presenter: not every jury chairman had read the instructions properly. Anaid had to constantly make adjustments. One entry that should not go unmentioned is that of Denmark. Birthe Wilke and Gustav Winckler played a fishing couple. She said goodbye to him because he had to go sailing. The act ended with a kiss. At a sign from the director, the two were supposed to let go of each other. However, the person who was supposed to give that sign was not paying attention, causing the kiss to last an extremely long time. And this happened in 1957! It did not get any more exciting after that. The Dutch Corry Brokken won with a landslide. She made quite an impression with her “Net als toen”. This was due in no small part to the beautiful solo by violinist Sem Nijveen. 1958 For the first time, the winning country hosted the Song Contest the following year. Ten countries competed in the AVRO studio in Hilversum. Great Britain skipped this edition, but Sweden made its debut. Hannie Lips served as the host. She only appeared after all the songs had been performed. At that point, she explained that technical problems had prevented some countries from broadcasting the first entry, Italy’s song. The organisers therefore repeated it. He did not win. However, it was a lucrative experience for the Italian Domenico Modugno. His song “Nel blu dipinto di blu”, under the title “Volare”, probably became the biggest Eurovision hit ever. Countless versions have been made of it. Dean Martin’s is the best known, but David Bowie and Paul McCartney also sang the song. The battle for first place was incredibly exciting. This one was between France and Switzerland. 1956 winner Lys Assia seemed poised to take first place with her “Giorgio”. She just missed out. It was the Frenchman André Claveau who claimed first place with “Dors mon amour”. And for anyone who thinks he went on to buy a villa or a yacht with the proceeds from this song: not at all. He happily announced that he could now purchase an extra cow for his herd!

March 29, 2026 No Comments