Belgium is one of the Founding Seven Eurovision nations, participating in the first contest in 1956. The selection of their entries alternates each year between the Flemish broadcaster VRT (formerly BRT) and the Wallonian broadcaster RTBF.
They have been absent only three times due to relegation, and in 1962 was the very first country to fall victim to the ever-dreaded Nul Points - shared with three other countries but was the first due to an earlier draw in the running order. They also won once in 1986 thanks to Sandra Kim and hosted the contest in Brussels the following year. The country holds a record for the youngest winner, as Sandra Kim was 13 at the time of the contest, and as of 1990, all people on the stage (including dancers) have to be at least 16 years of age. It also made Belgium the last of the original seven countries to get their first win.
Their 1993 entrant, Barbara Dex, inspired the website "eurovisionhouse.nl" to introduce the Barbara Dex Award, where fans vote for the worst-dressed performer at the contest, after wearing an unattractive handmade dress.
Since the introduction of the semi-finals, Belgium has only been able to make the final nine times: 2004 (thanks to Urban Trad's second-place finish in Riga), 2010, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2021, 2022 and 2023. Five of those qualifications resulted in a top-10 finish (4th in 2015 and 2017, 6th in 2010, 7th in 2023, and 10th in 2016).
2021 was supposed to be RTBF's year to select the Belgian entry, however due to the cancellation of the 2020 contest they agreed to carry over the intended artist selected by VRT. Therefore, RTBF would select the Belgian entry for 2022 instead with Miss You by Jérémie Makiese.
Gallery[]
Participants[]
| Year | Artist | Song | Language | Final | Points | Semi | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | Fud Leclerc | Messieurs les noyés de la Seine | French | 2 | N/A | No Semi Finals | |
| Mony Marc | Le plus beau jour de ma vie | 2 | N/A | ||||
| 1957 | Bobbejaan Schoepen | Straatdeuntje | Dutch | 8 | 5 | ||
| 1958 | Fud Leclerc | Ma petite chatte | French | 5 | 8 | ||
| 1959 | Bob Benny | Hou toch van mij | Dutch | 6 | 9 | ||
| 1960 | Fud Leclerc | Mon amour pour toi | French | 6 | 9 | ||
| 1961 | Bob Benny | September, gouden roos | Dutch | 15 | 1 | ||
| 1962 | Fud Leclerc | Ton nom | French | 13 | 0 | ||
| 1963 | Jacques Raymond | Waarom? | Dutch | 10 | 4 | ||
| 1964 | Robert Cogoi | Près de ma rivière | French | 10 | 2 | ||
| 1965 | Lize Marke | Als het weer lente is | Dutch | 15 | 0 | ||
| 1966 | Tonia | Un peu de poivre, un peu de sel | French | 4 | 14 | ||
| 1967 | Louis Neefs | Ik heb zorgen | Dutch | 7 | 8 | ||
| 1968 | Claude Lombard | Quand tu reviendras | French | 7 | 8 | ||
| 1969 | Louis Neefs | Jennifer Jennings | Dutch | 7 | 10 | ||
| 1970 | Jean Vallée | Viens l'oublier | French | 8 | 5 | ||
| 1971 | Lily Castel & Jacques Raymond | Goeiemorgen, morgen | Dutch | 14 | 68 | ||
| 1972 | Serge & Christine Ghisoland | À la folie ou pas du tout | French | 17 | 55 | ||
| 1973 | Nicole & Hugo | Baby, Baby | Dutch | 17 | 58 | ||
| 1974 | Jacques Hustin | Fleur de liberté | French | 9 | 10 | ||
