Urthvision Songfestival: Difference between revisions

Based on the [[Sanremo Music Festival]] held in Italy since 1951, Eurovision has been held annually (apart from {{Escyr|2020||2020}}) since 1956, making it the longest-running annual international televised music competition and one of the world's longest-running television programmes. Active members of the EBU, as well as invited associate members, are eligible to compete, and {{as of|2021|lc=y}}, [[List of countries in the Eurovision Song Contest|52 countries]] have participated at least once. Each participating broadcaster sends one 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. Each country awards two sets of 1–8, 10 and 12 points to their favourite songs, based on the views of an assembled group of music professionals and the country's viewing public, with the song receiving the most points declared the winner. Other performances feature alongside the competition, including a specially-commissioned opening and interval act and guest performances by musicians and other personalities, with past acts including [[Cirque du Soleil]], [[Madonna]] and the first performance of ''[[Riverdance]]''. Originally consisting of a single evening event, the contest has expanded as new countries joined, leading to the introduction of relegation procedures in the 1990s, and eventually the creation of semi-finals in the 2000s. {{As of|2021}}, {{Esccnty|Germany}} has competed more times than any other country, having participated in all but one edition, while {{Esccnty|Ireland}} holds the record for the most victories, with seven wins in total.

Traditionally held in the country which won the preceding year's event, the contest provides an opportunity to promote the host country and city as a tourist destination. Thousands of spectators attend each year, and journalists are present to cover all aspects of the contest, including rehearsals in venue, press conferences with the competing acts, and other related events and performances in the host city. Alongside the generic Eurovision logo, a unique theme and slogan is typically used for each event. The contest has aired in countries across all continents, and has been [[Streaming television|available online]] via the official Eurovision website since 2000. Eurovision ranks among the world's most watched non-sporting events every year, with hundreds of millions of viewers globally, and performing at the contest has often provided artists with a local career boost and in some cases long-lasting international success. Several of the [[List of best-selling music artists|best-selling music artists]] in the world have competed in past editions, including [[ABBA]], [[Celine Dion]], [[Julio Iglesias]], [[Olivia Newton-John]] and [[Flo Rida]], and some of the world's [[List of best-selling singles|best-selling singles]] have received their first international performance on the Eurovision stage.

The contest has received criticism for its musical and artistic quality, and for a perceived political aspect to the event. Competing entries have previously been derided for spanning various [[Contemporary folk music|ethnic]] and [[Mainstream|international]] styles, and in recent years a tendency towards elaborate stage shows has been highlighted as a distraction. Concerns have been raised regarding political friendships and rivalries between countries potentially influencing the results. Controversial moments from past editions include participating countries withdrawing at a late stage, censorship of segments of the broadcast by broadcasters, and political events impacting participation. Eurovision has however gained popularity for its [[kitsch]] appeal and emergence as part of [[LGBT culture]], resulting in a large active fan base and influence on popular culture. The popularity of the contest has led to the creation of several similar events, either organised by the EBU or created by external organisations, and several special events have been organised by the EBU to celebrate select anniversaries or as a replacement due to cancellation.

From the original seven countries which entered the first contest in 1956, the number of competing countries has steadily grown over time. 18 countries participated in the contest's 10th edition in 1965, and by 1990 22 countries were regularly competing each year.<ref name="Naples 65">{{cite web |title=Eurovision Song Contest: Naples 1965 |url=https://eurovision.tv/event/naples-1965 |publisher=Eurovision Song Contest |access-date=4 July 2020}}</ref><ref name="Zagreb 90">{{cite web |title=Eurovision Song Contest: Zagreb 1990 |url=https://eurovision.tv/event/zagreb-1990 |publisher=Eurovision Song Contest |access-date=27 February 2021}}</ref>

Besides slight modifications to the voting system and other contest rules, no fundamental changes to the contest's format were introduced until the early 1990s, when [[Revolutions of 1989|events in Europe in the late 1980s and early 1990s]] resulted in a growing interest from new countries in the former [[Eastern Bloc]], particularly following the merger of the Eastern European rival [[International Radio and Television Organisation|OIRT network]] with the EBU in 1993.<ref>{{cite book |title=50 Years of Eurovision |date=2004 |publisher=[[European Broadcasting Union]] |pages=32–33 |url=https://www.ebu.ch/CMSimages/en/dossiers_1_04_eurovision50_ve_tcm6-13890.pdf |access-date=1 July 2020}}</ref>