archytele The Vault
Season guide

Eurovision Song Contest: Lugano 1956

1 episodes Premiered May 24, 1956 Updated Jul 21, 2026

The first Eurovision Song Contest took place in Lugano, Switzerland, at the Teatro Kursaal on May 24, 1956. The contest is an international song competition organized annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). Participating countries submit original songs to be performed on live television and radio, transmitted to national broadcasters. The contest features participants representing primarily European countr

Season overview

The first Eurovision Song Contest took place in Lugano, Switzerland, at the Teatro Kursaal on May 24, 1956. The contest is an international song competition organized annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). Participating countries submit original songs to be performed on live television and radio, transmitted to national broadcasters. The contest features participants representing primarily European countries, celebrating cultural diversity through music and performance. The European Broadcasting Union has been organizing the Eurovision Song Contest since 1956.

Advertisement

Episodes

S1·E1

Grand Prix of the 1956 Eurovision Song Contest

May 24, 1956 · 80 min

Inspired by the Italian Sanremo Festival, the idea to organise a pan-European musicial competition was born at a meeting of the European Broadcasting Union in Monaco in 1955. It wa