Has Hungary withdrawn from the forthcoming Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam? Following MTVA’s publication of A Dal 2020’s rules and regulations last week, which led to speculation and rumours regarding Hungary’s potential withdrawal from the competition, ESCToday decided to investigate further into the matter and contacted the Hungarian broadcaster in order to clarify the situation and find out if we will see the country in the contest next year.

In the wake of the latest developments in Hungary regarding A Dal 2020, the traditional Hungarian national selection, ESCToday reached out to the Hungarian national broadcaster in order to shed more light on the country’s ESC 2020 participation. We got the following stament from MTVA:

Instead of taking part in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2020, we will support the valuable productions created by the talents of Hungarian pop music directly.

Duna Television will support the winner of A Dal 2020 with numerous promotional opportunities and a chance to perform on the stages of the most prestigious Hungarian festivals. 

Additionally, the winner will be rewarded with a special promotion on Petőfi Radio and will receive support for the development of their music career.

Thus from this statement we gather that MTVA and Hungary will not partake at next year’s Eurovision edition in Rotterdam.

Last week MTVA published the rules and regulations for A Dal 2020, but there was no mention of the Eurovision Song Contest. The winner of A Dal 2020 will not get to represent Hungary at the 2020 Eurovision Song Contest. The forthcoming edition of A Dal will not be linked to Eurovision.

Hence Hungary  joins the list of the countries who have confirmed their non- participation at the 2020 Eurovision edition. .

This is not the first time that Hungary withdraws from the competition, the last time the country withdrew from the event was in 2010.

Hungary in Eurovision

The Hungarians attempted to join the Eurovision Song Contest in 1993 when they competed in the special prelimary semi-final in Ljubiana with Andrea Szulak‘s Arva reggel, but failed to qualify to Millstreet and win one of the three available golden tickets to Eurovision. The country had to wait one more year to enter the competition.

Hungary debuted at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1994 with Friderika Bayer and her entry Kinek mondjam el vetkeimet achieving a 4th place in Dublin, namely the country’s best placing in the competition till date.

The central European nation has participated 17 times in Europe’s favourite show and is yet to win the competition. The Hungarians withdrew from the competition in 1999 and returned to the contest in 2005 after a 6 year absence.

Hungary has only placed six times in the top 10 of the Eurovision scoreboard since its debut ;  4th (1994), 5th (2014), 8th (2017) and 9th ( 2007) and 10th (2013).

In 2019 Hungary selected its Eurovision act and entry via its traditional national selection A Dal. Joci Papai won the golden ticket to Tel Aviv with his entry Az en Apam. Despite a magnificent performance the country failed to qualify to the Grand Final for the first time in 10 years.