3 months ago

Date: 3 May 1997 - Host Venue: Point Theatre, Dublin, Ireland
Presenters: Carrie Crowley, Ronan Keating - Conductor: Frank McNamara
Directed by Ian McGarry - Executive supervisor: Marie-Claire Vionnet
Executive producer: Noel Curran - Host broadcaster: Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ)
Interval act: "Let The Message Run Free" performed by Ronan Keating & Boyzone

Number of entries 25 - Debuting countries None - Returning countries: Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Russia - Withdrawing countries: Belgium, Finland, Slovakia

The Eurovision Song Contest 1997, was the 42nd edition of the annual Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Dublin, Ireland, following Eimear Quinn's win at the 1996 contest in Oslo, Norway with the song "The Voice". This was the seventh time that Ireland hosted the event, and the fourth in five years.

The contest was held at the Point Theatre on 3 May 1997. Carrie Crowley and Boyzone member Ronan Keating were the presenters of the show. Twenty-five countries took part in the 1997 Contest, which saw Italy return after a three-year absence - the last participation being in 1993, along with Denmark, Germany, Hungary, and Russia, who last took part in 1995, despite having taken part in the non-televised 1996 pre-qualifying round in which they failed to qualify and therefore were absent. Belgium, Finland, and Slovakia had to withdraw from the contest due to the relegation rule.

The United Kingdom won the competition, thanks to Katrina and the Waves, led by American-born Katrina Leskanich, making it the second time that the British won the Eurovision on Irish soil (after 1981) It also remains the last time the United Kingdom won the contest.

After the controversy over the 1996 pre-qualifying round, the European Broadcasting Union introduced a new system for 1997: countries with the lowest average scores over the previous four years would be excluded from the 1997 contest, and those with the lowest averages over the previous five years would be excluded from future contests (save that every country so excluded for one year would automatically be allowed to participate the following year), with so many countries being omitted as would reduce the number of participants each year to 25.

Denmark brought a rap song, Croatia came with their version of the Spice Girls and Sweden brought a mid-1980s style boy band. The music was in general more modern than before, and for the first time since 1991, an up-tempo song won. This year, televoting was tested in five countries: Austria, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. The results of the televoting countries were, in some cases, different from those that used a jury. Iceland received 16 of its 18 points from these five countries.

Also, for the first time in Eurovision history, there was a country where not one, but two spokespeople gave votes - France. Television reporter Frédéric Ferrer and 1977 Eurovision winner Marie Myriam each took turns at giving results from that country. Long-time Irish conductor Noel Kelehan was not the host conductor this year, the duty being fulfilled by Frank McNamara.

Results:

Draw Country Artist Song Language Place Points
01 Cyprus Hara & Andreas Konstantinou "Mana mou" (Μάνα μου) Greek 5 98
02 Turkey Şebnem Paker & Grup Ethnic "Dinle" Turkish 3 121
03 Norway Tor Endresen "San Francisco" Norwegian1 24 0
04 Austria Bettina Soriat "One Step" German1 21 12
05 Ireland Marc Roberts "Mysterious Woman" English 2 157
06 Slovenia Tanja Ribič "Zbudi se" Slovene 10 60
07 Switzerland Barbara Berta "Dentro di me" Italian 22 5
08 Netherlands Mrs. Einstein "Niemand heeft nog tijd" Dutch 22 5
09 Italy Jalisse "Fiumi di parole" Italian 4 114
10 Spain Marcos Llunas "Sin rencor" Spanish 6 96
11 Germany Bianca Shomburg "Zeit" German 18 22
12 Poland Anna Maria Jopek "Ale jestem" Polish 11 54
13 Estonia Maarja-Liis Ilus "Keelatud maa" Estonian 8 82
14 Bosnia and Herzegovina Alma Čardžić "Goodbye" Bosnian 18 22
15 Portugal Célia Lawson "Antes do adeus" Portuguese 24 0
16 Sweden Blond "Bara hon älskar mig" Swedish 14 36
17 Greece Marianna Zorba "Horepse" (Χόρεψε) Greek 12 39
18 Malta Debbie Scerri "Let Me Fly" English 9 66
19 Hungary V.I.P. "Miért kell, hogy elmenj?" Hungarian 12 39
20 Russia Alla Pugacheva "Primadonna" (Примадонна) Russian 15 33
21 Denmark Kølig Kaj "Stemmen i mit liv" Danish 16 25
22 France Fanny "Sentiments songes" French 7 95
23 Croatia E.N.I. "Probudi me" Croatian 17 24
24 United Kingdom Katrina and the Waves "Love Shine a Light" English 1 227
25 Iceland Paul Oscar "Minn hinsti dans" Icelandic 20 18