Luxembourg in the Eurovision Song Contest

Contest history

Participation in the Eurovision Song Contest is open to members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). Between 1956 and 1993, Compagnie Luxembourgeoise de Télédiffusion (CLT) participated in the contest on behalf of Luxembourg; since 2024, RTL Lëtzebuerg, a division of the RTL Group, participates in the event representing the country.

One of seven countries to take part in the of the Eurovision Song Contest in 1956, Luxembourg has competed in the contest on 38 occasions since its debut entry. The nation participated in all but one event between 1956 and , with no Luxembourgish entry having participated in the . On each occasion that Luxembourg participated in the contest the country was represented by one song, with the exception of the first contest when each nation was represented by two songs.

Luxembourg has won the contest on five occasions, marking it as one of the contest's most successful nations. The country's first win was recorded in with the song "Nous les amoureux" performed by Jean-Claude Pascal. Four years later the nation were awarded a second victory, with the song "Poupée de cire, poupée de son" performed by France Gall winning the contest in . Luxembourg recorded back-to-back victories in and becoming the second country to win the event in two consecutive eventswhen represented by the song "Après toi" performed by Vicky Leandros, and "Tu te reconnaîtras" by Anne-Marie David, respectively. The nation achieved its most recent victory in , with the song "Si la vie est cadeau" performed by Corinne Hermès. With its fifth win Luxembourg became the joint-most successful Eurovision nation at that time, equalling the record for the most number of victories by a single country previously set by a record which would remain until recorded their sixth win in . All of Luxembourg's winners, however, were not of Luxembourgish descent, with four of the five artists being French and one, Leandros, being Greek.

During its original participation run between 1956 and 1993 the rules of the contest for the majority of those editions stated that each country was required to perform in one of the national languages of that country. The large majority of Luxembourgish entries were performed in French, which is one of the official languages of Luxembourg and the main language of communication in the country, while Luxembourgish, the country's national language, has featured in only three of the country's entries, in , , and .

Including its five wins, Luxembourg has placed within the top five on 13 occasions and within the top ten on 20 occasions, including two third-place finishes in and . The majority of the country's top placings, however, were recorded prior to its fifth contest win, and in the decade following its most recent victory Luxembourg's fortunes in the contest began to shift, leading to four appearances in the bottom five between and 1993.

Relegation and absence

After finishing among the bottom seven countries at the 1993 event, Luxembourg was relegated under a new system to accommodate entries from new nations wishing to compete for the first time, and was thus prevented from participating in the 1994 contest. Luxembourg subsequently declined to participate in the and continued to be absent from the contest for three decades, with the increased costs of participating in the event cited as a main contributing factor for the country's absence. Ahead of the Luxembourg was featured within a preliminary participants list for that edition, however, RTL subsequently reconsidered due to the scale of the participation fee, with Luxembourg ultimately absent from the final list of participating countries. RTL had been approached on several occasions in subsequent years about the possibility of returning to the contest and participation in the contest was the subject of discussion within the Luxembourgish parliament in the years following Luxembourg's last entry, as well as the subject of fan-led petitions run both in Luxembourg and in other countries. The organisation however varyingly identified high participation costs, organisational difficulties, the cost and logistical issues of staging the event should Luxembourg win, format incompatibilities at the broadcaster, disinterest among the Luxembourgish viewing public and poor results towards the end of Luxembourg's participation among the reasons future participation was consistently ruled out. In an interview with Luxemburger Wort in April 2014, Luxembourgish singer revealed that he had been contacted by broadcaster San Marino RTV to create a duet that would represent both countries jointly in the contest. Despite the initial availability of Luxembourgish minister of Culture, the project was ultimately discarded for financial reasons.

Return

On 15 December 2022, it was reported that Xavier Bettel, the Luxembourgish prime minister and minister for communications and media, had instigated discussions with RTL regarding the return of Luxembourg to the Eurovision Song Contest in , with a team within the Luxembourgish government formed to facilitate the country's return to the event. On 12 May 2023, ahead of the final of the , the 30th anniversary of Luxembourg's last entry and the 40th anniversary of Luxembourg's last win, RTL and the EBU announced that Luxembourg would return to the contest in 2024. As part of the announcement, RTL and the Luxembourgish government highlighted the promotion of Luxembourgish culture, the development of the cultural section of Luxembourgish society, as well as economic and touristic benefits which participation in the event could bring.

