Austria's Conchita Wurst won the 59th Eurovision Song Contest in Copenhagen, drawing a record 195 million viewers.
Key Facts
- Edition
- 59th Eurovision Song Contest
- Participating countries
- 37 countries
- Viewership
- 195 million viewers
- Winner
- Austria – "Rise Like a Phoenix" by Conchita Wurst
- Production cost
- DKK 334 million (3× budgeted)
- Austria's previous win
- 1966, 48 years before 2014
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Denmark hosted the 2014 contest after Emmelie de Forest won the 2013 edition with "Only Teardrops". The Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR) and the EBU organised the event at B&W Hallerne in Copenhagen, with 37 countries participating — the fewest since 2006, following withdrawals by Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, and Serbia.
The 59th Eurovision Song Contest was held in Copenhagen across two semi-finals on 6 and 8 May and a grand final on 10 May 2014. Austria's Conchita Wurst performed "Rise Like a Phoenix", winning both the jury vote and the televote. The Netherlands, Sweden, Armenia, and Hungary completed the top five, while France finished last for the first time in its Eurovision history.
Austria's victory ended a 48-year drought since its 1966 win, then the longest gap between wins in contest history. The event attracted a record 195 million viewers, and DR and the EBU received the International TV Award at the Ondas Awards. However, the Danish organisers faced criticism after spending DKK 334 million — three times the initial budget — and accusations of nepotism.
Work
Eurovision Song Contest 2014
Austria's first Eurovision win in 48 years, performed by drag artist Conchita Wurst, drew record viewership of 195 million and became a widely discussed cultural moment in European broadcasting.