Eurovision Song Contest to release tribute film to celebrate 70th anniversary

By Carla Feric, Press Association Entertainment Reporter

The Eurovision Song Contest is celebrating its 70th anniversary with a special tribute film to commemorate the past seven decades of being “united by music”.

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which runs Eurovision, will also release the only known footage of the competition’s first-ever winner as it marks the milestone.

The annual song competition, which was held in Vienna, Austria, earlier this month, first took place on May 24th, 1956, and is now renowned as the world’s largest live music event.

In celebration of Eurovision’s 70th anniversary, a tribute film will be released by organisers featuring a compilation of the most emotional moments from seven decades of the competition.

The film will be set to Uber Die Brucke Gehn by Ingrid Peters, Germany’s entry song from 1986, and will include footage from the 1950s and 1960s as well as from this year’s contest.

It is also said to include clips of performer Dara, whose song Bangaranga landed Bulgaria its first ever victory during the contest’s final last Saturday.

The film will premiere on the official Eurovision Song Contest’s YouTube channel on May 24th to mark the special occasion.

Eurovision has also worked in collaboration with Swiss broadcaster RSI to restore the only known surviving footage of the contest’s first-ever winner, Lys Assia, singing Refrain.

The video, shot by Vincenzo Vicari, will show the singer performing onstage at the Teatro Kursaal in Lugano, Switzerland, and hopes to give fans a glimpse into the roots of the coveted song contest.

Chris Fox, a senior producer on the Eurovision Song Contest’s digital team who worked on the restoration, said: “Preserving the history of the Eurovision Song Contest is something very close to my heart.

“I’m proud that the EBU was able to commission this restoration so that fans can enjoy Lys Assia’s winning reprise in the best possible quality for years to come.”

The EBU has also launched the Eurofan voice initiative to commemorate 70 years of Eurovision, which is a survey encouraging fan feedback and inviting audiences to help shape future experiences of the contest.

Martin Green, director of the Eurovision Song Contest, said: “For 70 years, the Eurovision Song Contest has shown what’s possible when public service broadcasters come together with a shared purpose: to create moments of joy, emotion and connection that transcend borders.

“From a small theatre in Lugano in 1956 to stadiums and screens across the globe today, the Eurovision Song Contest continues to evolve while remaining true to its founding spirit – bringing audiences together through music.”