In July 2023, RTL launched its national selection process, with a televised final held on 27 January 2024 at the Rockhal in Esch-sur-Alzette. Interested artists were able to apply to compete in the event, with applicants required to be Luxembourgish citizens, long-term residents, or those with a proven connection to the Luxembourgish music scene and strong involvement with Luxembourgish culture. This marked a change from the majority of previous Luxembourgish selections, which were predominantly held internally and were often led by the RTL organisation in Paris instead of the local Luxembourgish broadcaster; due to this, a large number of the artists who represented Luxembourg in the contest were not of Luxembourgish descent, including all five of the nation's winning artists. The Luxembourg Song Contest was officially launched on 1 December 2023, with RTL highlighting the event as a showcase for Luxembourgish talent and a platform for established and emerging artists within the Luxembourgish music scene. The chosen entry for 2024, "Fighter" by Tali, qualified for the final and finished 13th. "La poupée monte le son" by Laura Thorn also qualified for the final in 2025 and finished 22nd.

Participation overview

''Congratulations: 50 Years of the Eurovision Song Contest''

A special competition was held in October 2005 to celebrate the contest's 50th anniversary, with 14 songs from Eurovision history competing to determine the most popular song from the contest's first 50 years, with the winner determined through the combined votes of the viewing public and juries over two rounds. The contest was not relayed by a Luxembourgish broadcaster; however, Luxembourg's winning song from 1965, "Poupée de cire, poupée de son", performed by France Gall, was featured among the 14 selected songs.

Hostings

As is customary the winning broadcaster is offered the opportunity to organise the following year's event, which has resulted in Luxembourg hosting the contest on four occasions. On each occasion the contest was held in Luxembourg City, and coincided with one of Luxembourg's victories. The and events were held in the Grand Auditorium of Villa Louvigny and presented by Mireille Delannoy and Josiane Shen, respectively. The and contests were held in the Grand Théâtre de Luxembourg (also known at the time as the Nouveau Théâtre and Théâtre Municipal) and presented by Helga Guitton and Désirée Nosbusch, respectively. Although Luxembourg won the contest in 1973 and were offered the opportunity to stage the , RTL declined the offer due to the financial strain of hosting two consecutive events, leading to the BBC to step in as organiser and staging the event in Brighton.

Related involvement

Heads of delegation

Each participating broadcaster in the Eurovision Song Contest assigns a head of delegation as the EBU's contact person and the leader of their delegation at the event. The delegation, whose size can greatly vary, includes a head of press, the performers, songwriters, composers, and backing vocalists, among others. The Luxembourgish head of delegation in 2024 and 2025 been Eric Lehmann, whilst Elisabeth Conter will be Head of Delegation for the 2026 contest.

Conductors

In contests where an orchestra was provided, a conductor was required to lead the musicians during each country's performance. Broadcasters were able to provide their own conductors or could call upon the services of the conductor appointed by the host broadcaster. The conductors which led the orchestra during the Luxembourgish entries each year are listed below.

Jury members

Each participating broadcaster assembles a five-member jury panel consisting of music industry professionals for the Eurovision Song Contest, ranking all entries except their own. The modern incarnation of jury voting was introduced beginning with the , and , the juries' votes constitute 50% of the overall result in the final alongside televoting.

Commentators and spokespersons

RTL has broadcast the contest on various television and radio channels during its participation history and has provided commentary in different languages for the local audiences. On occasion commentary has been relayed from the broadcast feed of other participating countries. Between 1956 and 1991 the contest was broadcast on the French-language television channel of RTL (presently known as RTL9), and was also broadcast on the German-language television channel (previously known as RTL plus, now titled RTL) between 1984 and 1988; in 1992 and 1993 the contest was broadcast on the Luxembourgish-language channel RTL Hei Elei. The contest is also known to have been broadcast on RTL's radio stations, in 1966 on the French-language Radio Luxembourg, in 1962 and 1973 on the Luxembourgish-language , in 1973 on the English-language Radio Luxembourg, and in 1979 on the German-language RTL Radio. Upon its return to the contest in 2024, RTL provided a wide array of broadcast options through television, radio and online streaming, with English, French and Luxembourgish language commentators recruited to provide context during the live shows.

