Eurovision Song Contest 1966

Eurovision Song Contest 1966
Host Information
Theme	N/A
Semi Final	--
Semi Final 1	--
Semi Final 2	--
Final	5 March 1966
Venue	Villa Louvigny, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
Presenter(s)	Josiane Shen
Conductor	Jean Roderès
Director	--
Executive Supervisor	Clifford Brown
Host Broadcaster	CLT
Acts
Opening Act	--
Interval Act	Les Haricots Rouges
Participating Countries
Delegations	18
Debuting	--
Returning	--
Withdrawing	--
Voting
Voting System	Each country had 10 jury members who distributed three points among their one, two, or three favourite songs. The points were totalled and the first, second, and third placed songs were awarded 5, 3, and 1 votes in order. If only one song got every point within the jury it would get all 9 points. If only two songs were chosen, the songs would get 6 and 3 points in order.
Nul Points	Italy Monaco
Winner	Austria Udo Jürgens - Merci, Chérie
Eurovision Song Contest
Previous	1965
Next	1967

The Eurovision Song Contest 1966 was the 11th edition held on 5 March 1966 at the Villa Louvigny in Luxembourg City following France Gall's victory in Naples the year before. 18 countries participated with no nations debuting, returning or dropping out, so it was a full house.

Dutch singer Milly Scott became the first black artist to appear at the contest, it wouldn't be until 2001 that one would finally break through and take the victory. Italian superstar Domenico Modugno also made his third attempt at the title but ended up with Nul Points.

Due to Sweden using English in its song Absent Friend in 1965, a language rule was put in place. With that, every country is required to use the languages used in their country.

The contest was won for the first time by Austria with the song Merci, Chérie performed by Udo Jürgens. It was Udo's third attempt at the contest, and this was his most successful. Austria would eventually go on to win again 48 years later, ending the longest wait between victories by a single nation as of now, as well as another win 11 years after that.

Notable performers

• Åse Kleveland - went on to host the 1986 contest in Bergen
• Lill Lindfors - went on to host the 1985 contest in Gothenburg
• Domenico Modugno - had 'nul points' after two successful entries in 1958 and 1959

A rare image of Udo Jurgens performing "Merci, Cherie" in colour

Rare colour image of "Bien plus fort" representing Monaco

The 1966 scoreboard

Participants

Draw	Country	Artist	Song	Language	Translation	Place	Points
01	Germany	Margot Eskens	Die Zeiger der Uhr	German	The hands of time	10	7
02	Denmark	Ulla Pia	Stop - mens legen er goen	Danish	Stop, while the going is good	14	4
03	Belgium	Tonia	Un peu de poivre, un peu de sel	French	A bit of pepper, a bit of salt	4	14
04	Luxembourg	Michèle Torr	Ce soir je t'attendais		I waited for you tonight	10	7
05	Yugoslavia	Berta Ambrož	Brez besed	Slovene	Without words	7	9
06	Norway	Åse Kleveland	Intet er nytt under solen	Norwegian	There's nothing new under the sun	3	15
07	Finland	Ann Christine	Playboy	Finnish	--	10	7
08	Portugal	Madalena Iglésias	Ele e ela	Portuguese	He and she	13	6
09	Austria	Udo Jürgens	Merci, Chérie	German	Thank you, darling	1	31
10	Sweden	Lill Lindfors & Svante Thuresson	Nygammal vals	Swedish	New-old waltz	2	16
11	Spain	Raphael	Yo soy aquél	Spanish	I'm that one	7	9
12	Switzerland	Madeleine Pascal	Ne vois-tu pas?	French	Don't you see?	6	12
13	Monaco	Téréza Kesovija	Bien plus fort		Much stronger	17	0
14	Italy	Domenico Modugno	Dio, come ti amo	Italian	My God, I love You so much	17	0
15	France	Dominique Walter	Chez nous	French	Where we live	16	1
16	The Netherlands	Milly Scott	Fernando en Filippo	Dutch	Fernando and Filippo	15	2
17	Ireland	Dickie Rock	Come Back to Stay	English	--	4	14
18	United Kingdom	Kenneth McKellar	A Man Without Love			9	8

Trivia

• This was the last contest to have no absent nations.