RTL, Tele Letzebuerg, the Luxembourgish national broadcaster has confirmed to ESCToday that Luxembourg will not participate at the forthcoming 2019 Eurovision Song Contest in Israel.

The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg will not return to our beloved contest next year either. The 5-time Eurovision champion nation withdrew from the competition in 1994 and has not returned since.

RTL told ESCToday that it currently concentrates on news features rather than music and entertainment shows. A Eurovision participation would entail a financial strain on the broadcaster, hence the country has no plans to return to the contest at the moment.

Luxembourg in Eurovision

Luxembourg debuted at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1956 and is one of the founder members of the competition along with Italy, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Luxembourg  and Belgium. The landlocked country has won the contest on five occasions (1961, 1965, 1972, 1973 and 1983).

The duchy is well known for having sent many international artists to Eurovision;  Lara Fabian, Ireen Sheer, Baccara, Nana Mouskouri, Vicky Leandros, Anne Marie David, France Gall, etc.

The last time the country graced the Eurovision stage was back in 1993 when Modern Times flew the Luxembourgish flag in Millstreet with Donnez moi un chance de te dire.

Lara Fabian represented Luxembourg at the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest with her entry Croire