The inaugural Eurovision Song Contest established a template for international televised music competition still used decades later.
Key Facts
- Edition
- 1st Eurovision Song Contest
- Date
- 24 May 1956
- Venue
- Teatro Kursaal, Lugano
- Participating countries
- 7
- Winning song
- "Refrain" by Lys Assia (Switzerland)
- Songs per country
- 2 (unique to this edition)
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Italian broadcaster RAI proposed a pan-European televised song competition inspired by the Sanremo Music Festival, held annually since 1951. An EBU committee led by Swiss executive Marcel Bezençon developed the concept, which received approval at the EBU General Assembly in 1955, leading to the formulation of rules and structure for the inaugural contest.
On 24 May 1956, broadcasters from seven countries competed at the Teatro Kursaal in Lugano, Switzerland, each represented by two songs. The event was presented by Lohengrin Filipello and organised by the EBU and Radio svizzera italiana. Voting was conducted in secret by assembled national juries, and only the winner was announced: Switzerland with "Refrain" performed by Lys Assia.
The contest established a recurring international music competition format, though several inaugural rules — including two songs per country and secret voting — were later changed. No video footage of the broadcast survived, though audio remains. The event's success led to annual editions that grew into one of the longest-running televised entertainment competitions in history.
Work
Eurovision Song Contest 1956
The first Eurovision established the international televised song contest format, inspiring decades of annual editions and influencing national broadcasting and pop music culture across Europe.