The Eurovision Song Contest, also known as Eurovision or ESC, is an annual music competition that has been held since 1956. It is one of the longest running television programs in the world, attracting hundreds of millions of viewers from both participating and non-participating nations.
Most of the participants are members of the European Broadcasting Union, and each presents an original song to be performed live on radio and television by the artist or band of their choice. After the performances, the other nations vote on the merits of the song and the artist. Each country has a panel of professional judges and the public can also vote.
The countries with the highest scores will go to the finals. Also, the country hosting the contest automatically goes to the final. France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom also go straight to the final because they give the most money to the European Broadcasting Union. A lot of smaller countries that take part in the Eurovision Song Contest see it as a way to make themselves known, so the automatic route to the final enjoyed by the "Big Five" has often led to complaints and grumbling.
| Rank | VA Gambling Site | Sign Up Bonus | Get Started |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 |
 BetUS
|
125% up to $2,500 | Visit Site |
| #2 |
 BetOnline
|
50% up to $1,000 | Visit Site |
| #3 |
 Bovada
|
50% bonus up to $250 | Visit Site |
| #4 |
 Sportsbetting.ag
|
50% up to $1,000 | Visit Site |
| #5 |
 MyBookie
|
50% up to $1,000 | Visit Site |
2024 Eurovision
It has been almost seventy years since the first Eurovision began in 1956 with just seven regions. It has now grown into an international event with 43 countries competing for the honor of hosting the next contest and the coveted trophy. This is truly an achievement of great magnitude.
After a year's absence, Portugal took home the top prize in 2017 at the International Exhibition Center in Kyev, Ukraine. The nation was propelled to victory by Salvador Sobral's performance of "Amar Pelos Dois" (Loving for both of us), a song written by his sister, Luisa Sobral. This event was not only Portugal's first win, but also the first time the country made it into the top five since its debut in 1965.
The semifinal rounds of Eurovision 2024 will take place on two nights: May 8 and May 10. This year 26 nations will compete in the Grand Final on May 12, but every year six of those nations are pre-qualified and do not have to compete in the Semi-Final. This makes for a very intense and exciting competition, as the Grand Final is often difficult to predict in advance.
The contestants from France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom will be accompanied by the contestant from the host country as assured finalists. The semi-final rounds will reduce the number of contestants to ten each day to fill out the remaining 26 contestants.
Each of the 2024 live shows will be broadcast from the 20,000-seat Altice Arena in Lisbon, Portugal. For the first time since 2011, there's no sign of any country dropping out of the competition. Even Russia is returning after skipping last year's party - it couldn't send its 2017 contestant, Yulia Samoylova, to Ukraine. So, yes, the excitement is real.
Bookmakers are currently predicting Sweden to win the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest. Next to Ireland, Sweden has the most wins in Eurovision history. Ireland has won seven times and Sweden has won six times. Not too far behind are Luxembourg, France and the United Kingdom with five wins each.
The odds list has Australia and Russia at the top, with San Marino projected in 43rd place. Among those returning are Waylon from the Netherlands, Cesár Sampson from Bulgaria, and Jessica Mauboy from Australia. This is a remarkable lineup.
In 2015, Eurovision earned an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records. The entry reads: "As the longest-running annual televised music competition, Eurovision has made quite an impact over the years."
Wagering on Eurovision
Should you decide to place a bet on the annual Eurovision Song Contest, you will discover a plethora of opportunities offered by sportsbooks. Although these will vary from site to site, the following are some of the most popular choices:
- Future Winner
- This bet is offered many months in advance and allows bettors to make long-term predictions on which nation will emerge victorious
- Outright Winner
- Again, the goal is to pick the winner of the event. This wager, unlike the futures option, is up for grabs as the competition date gets closer and we have more data to work with
- Top Finish;
Notable Eurovision Winners
Winning the Eurovision Song Contest is no small feat and can have a significant impact on an artist's career. While these individuals are almost guaranteed to be beloved figures within the borders of their home country, this affection often spreads to many other corners of the world, transforming an artist into an international figure - a "superstar", if you will. Here are some of the most notable winners in the contest's long history.
- ABBA - One of the best-selling groups of all time, the Swedish stars of "Dancing Queen" and "Knowing Me, Knowing You" represented their home country at the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest with "Waterloo". This performance catapulted them to international fame, and they went on to sell between 150 and 400 million albums. Lordi - This Finnish metal band, known for their monster masks and outrageous theatrics, made history in 2006 when they became the first hard rock band to win the Eurovision Song Contest. Celine Dion - The French-Canadian singer first gained international fame when she won the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest with "Ne partez pas sans moi," a song she sang in both French and English. Since then, she has sold more than 200 million albums, earning her far more than even the title of "best-selling artist" in the U.S. Bucks Fizz - formed exclusively for the contest - were the British pop group that represented the U.K. in 1981 with "Making Your Mind Up." The song became an international hit, and the platform that Eurovision gave the quartet led to a successful career. If you're not old enough to remember them, think of what One Direction or Little Mix might have done on the same stage
- Conchita Wurst-Dressed in a beard and a dress, this drag queen won the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest for Austria with "Rise Like a Phoenix." As you might expect, they became a pretty iconic figure in the LGBT community in the process
- Johnny Logan - This Australian-born singer and songwriter is known for bringing home three Eurovision Song Contest trophies for Ireland. He won his first contest in 1980 with "What's Another Year," a song that, when sung by other artists, might inspire only polite applause, but when sung by the charismatic Logan, became an anthem of destiny and chance. He won again in 1987 with "Hold Me Now," another song that, as performed by any other artist, might just be a nice lead-in to the next song. And in 1992, when Linda Martin sang "Why Me?" - another Logan-penned work - he somehow managed to win a third time
- Katrina and the Waves - their infectious 1985 hit "Walking on Sunshine" is known in some parts of the world, but the band actually won for the UK with their performance of "Love Shine a Light;