The 1969 Eurovision Song Contest produced the only four-way tie for first place in the contest's history, with the UK, Spain, the Netherlands, and France all declared joint winners.
Key Facts
- Edition
- 14th Eurovision Song Contest
- Date
- 29 March 1969
- Venue
- Teatro Real, Madrid, Spain
- Participating countries
- 16
- Joint winners
- UK, Spain, Netherlands, France
- France's total wins at the time
- 4 (first country to win four times)
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Spain's broadcaster Televisión Española earned the right to host after Massiel won the 1968 contest with 'La La La.' The EBU organised the 14th edition in Madrid with sixteen participating countries, Austria being the sole withdrawal from the previous year's lineup.
Held on 29 March 1969 at the Teatro Real and presented by Laurita Valenzuela, the contest concluded in an unprecedented four-way tie. The United Kingdom, Spain, the Netherlands, and France each received the same number of points, and under rules then in force all four were declared joint winners.
The tie prompted the EBU to revise its tiebreaker rules to prevent multiple winners in future contests. France became the first nation to win four times, while Spain became the first to win in consecutive years, and both the Netherlands and the United Kingdom each claimed their second victory.
Work
Eurovision Song Contest 1969
The unprecedented four-way tie led to rule changes in the Eurovision Song Contest and produced four winning songs across as many countries, reshaping how the EBU handled ties in international competition.