Spain's 1968 Eurovision win was its first victory, decided by a single point over the UK in the closest finish the contest had seen to that date.
Key Facts
- Edition
- 13th Eurovision Song Contest
- Date
- 6 April 1968
- Venue
- Royal Albert Hall, London
- Winning song
- "La La La" by Massiel (Spain)
- Winning margin
- 1 point over the United Kingdom
- Participating countries
- 17
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The United Kingdom earned the right to host the 1968 contest after Sandie Shaw won the 1967 Eurovision Song Contest with 'Puppet on a String.' The BBC, as host broadcaster, organised the event at the Royal Albert Hall in London, marking the third time the BBC had staged the competition, having also hosted in 1960 and 1963.
On 6 April 1968, seventeen countries competed in the Eurovision Song Contest at the Royal Albert Hall, presented by Katie Boyle. The contest was broadcast in colour for the first time. Spain's entry, 'La La La' performed by Massiel and written by Manuel de la Calva and Ramón Arcusa, claimed victory, edging out the United Kingdom by a single point.
Spain's win was its first-ever top-five placing and first victory at Eurovision. The margin of one point over the UK set a record as the closest finish in the contest's history up to that time, and the event's colour broadcast marked a significant step forward in the televised presentation of the competition.
Work
Eurovision Song Contest 1968 — "La La La" by Massiel
Spain's narrow one-point victory, the closest in the contest's history to that point, and the first colour broadcast of Eurovision marked notable milestones in the competition's development.