| 1975 | Ann Christy | Gelukkig zijn | Dutch | 15 | 17 | ||
| 1976 | Pierre Rapsat | Judy et Cie | French | 8 | 68 | ||
| 1977 | Dream Express | A Million in One, Two, Three | English | 7 | 69 | ||
| 1978 | Jean Vallée | L'amour ça fait chanter la vie | French | 2 | 125 | ||
| 1979 | Micha Marah | Hey Nana | Dutch | 18 | 5 | ||
| 1980 | Télex | Eurovision | French | 17 | 14 | ||
| 1981 | Emly Starr | Samson | Dutch | 13 | 40 | ||
| 1982 | Stella Maessen | Si tu aimes ma musique | French | 4 | 96 | ||
| 1983 | Pas de Deux | Rendez-vous | Dutch | 18 | 13 | ||
| 1984 | Jacques Zegers | Avanti La Vie | French | 5 | 70 | ||
| 1985 | Mireille Capelle | Vannache | Dutch | Withdrew from competition | |||
| Linda Lepomme | Laat me nu gaan | 19 | 7 | No Semi Finals | |||
| 1986 | Sandra Kim | J'aime La Vie | French | 1 | 176 | ||
| 1987 | Liliane Saint-Pierre | Soldiers of Love | Dutch | 11 | 56 | ||
| 1988 | Reyneart | Laissez briller le soleil | French | 18 | 5 | ||
| 1989 | Ingeborg | Door de wind | Dutch | 19 | 13 | ||
| 1990 | Philippe Lafontaine | Macédomienne | French | 12 | 56 | ||
| 1991 | Clouseau | Geef het op | Dutch | 16 | 23 | ||
| 1992 | Morgane | Nous, on veut des violons | French | 20 | 11 | ||
| 1993 | Barbara Dex | Iemand als jij | Dutch | 25 | 3 | Participated in 1992 | |
| 1994 | Relegated from participation | ||||||
| 1995 | Frédéric Etherlinck | La voix est libre | French | 20 | 8 | No Semi Final | |
| 1996 | Lisa del Bo | Liefde is een Kaartspel | Dutch | 16 | 22 | 12 | 45 |
| 1997 | Relegated from participation | ||||||
| 1998 | Mélanie Cohl | Dis Oui | French | 6 | 122 | No Semi Finals | |
| 1999 | Vanessa Chinitor | Like the Wind | English | 12 | 38 | ||
| 2000 | Nathalie Sorce | Envie de vivre | French | 24 | 2 | ||
| 2001 | Relegated from participation | ||||||
| 2002 | Sergio & The Ladies | Sister | English | 13 | 33 | No Semi Finals | |
| 2003 | Urban Trad | Sanomi | Imaginary | 2 | 165 | ||
| 2004 | Xandee | 1 Life | English | 22 | 7 | Top 11 in 2003 | |
| 2005 | Nuno Resende | Le grand soir | French | -- | -- | 22 | 29 |
| 2006 | Kate Ryan | Je t'adore | English | -- | -- | 12 | 69 |
| 2007 | The KMG's | Love Power | -- | -- | 26 | 14 | |
| 2008 | Ishtar | O Julissi | Imaginary | -- | -- | 17 | 16 |
| 2009 | Copycat | Copycat | English | -- | -- | 17 | 1 |
| 2010 | Tom Dice | Me and My Guitar | 6 | 143 | 1 | 167 | |
| 2011 | Witloof Bay | With Love Baby | -- | -- | 11 | 53 | |
| 2012 | Iris | Would You? | -- | -- | 17 | 16 | |
| 2013 | Roberto Bellarosa | Love Kills | 12 | 71 | 5 | 75 | |
| 2014 | Axel Hirsoux | Mother | -- | -- | 14 | 28 | |
| 2015 | Loïc Nottet | Rhythm Inside | 4 | 217 | 2 | 149 | |
| 2016 | Laura Tesoro | What's The Pressure | 10 | 184 | 3 | 274 | |
| 2017 | Blanche | City Lights | 4 | 363 | 4 | 165 | |
| 2018 | Sennek | A Matter of Time | -- | -- | 12 | 91 | |
| 2019 | Eliot | Wake Up | -- | -- | 13 | 70 | |
| 2020 | Hooverphonic | Release Me | Contest cancelled | ||||
| 2021 | The Wrong Place | 19 | 74 | 9 | 117 | ||
| 2022 | Jérémie Makiese | Miss You | 19 | 64 | 8 | 151 | |
| 2023 | Gustaph | Because Of You | 7 | 182 | 8 | 90 | |
| 2024 | Mustii | Before The Party's Over | -- | -- | 13 | 18 | |