Eurovision Song Contest 1999 — 44th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest
The 44th Eurovision Song Contest, held in Jerusalem, was the first to allow competing languages of choice since 1976 and the first ever without a live orchestra.
Key Facts
- Edition
- 44th Eurovision Song Contest
- Date
- 29 May 1999
- Winning song
- "Take Me to Your Heaven" by Charlotte Nilsson (Sweden)
- Participating countries
- 23
- First contest without orchestra
- No live music accompaniment for any entry
- Language rule restored
- First free language choice since 1976
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Israel earned hosting rights by winning the 1998 Eurovision Song Contest with Dana International's "Diva". The European Broadcasting Union and the Israel Broadcasting Authority organised the event, while several countries were relegated or withdrew, reducing the field to twenty-three participants.
The contest was held on 29 May 1999 at the International Convention Centre in Jerusalem, hosted by Dafna Dekel, Yigal Ravid, and Sigal Shachmon. Sweden won with Charlotte Nilsson performing "Take Me to Your Heaven", composed by Lars Diedricson and written by Gert Lengstrand and Marcos Ubeda, with Iceland achieving its best-ever result in second place.
Sweden's victory meant it would host the following year's contest. The removal of the mandatory national-language rule and the elimination of live orchestral accompaniment marked lasting shifts in Eurovision format, signalling a move toward pre-recorded backing tracks and greater artistic freedom for competing delegations.
Work
Eurovision Song Contest 1999
First Eurovision without a live orchestra and first since 1976 to allow performance in any language, shaping modern contest production standards.