As part of the contest's voting procedure, each participating broadcaster nominates a spokesperson which announces the results of their country's vote during the final. Since 1994, the year Luxembourg began its most recent hiatus from the contest, the spokespersons have been connected through satellite links, which replaced the use of telephone lines in previous events. Désirée Nosbusch, who had previously hosted the , served as Luxembourg's spokesperson upon the country's return in 2024, and thus became the first Luxembourgish spokesperson to be seen in vision during the contest.

Creative directors

As part of the broadcaster's delegation team, a creative director may be employed to provide guidance on the staging of the competing entry at the Eurovision Song Contest. In 2024, RTL collaborated with the Ukrainian director on the staging of the Luxembourgish entry in Malmö. In 2025, the staging was designed by the Ukrainian team TRI.Direction, led by Nataliia Lysenkova, Nataliia Rovenska and Mariia Hryhorashchenko, with choreography by Denys Stulnikov.

Photo gallery

File:Eurovision Song Contest 1958 - Solange Berry.png|Solange Berry in Hilversum (1958) File:Eurovisie Songfestival 1962 te Luxemburg, voor Luxemburg Camillo Felgen, Bestanddeelnr 913-6609.jpg|Camillo Felgen in Luxembourg (1962) File:Eurovision Song Contest 1965 - France Gall.jpg|France Gall in Naples (1965) File:David Alexandre Winter (Luxemburg), Bestanddeelnr 923-3696.jpg|David Alexandre Winter in Amsterdam (1970) File:Eurovisie Songfestival 76 Den Haag Jurgen Marcus (Luxemburg), Bestanddeelnr 928-5031.jpg|Jürgen Marcus in The Hague (1976) File:Eurovision Song Contest 1980 - Sophie & Magaly.jpg|Sophie and Magaly in the Hague (1980) File:Tali Eurovision Song Contest 2024 Final Malmö dressrehearsal semi 1 02.jpg|Tali in Malmö () File:Laura Thorn at ESC2025 for Luxembourg 23.jpg|Laura Thorn in Basel ()

