50+ Facts About Languages In The Eurovision Song Contest That You Need To Know
A quick fact guide to languages in the Eurovision Song Contest, covering winning songs, first appearances, minority languages, multilingual entries, voting, hosting and memorable performances.
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Browse the facts in order or use the search box to find a specific language, country, artist, year or topic such as English, French, Arabic, Corsican, Luxembourg, Morocco or voting.
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Luxembourg returned in 2024
Luxembourg returned to Eurovision in 2024. Although Luxembourgish is the country’s national language, only three of its entries have included Luxembourgish fully or partly.
Morocco has appeared once
Morocco has taken part in Eurovision only once. Its entry was in Moroccan Arabic and was performed by Samira Said.
Made-up languages have appeared
Invented languages have appeared on the Eurovision stage three times: twice for Belgium and once for the Netherlands.
The best result for a made-up language was second place
The most successful Eurovision entry in an invented language came from Belgium in 2003, when it finished second.
Spanish-language wins are limited to the 1960s
The only decade in which Spanish-language entries won Eurovision was the 1960s, with Spain winning in 1968 and 1969.
The first English-language entry was in 1957
The first song in English at Eurovision was “All” by Patricia Bredin, representing the United Kingdom in 1957.
Lys Assia sang in three languages
Lys Assia, Eurovision’s first winner, competed in 1956, 1957 and 1958. Her entries included French, German and Italian.
The first English-language winner was in 1967
The first Eurovision-winning song in English was “Puppet on a String” by Sandie Shaw for the United Kingdom in 1967.
Latvia sang in Italian in 2007
Latvia competed at Eurovision in 2007 with a song in Italian.
Estonia sang in Italian in 2018
Estonia competed at Eurovision in 2018 with a song in Italian.
Portugal’s first win was in Portuguese
The first and only Portuguese-language winner is “Amar Pelos Dois” by Salvador Sobral, which won for Portugal in 2017.
1950s winners were in French or Dutch
During the 1950s, Eurovision-winning songs were performed in either French or Dutch.
Maltese has rarely appeared for Malta
Only three of Malta’s entries have been fully or partly in Maltese.
Irish has appeared only once for Ireland
Only one Irish entry has been fully or partly in Irish.
Cyprus sang in French in 2007
Cyprus competed at Eurovision in 2007 with a song in French.
UK entries have all been in English
Every United Kingdom entry in Eurovision has been in English.
Finland has sung in Swedish twice
Finland has entered Eurovision with songs in Swedish on two occasions.
English has 35 winning songs
Thirty-five Eurovision-winning songs have been in English.
French has 15 winning songs
Fifteen Eurovision-winning songs have been in French.
Ukraine’s 2016 winner was bilingual
Ukraine won Eurovision in 2016 with a song in English and Crimean Tatar.
1970s winners used English, French and Hebrew
In the 1970s, English and French each won four times, while Hebrew won twice.
Serbian was the first Slavic language on stage
The first Slavic language to appear at Eurovision was Serbian in 1961, representing Yugoslavia.
Romansh appeared in 1989
Switzerland competed in 1989 with a song in Romansh, a Romance language spoken in the Grisons in eastern Switzerland.
Võro appeared in 2004
Estonia competed in 2004 with a song in Võro, a Finno-Ugric language closely related to Estonian.
Martinican Creole appeared in 1992
France competed in 1992 with a song partly in Martinican Creole, a French-based Creole spoken in Martinique.
Céline Dion won in French
Céline Dion represented Switzerland and won Eurovision in 1988 with the French-language song “Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi”.
Neapolitan appeared in 1991
Italy competed in 1991 with a song in Neapolitan, one of the languages of southern Italy.
Austria sang in French in 2016
Austria competed in 2016 with a song in French.
ABBA won in English in 1974
ABBA represented Sweden and won Eurovision in 1974 with the English-language song “Waterloo”.
“Nel blu dipinto di blu” is one of Eurovision’s most famous songs
Domenico Modugno’s Italian-language song “Nel blu dipinto di blu” finished third for Italy in 1958.
Dutch was the first language on the Eurovision stage
The first language heard on the Eurovision stage was Dutch.
The first Slovenian song was in 1966
The first Slovenian-language Eurovision song was “Brez Besed” by Berta Ambrož, representing Yugoslavia in 1966.
Seven languages debuted in 1994
In 1994, Estonian, Romanian, Slovak, Lithuanian, Hungarian, Russian and Polish all appeared at Eurovision for the first time.
Estonia had a trilingual entry in 2008
Estonia competed in 2008 with a song in Serbian, German and Finnish.
“Soldi” includes Egyptian Arabic
Mahmood’s “Soldi”, which represented Italy and finished second in 2019, includes phrases in Egyptian Arabic.
Samogitian appeared in 1999
Lithuania competed in 1999 with a song in Samogitian, a language closely related to Lithuanian.
Poland had a trilingual entry in 2003
Poland competed in 2003 with a song in German, Polish and Russian.
Latin appeared in 2022
Serbia’s 2022 entry “In Corpore Sano” was partly in Latin.
Czechia sang in four languages in 2023
Czechia’s 2023 entry used English, Ukrainian, Czech and Bulgarian.
Romania sang in six languages in 2007
Romania’s 2007 entry included English, Italian, Spanish, Russian, French and Romanian.
Turkish has appeared in German entries
Germany has entered songs partly in Turkish on two occasions.
Corsican has appeared twice
Corsican has appeared on the Eurovision stage twice, through French entries in 1993 and 2011.
Breton has appeared twice
France has sent Eurovision entries in Breton twice. Breton is a Celtic language spoken in Brittany.
The highest-scoring Eurovision song is in Portuguese
The highest-scoring song in Eurovision history is in Portuguese.
Six German-language songs scored nul points
Six songs in German have received no points since 1956.
Voting can be given in English or French
During voting, country spokespersons can announce points in English or French.
Hosts present in English and French
Eurovision hosts present the contest in English and French.
Switzerland has used all four official languages
Switzerland has sent Eurovision songs in German, French, Italian and Romansh.
Andorra has always included Catalan
All of Andorra’s Eurovision entries have been fully or partly in Catalan.
Sranan Tongo appeared in 2021
The Netherlands competed in 2021 with a song partly in Sranan Tongo, an English-based Creole spoken in Suriname.
Romani debuted in 2007
The Romani language debuted at Eurovision in 2007, when the Czech entry included Romani.
Quick facts
Eurovision language FAQ
What was the first language heard on the Eurovision stage?
The first language heard on the Eurovision stage was Dutch.
What was the first English-language Eurovision song?
The first song in English at Eurovision was “All” by Patricia Bredin, representing the United Kingdom in 1957.
Which language has the most Eurovision-winning songs?
English has the highest number listed here, with 35 winning songs.
Has Eurovision included invented languages?
Yes. Invented languages have appeared three times: twice for Belgium and once for the Netherlands.
Has Arabic appeared at Eurovision?
Yes. Morocco’s only entry was in Moroccan Arabic, and Mahmood’s “Soldi” included phrases in Egyptian Arabic.
Which languages do Eurovision hosts use?
Eurovision hosts present the contest in English and French.