When you first think about the Eurovision Song Contest, you are likely to think that it is a contest for countries based in Europe with great singers such as Lulu however over the years there have been some surprising entries and even countries that you wouldn’t expect sticking around. Betway Online Casino recently put together some fascinating Eurovision facts for fans to brush up on their singing contest knowledge.
Australia
Australia definitely aren’t a country that you would first assume would be part of the Eurovision Song Contest, but since their one-off entry in 2015, they have been a permanent fixture. They were initially invited into the contest to celebrate 65 years of the Eurovision Song Contest and were only expected to compete in 2015 – however, they returned the next year and have been seen on stage at the competition every year since. When you consider that they have won twice since they join in 2015 it is no wonder that they want to come back time and time again. Even on the years, they haven’t done well, they’ve usually placed in the top 10, so they’re an addition to Eurovision most people have a lot of love for.
Armenia
Armenia might not seem like a standout country when it comes to Eurovision, but actually if you look at their history they have done pretty well. They made their debut in 2006 but had been rumoured to be part of the competition since 20012, despite not being a member of the European Broadcasting Union at the time. Although Armenia are yet to come out on top of the yearly competition they have secured a spot in the top 10 on numerous occasions. In 2008 their English-Armenian song “Qélé, Qélé” saw them finish in 4th place, a feat they repeated in 2014 with their English language song “Not Alone”, which was well-loved by audiences from all over.
Israel
Israel are another country that you might not immediately link to the Eurovision Song Contest, but actually, they have competed in the event a total of 43 times – in fact, they’ve even been crowned Eurovision winners 4 times and hosted the competition 3 times. They have some popular artists and songs that have come from Eurovision, although their most famous is probably Dana International, who entered the competition with “Diva” in 1998. The country scored 172 points that year and were crowned the winners
Gone are the days when the competition was open to countries strictly in Europe, because the doors have been opened to countries from all over for a number of years. Nowadays it truly is an international affair, although we have yet to see places such as the United States take part. That isn’t to say they won’t in the future, the stats put together by Betway show when it comes to the Eurovision Song Contest absolutely anything is possible.