References

1. "Which countries can take part?". [[European Broadcasting Union]] (EBU).
2. "How the Eurovision Song Contest works". [[European Broadcasting Union]] (EBU).
3. (12 May 2023). "Luxembourg to return to the Eurovision Song Contest in 2024". [[European Broadcasting Union]] (EBU).
4. (17 February 2023). "Our Members". [[European Broadcasting Union]] (EBU).
5. "RTL Luxembourg". [[RTL Group]].
6. (12 May 2023). "A history of Luxembourg at the Eurovision Song Contest". [[European Broadcasting Union]] (EBU).
7. "Luxembourg". [[European Broadcasting Union]] (EBU).
8. (25 June 2024). "Luxembourg, buoyed by Eurovision success, vows return in 2025". [[Luxembourg Wort.
9. (24 May 2011). "Happy Birthday Eurovision Song Contest!". [[European Broadcasting Union]] (EBU).
10. (3 March 2014). "Looking back to just like it was in 1957". [[European Broadcasting Union]] (EBU).
11. (12 May 2023). "Réckbléck vun 1956 bis elo: Lëtzebuerg huet den ESC scho 5 Mol gewonnen". [[RTL Lëtzebuerg]].
12. (7 April 2012). "39 years ago today – Luxembourg complete back to back wins". [[European Broadcasting Union]] (EBU).
13. "Dublin 1994". [[European Broadcasting Union]] (EBU).
14. (22 June 2023). "Luxembourg's success at the Eurovision Song Contest". Aussievision.
15. (11 July 2023). "Luxembourg selection for Eurovision comeback creates great expectations". {{ill.
16. (7 September 2023). "Welcome back Luxembourg! Here's what you've missed...". [[European Broadcasting Union]] (EBU).
17. (3 December 2019). "Only songs performed in English do well?". [[European Broadcasting Union]] (EBU).
18. (21 December 2015). "Xtra's Pick of the 50s and 60s". ESCXtra.
19. (9 January 2024). "An intro to 'Lëtzebuergesch'".
20. (1 September 2023). "Five Things We Missed from Luxembourg While They Were Away". Eurovision Fam.
21. (18 September 2016). "Milestone Moments: 1993/4 – The Eurovision Family expands". EBU.
22. (15 October 2003). "38 countries participate in Eurovision 2004". ESCToday.
23. (3 November 2003). "Luxembourg won't participate in 2004". ESCToday.
24. (5 December 2003). "2004 Eurovision Song Contest: breaking records with 36 countries for the 49th edition". [[European Broadcasting Union]] (EBU).
25. (13 September 2012). "Luxembourg won't be in Malmo!". ESCToday.
26. Chrillesen, Neel. (April 2013). "Luxembourg and Eurovision: A Comeback Waiting to Happen". {{ill.
27. (30 July 2014). "Luxembourg: RTL will not return to Eurovision in 2015". ESCToday.
28. (1 May 2024). "Luxembourg: New Details of a Past San Marinese Eurovision Collaboration Revealed". Eurovoix.
29. (15 December 2022). "Luxembourg: RTL & Government Discussing Return to Eurovision in 2024". Eurovoix.
30. (15 December 2022). "Eurovision mat Lëtzebuerger Bedeelegung? RTL gouf vu Regierung kontaktéiert, Diskussioune fir Participatioun 2024 lafen". [[RTL Lëtzebuerg]].
31. (16 December 2022). "Will Luxembourg participate? The 2024 Eurovision Song Contest might feature the Grand Duchy". [[RTL Group.
32. (12 May 2023). "Lëtzebuerg beim ESC 2024". [[RTL Lëtzebuerg]].
33. (12 May 2023). "Luxembourg finally back in Eurovision, starting in 2024". {{ill.
34. (12 May 2023). "RTL iwwerdréit a sicht d'Kandidatin oder de Kandidat: And the winner is: Luxembourg 12 Points". [[RTL Lëtzebuerg]].
35. (3 July 2023). "Luxembourg sets January date for televised national final". [[European Broadcasting Union]] (EBU).
36. (3 July 2023). "Eurovision Song Contest 2024: We're looking for you! The preselection process has started". [[RTL Group.
37. (31 August 2016). "Beyond Borders: The singers who have represented multiple countries". [[European Broadcasting Union]] (EBU).
38. (19 November 2017). "Luxembourg: Small in size, big in Eurovision". [[European Broadcasting Union]] (EBU).
39. (1 December 2023). "It's the 'Luxembourg Song Contest' for Eurovision 2024". [[European Broadcasting Union]] (EBU).
40. (1 December 2023). "National Final: January 27, 2024, at Rockhal: Luxembourg Song Contest". [[RTL (Luxembourgian TV channel).
