Eurovision Song Contest

The Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) (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. Active EBU members, and invited associate members, 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. 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. Alongside the generic logo of the contest, a unique theme is typically developed for each event. The contest has aired in countries across all continents ranking among the world's most watched non-sporting events every year, with hundreds of millions of viewers globally. It has been also available online via the official website since 2001. Performing at the contest has often provided artists with a local career boost and in some cases long-lasting international success. Several of the best-selling music artists in the world have competed, including ABBA, Céline Dion, Julio Iglesias, Cliff Richard, and Olivia Newton-John. Some of the world's best-selling singles were first performed to an international audience at Eurovision. The contest has gained popularity for its camp appeal, its span of ethnic and international styles, and its importance to LGBTQ culture, resulting in a large active fanbase and an influence on popular culture. Similar events have been organised by the EBU or created by external organisations. Concerns have been raised regarding political allegiances and rivalries between countries potentially influencing an the results. Controversies have included participating broadcasters withdrawing at a late stage, censorship of broadcast segments by broadcasters, disqualification of contestants, as well as political events impacting participation. It has also been criticised for an abundance of elaborate stage shows at the cost of artistic merit.