Luxembourg: RTL will not return to Eurovision in 2017

by Sanjay (Sergio) Jiandani 5,143 views

RTL, Tele Letzebuerg the Luxemburgois national broadcaster has confirmed to ESCToday that Luxembourg will not participate at the forthcoming 2017 Eurovision Song Contest in Ukraine. Thus the landlocked Duchy will not return to the contest  next year either.

Luxembourg withdrew from the competition in 1994 and has not returned ever since, despite enjoying great success in the contest in its early years.

The country joins both Andorra and Monaco who have both comfirmed their non participation at next year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Ukraine.

The Luxemburgois broacaster currently concentrates on news features rather than music and entertainment shows. A participation at the Eurovision Song Contest would be both a financial and organizational strain on the channel, taking into account its low financial budget. The broadcaster has no plans to return to the contest at the moment.

The tiny European landlocked Duchy of Luxembourg was one of the founder members of the Eurovision Song Contest have debuted at the very first Eurovision Song Contest in Lugano in 1956, having won the event 5 times ( 1961,1965,1972,1973, 1983). Luxembourg was last seen in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1993 in Millstreet when Modern Times represented the country with the song Donnez Moi Une Chance De Te Dire.

Corrine Hermes- Si la vie est cadeau. (1983 ESC winner)

So far a total of 19 countries have confirmed their intention to participate at the fortchoming 2017 Eurovision Song Contest in Ukraine.

The official list of participating countries at the 2017 ESC is expected to be released by the EBU by late December 2016/early January 2017.

The premilinary dates for the  2017 Eurovision Song Contest have been set on 9, 11 and 13 May.