41. (12 May 2024). "Xavier Bettel félicite Tali: 'Tellement fier de toi'". [[L'essentiel (newspaper).
42. "Placing 22nd: 'We expected more': Laura Thorn holds head high after Eurovision final".
43. "Luxembourg". [[European Broadcasting Union]].
44. "Congratulations Show – Eurovision History". [[European Broadcasting Union]] (EBU).
45. "Congratulations info". [[DR (broadcaster).
46. "Participating broadcasters in the 50th anniversary show". [[European Broadcasting Union]] (EBU).
47. "Profile of the show". [[DR (broadcaster).
48. (23 April 1983). "This day in History: 40th anniversary of Luxembourg's fifth and last victory in the Eurovision Song Contest". [[RTL Group.
49. (12 May 2023). "#Luxembourg12Points: RTL Luxembourg confirms 2024 Eurovision Song Contest participation". [[RTL Group.
50. "Luxembourg 1962". [[European Broadcasting Union]] (EBU).
51. "Luxembourg 1966". [[European Broadcasting Union]] (EBU).
52. "Luxembourg 1973". [[European Broadcasting Union]] (EBU).
53. "Luxembourg 1984". [[European Broadcasting Union]] (EBU).
54. "Grand théâtre de la ville de Luxembourg". Paul Wagner et Fils.
55. "Brighton 1974". [[European Broadcasting Union]] (EBU).
56. (6 April 2011). "37 years ago today – ABBA take the title with Waterloo". [[European Broadcasting Union]] (EBU).
57. "Heads of Delegation". [[European Broadcasting Union]] (EBU).
58. (27 November 2023). "Luxembourg in the Eurovision Song Contest: 'We're not just there, to be there'". [[RTL Group.
59. Schmit, Sandy. (2026-01-27). "Backstage a Spezialeffekter: Kleng Geschichten a groussen Opwand ëm den LSC, zemools wa Konfetti am Spill ass".
60. "Rules of the 43rd Eurovision Song Contest, 1998". [[European Broadcasting Union]] (EBU).
61. (2012). "Songs for Europe: The United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest". [[Telos Publishing]].
62. (2014). "Songs for Europe: The United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest". [[Telos Publishing]].
63. (2016). "Songs for Europe: The United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest". [[Telos Publishing]].
64. Roxburgh, Gordon. (2020). "Songs for Europe: The United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest". [[Telos Publishing]].
65. (22 November 2022). "Voting changes announced for Eurovision Song Contest 2023". [[European Broadcasting Union]].
66. "Grand Final of Malmö 2024 – Jurors". [[European Broadcasting Union]].
67. "Grand Final of Basel 2025 – Jurors". [[European Broadcasting Union]].
68. Brincourt, André. (23 March 1964). "La Télévision par Andŕe Brincourt: Le Grand Prix Eurovision de la chanson à Gigliola Cinquetti (Italie)". [[Le Figaro]].
69. See individual references embedded within the "Commentators and spokespersons" table.
70. (5 March 1966). "À la radio". [[Le Soir]].
71. (6 April 1973). "Radio Luxembourg". Luxemburger Wort.
72. (7 April 1973). "Zaterdag". [[Limburgs Dagblad]].
73. (31 March – 6 April 1979). "RTL-ukw {{!}} Woch vum 31. März bis 6. Abrël 1979".
74. "The Rules of the Contest". [[European Broadcasting Union]] (EBU).
75. "Voting Procedures 2024". [[European Broadcasting Union]] (EBU).
76. (24 May 2021). "Lugano to Liverpool: Broadcasting Eurovision". [[National Science and Media Museum]].
77. (24 May 1956). "Télé-Luxembourg". [[Luxemburger Wort]].
78. (2 March 1957). "Télé-Luxembourg". [[Luxemburger Wort]].
79. (3 March 1957). "Paris-Inter". Radio Cinéma Télévision.
80. (11 March 1958). "Télé-Luxembourg". [[Luxemburger Wort]].
81. (10 March 1959). "Télé-Luxembourg". [[Luxemburger Wort]].
82. (28 March 1960). "Télé-Luxembourg". [[Luxemburger Wort]].
83. (18 March 1961). "Radio-Télévision". [[Luxemburger Wort]].
84. (2023). "6ème concours Eurovision de la chanson 1961". RTF.
85. (17 March 1962). "Radio-Télévision". [[Luxemburger Wort]].
86. (22 March 1963). "Radio-Télévision". [[Luxemburger Wort]].
87. (21 March 1964). "Radio-Télévision". [[Luxemburger Wort]].
