The 2021 Eurovision Song Contest will undoubtedly provide those that watch the event with a number of memories in various forms. The song contest has a habit of producing some truly bizarre and – at the same time – iconic moments that can go unforgotten.
Indeed, there have been a number of performances that will have stuck in the minds, such as Finland’s Lordi, as the rock band dressed as zombies and other dead beings as they rocked their way to victory in 2006, whilst the ‘Bearded Lady’, Conchita Wurst, represented and won the contest in 2014 for Austria.
Naturally, with so many random acts and some potentially weird and wonderful songs to be played, the Eurovision Song Contest has become a betting highlight for many each year it takes place, with many looking to further enhance their Eurovision betting experiences each time the competition takes place.
One way in which they are potentially able to do that is to learn about some interesting facts that might not be known about the Eurovision Song Contest. Some of the facts that surround the competition really help to highlight why the annual music event is so big and why it continues to attract global audiences in their millions.
Here are just some facts that might not be known:
The Reason Eurovision Started
The main reason as to why the Eurovision Song Contest started is a heart-warming one and one that can still be felt with each contest that takes place.
In 1956, seven different countries all decided to take part in the contest that was being held in Switzerland. Of course, there are 39 countries taking place in the 2021 edition of the song contest, so it shows that it has continued to grow.
1969 had Four Winners
Whilst many of the modern Eurovision Song Contests feature a tie-breaker in case of more than one winner, the 1969 edition might just be the reason as to why the rule needed to be implemented.
That year, the United Kingdom, Spain, the Netherlands – which is where the 2021 Eurovision Contest is held – and France all managed to win the competition.
204 Million Watched in 2016
As mentioned, the Eurovision Song Contest has a global appeal as millions of people around the world continue to check in and watch the musical performances that take place, however the 2016 edition had the most viewers in history so far.
204 million people tuned in to watch Ukraine’s Jamala win the contest in Stockholm, Sweden, as she sang a song called “1944”. Ukraine’s previous winner – Ruslana – was awarded a parliamentary seat in 2004.
Unfortunately, that contest was not the most watched event that year, as the 2016 European Championship final had 600 million viewers (with a total of 2 billion over the course of the competition) whilst 3.6 billion watched the 2016 Olympic Games.
13 Year old won Eurovision
Whilst many competitions will generally restrict certain performers from taking place due to their age, the Eurovision Song Contest is open to anybody and a 13-year-old took advantage of that back in 1986.
Sandra Kim, who represented Belgium in Norway, sang “J’aime la vie” all the way to the top of the leaderboard as a teenager after she managed to claim 176 points; 36 more than second-placed Switzerland that year.
The oldest competitor to have ever featured at a Eurovision Song Contest was Emil Ramsauer when he was 95 years old in 2013 as he represented Switzerland with the band “Takasa”.
Most winners, most times to have finished last and longest run of not winning
Ireland have been able to claim the most wins when it comes to the Eurovision Song Contest, as they have been able to win the competition no fewer than seven times! They won six of them between the 1980s and 1990s – 1980, 1987, 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1996 – with the other in 1970.
Norway, unfortunately, have finished bottom of the competition on no fewer than nine occasions – 1963, 1969, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1981, 1990, 1997 and 2001 – whilst Cyprus have never been able to win one.
Barry Lachey is a Professional Editor at Zobuz. Previously He has also worked for Moxly Sports and Network Resources “Joe Joe.” He is a graduate of the Kings College at the University of Thames Valley London. You can reach Barry via email or by phone.
