Luxembourg is a nation that has not competed in the Eurovision Song Contest for almost three decades, but why is that the case?
At the start of Eurovision 2023, presenters Graham Norton, Hannah Waddingham, Alesha Dixon and Julia Sanina were going through the nations who had won the competition the most times.
Ireland has seven wins and Sweden has six, whilst in third place are Luxembourg, who despite not having competed since 1994 have the third-most wins with five.
It was revealed that Luxembourg would be coming back for the 2024 competition not long after by Norton, but why did they have such a long absence?
Welcome back Luxembourg! 🇱🇺https://t.co/qJyLhL44th pic.twitter.com/bVcoHJDSLH
— Eurovision Song Contest (@Eurovision) May 12, 2023
Why did Luxembourg leave Eurovision?
Luxembourg, despite being one of the smaller European nations, has seen great success in Eurovision.
The Duchy has won it on five occasions, in 1961, 1965, 1972, 1973 and 1983.
However, after their final win in 1983, they began to decline, which eventually saw them being relegated.
On the Eurovision website, it states: "Luxembourg's final decade at the Contest saw a swift decline in their results, with the country finishing 20th or lower in 4 of their last 7 Contests.
"A poor result in 1993 led to relegation from the 1994 Contest, with Luxembourg then declining to enter the Eurovision Song Contest ever again."
However, that period is finally ending, with Christophe Goossens, CEO of RTL Luxembourg, saying: “We are delighted that Luxembourg is returning to the Eurovision Song Contest – and even more excited that RTL Luxembourg will take on the exhilarating task of selecting the 2024 delegation.
"As a media company that is dedicated to the people of Luxembourg, we are looking forward to broadcasting the star-studded live shows.
"Viewers will be able to experience the Eurovision Song Contest in its full glory.”
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