BBC, the British national broadcaster has confirmed to Esctoday.com that the United Kingdom will participate at the forthcoming 2016 Eurovision Song Contest in Stockholm next May.
The BBC is yet to reveal the mechanism it will use to select its Eurovision entry and act for Stockholm. More details and information regarding the UK’s Eurovision plans for 2016 will be disclosed in due course.
The United Kingdom is the 19th country to confirm its participation at the forthcoming 2016 Eurovision Song Contest. Thus the UK joins Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Estonia, Malta, Lithuania, Latvia, The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Greece, Switzerland, Czech Republic, France, Belarus and Ireland all whom have comfirmed their presence at next year’s Eurovision Song Contest.
In 2015 the UK opted for an internal selection in order to select its Eurovision act and song for Vienna. Electro Velvet were given the grand honour of representing the United Kingdom at the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest with their entry Still in love with you. The duo placed 24th in the grand final in Vienna.
The United Kingdom debuted at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1957 and has won the event a total of 5 times (1967, 1969, 1976,1981 and 1997). The UK also holds the record of being the country with the most 2nd places in the contest , achieving the runner up position a total of 15 times. We must not forget that the United Kingdom also holds the record of hosting the contest a total of 8 times: London 1960, 1963, 1968, 1977, Edinburgh 1972, Brighton 1974, Harrogate 1982 and Birmingham 1998.
The UK has only missed one contest since their debut in 1957, notably the 1958 Eurovision Song Contest. The Brits have been competing in Europe’s favourite television show religiously every year since 1959.