RTL,Tele Letzebuerg, the Luxemburgois national broadcaster has confirmed to Esctoday.com that Luxembourg will not be participating at the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest in Austria next year, hence the country will not return to the contest.
Luxembourg joins Monaco, Andorra and Czech Republic all of whom have confirmed their absence at the forthcoming Eurovision Song Contest in Austria.
The Luxemburgois broacaster currently concentrates on news feautures 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.
So far a total of 18 countries have confirmed their intention to join the Eurovision party next year in Austria: Portugal, Greece, FYR Macedonia, Austria, Cyprus, Malta, Switzerland, Sweden, Iceland, Norway, Denmark, Ireland, Germany, Finland, The Netherlands, Lithuania, Belgium and Estonia. Whilst Montenegro and Belarus have stated that they are most likely to enter the competition next year.
The deadline for broadcasters to submit their applications for participation at the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest has been set on the 15 September.
The 2015 Eurovision Song Contest is scheduled to be held on 19, 21, 23 May in Austria.
Stay tuned to ESCToday.com for the latest news on the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest.