The very first Eurovision Song Contest, held in Lugano in 1956, holds many mysteries to the modern Eurofan. As it was the inaugural edition, it is possible that the organisers did not bother to keep a recording of the show, as they were unaware of what the contest would become. Even the voting results are unknown, and the placings of each entry (bar the winner) have become lost to time. Other than an audiotape of the contest, the only recording we have is a two-minute video clip of the show.
Until now. Recently, a five-minute clip of the full winner’s reprise has begun to circulate on the internet, uncovering a previously unknown incident that occurred. Delving further, we have also been able to find photographs from the live show as well as rehearsals for the big night. These pictures give us a glimpse of what television viewers may have seen when the contest aired in 1956.
We share our findings below.