88. (20 March 1965). "Radio-Télévision". [[Luxemburger Wort]].
89. (5 March 1966). "Grand Prix Eurovision de la Chanson Européenne 1966". Compagnie Luxembourgeoise de Télédiffusion.
90. (5 March 1966). "Radio-Télévision". [[Luxemburger Wort]].
91. (7 April 1967). "Radio-Télévision". [[Luxemburger Wort]].
92. René O.. (8 April 1967). "Start frei für den 'Grand Prix Eurovision de la Chanson'". [[Luxemburger Wort]].
93. (5 April 1968). "Radio-Télévision". [[Luxemburger Wort]].
94. (28 March 1969). "Radio-Télévision". [[Luxemburger Wort]].
95. (20 March 1970). "Télé-Programmes". [[Luxemburger Wort]].
96. (2 April 1971). "revue telewoche {{!}} samstag 3. april".
97. (24 March 1972). "Télé-Programmes". Luxemburger Wort.
98. (25 March 1972). "Die Luxemburger Jury-Mitglieder". Luxemburger Wort.
99. (6 April 1973). "Télé-programmes – samedi 7 avril". [[Luxemburger Wort]].
100. (5 April 1974). "Télé-programmes {{!}} samedi 6 avril". [[Luxemburger Wort]].
101. (21 March 1975). "Télé-programmes {{!}} samedi 22 mars". [[Luxemburger Wort]].
102. (2 April 1976). "Télé-programmes {{!}} samedi 3 avril". [[Luxemburger Wort]].
103. (10 April 1976). "Grand Prix Eurovision 1976: Jürgen Marcus unter 'ferner liefen'".
104. P. W.. (5 April 1976). "Eurovisionspreis erneut für Großbritannien". [[Luxemburger Wort]].
105. (7 May 1977). "Samedi 7 mai 1977". [[Luxemburger Wort.
106. (22–28 April 1978). "Samstag, 22. April 1978".
107. (30 March 1979). "Téléhebdo {{!}} samedi 31 mars". [[Luxemburger Wort]].
108. (18 April 1980). "Téléhebdo {{!}} samedi 19 avril". [[Luxemburger Wort]].
109. (4–10 April 1981). "Samstag, 4. April".
110. (4 April 1981). "TV–programma's van zaterdag 4 april 1981". [[De Standaard]].
111. (24–30 April 1982). "Samstag, 24. April".
112. (23–29 April 1983). "Samstag, 23. April".
113. (23 April 1983). "TV–programma's van zaterdag 23 april 1983". [[De Standaard]].
114. (5–11 May 1984). "Samstag, 5. Mai".
115. (5 May 1984). "TV–programma's van zaterdag 5 mei 1984". [[De Standaard]].
116. (4–10 May 1985). "Samstag, 4. Mai".
117. (3 May 1985). "Zaterdag 4 mei 1985". [[Limburgs Dagblad.
118. (3–9 May 1986). "Samstag, 3. Mai".
119. (9–15 May 1987). "Samstag, 9. Mai".
120. (30 April – 6 May 1988). "Samstag, 30. April {{!}} Samedi, 30 avril".
121. (30 April 1988). "TV–programma's van zaterdag 30 april 1988". [[De Standaard]].
122. (30 April 1988). "Televisie en radio". [[Limburgs Dagblad]].
123. (April 1988). "RTL Télévision Eurovision 1988 [[Promo (media)".
124. (6–12 May 1989). "Samstag, 6 Mai {{!}} Samedi, 6 mai".
125. (5–11 May 1990). "Samstag, 5. Mai {{!}} Samedi, 5 mai".
126. (4–10 May 1991). "Samstag, 4. Mai {{!}} Samedi, 4 mai".
127. (4–10 May 1991). "TV-tips der woche".
128. (9–15 May 1992). "Samstag 9. Mai {{!}} Samedi 9 mai".
129. (15–21 May 1993). "Samstag 15. Mai {{!}} Samedi 15 mai".
130. Farren, Neil. (22 April 2024). "Luxembourg: Spokesperson and Commentators for Eurovision 2024 Revealed". Eurovoix.
131. (23 April 2024). "Spokesperson and commentators: Désirée Nosbusch announces points, Sarah Tapp and Meredith Moss to comment English livestream". [[RTL Group.
132. (22 April 2024). "Vivez l'Eurovision en direct et en français sur RTL Infos!". RTL.
133. "Sixty years after France Gall: Laura Thorn prepares to conquer Eurovision with La Poupée monte le son". [[RTL Lëtzebuerg]].
134. "Nach 2 Méint bis zum ESC: D'Laura Thorn mécht sech prett fir Basel". [[RTL Lëtzebuerg]].
135. "Follow our Eurovision 2025 semi-final coverage tonight from 8pm". RTL Today.
136. "RTL Play {{!}} Program". RTL.
137. (7 May 2024). "That's how you make a show". [[European Broadcasting Union]] (EBU).
138. Van Dijk, Sem Anne. (2024-03-13). "Luxembourg: German Nenov Will Be Creative Director of Luxembourgish Staging". Eurovoix.
139. Granger, Anthony. (2025-03-30). "🇱🇺 Luxembourg: Laura Thorn's Performance is Being Staged by TRI.Direction".
140. Горлач, Поліна. (2025-03-27). "Українки створюють номер для Лаури Торн з Люксембургу на "Євробачення"".