The 12th Eurovision Song Contest saw the UK achieve its first-ever victory, with Sandie Shaw winning by one of the widest margins in the competition's history.
Key Facts
- Edition
- 12th Eurovision Song Contest
- Winning song
- Puppet on a String – Sandie Shaw (UK)
- Participating countries
- 17
- Winning margin
- More than twice the runner-up's votes
- Last black-and-white contest
- Colour production began from 1968 edition
- Venue
- Großer Festsaal der Wiener Hofburg
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Austria's victory at the 1966 Eurovision Song Contest with Udo Jürgens' 'Merci, Chérie' gave the country hosting rights for the following year. The European Broadcasting Union and Austrian broadcaster ORF organised the event, which for the first time was scheduled in April rather than March.
On 8 April 1967, seventeen nations competed at the Großer Festsaal der Wiener Hofburg in Vienna, presented by Erica Vaal. The United Kingdom, represented by Sandie Shaw performing 'Puppet on a String' — written by Bill Martin and Phil Coulter — won with a vote tally more than double that of the runner-up, Ireland, marking the first British victory in the contest.
The UK's landslide win established 'Puppet on a String' as one of the most dominant victories in Eurovision history. Denmark's absence marked the start of a decade-long withdrawal from the contest. The 1967 edition was also the last produced in black and white, as the competition transitioned to colour broadcasting from 1968 onwards.
Work
Eurovision Song Contest 1967
The contest delivered the UK's first Eurovision victory via Sandie Shaw's 'Puppet on a String', one of the widest winning margins ever recorded, and marked the final edition broadcast in black and white.