On October 16th, 2005, there will be a tribute to 50 years of the Eurovision Song Contest, staged in the UK and produced by the BBC. Svante Stockselius of the EBU confirmed the news to DotEurovision.com: “It is now decided that a special show will be hosted by BBC in the Royal Albert Hall in London”, the contest's supervisor said.
Days ago, esctoday.com already reported that the anniversary show would take place in the UK, produced by the BBC.
The 1968 Eurovision Song Contest was the 13th edition and was held on April 6th, 1968 at the Royal Albert Hall. It was the first edition broadcasted in colour. The countries that broadcasted it in colour were France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom itself. The venue has been chosen for the historical 50th anniversary of the contest.
The EBU and its members are still discussing proposals for the live birthday show. Various ideas have been put forward, ranging from an all-celebrity performance, featuring the former stars of Eurovision, to a world song contest. The exact format has yet to be decided, most likely by the Reference Group.
This programme will not replace the Eurovision Song Contest in 2005, which will take place in May.
