Remembering when Edinburgh hosted a chaotic Eurovision Song Contest in the '70s

Despite what Will Ferrell might have us believe, it's been over 50 years since Eurovision was held here in Edinburgh.

After the winners of the 1971 Eurovision Song Contest, Monaco, couldn't find a suitable venue to host the event - Edinburgh stood in. This was back in the day when the UK had a shot at winning.

The contest had been held in the UK only four years before this, when Sandie Shaw nabbed 47 points for Puppet on a String. 1972 was the Scottish capital's time to shine, and Britain went into the competition as a strong favourite.

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The selected performers for the UK, the New Seekers, were set to perform Beg, Steal or Borrow. Prior to the final, 250,000 copies of the single had already been sold.

The night before, bookies were offering top odds of 7 to 2 for Britain. Hosted by Moira Shearer, a former ballerina and film actress, the event saw all 18 participating countries perform at the Usher Hall.

Despite what Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams may have you believe, this is the one and only time that the singing competition has come to Scotland. It has been hosted in Brighton, Harrogate and Birmingham as well as London.

In a shock twist, the UK’s entry failed to reach the top spot. After voting from the jurors, it became clear that Luxembourg was likely to win.

Scooping up two votes of 10 points - one from the UK and one from Yugoslavia, Luxembourg beat us out by 14 points. The New Seekers, after coming second in the competition, went on to have two UK number one singles - both listed in the top 30 best selling singles for the 1970s.

Luxembourg’s winning performer, Vicky Leandros, was as shocked as anyone after her win. She told the Daily Mirror: “I was very surprised when I won. To be honest, I expected Britain to win.”

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In the typical dramatics of Eurovision, the event came to an early end after a series of minor alarms and one arrest. Before the contest went on air, audiences were shocked by a man shouting towards the stage.

An article published in the Aberdeen Press and Journal described the situation: “He was apparently complaining that pupils from an Edinburgh school had been unable to obtain tickets. But he resumed his seat and the event began.”

Later on in the evening, the audience was once again surprised by small crackling detonations that seemed to come from the floor. Officials recovered from the floor ‘small percussive pellets.’

An Edinburgh police spokesman said: “Following the scattering of a noxious substance upon the floor, a man has been arrested and is set to appear in court.”

Perhaps the dramatics of Eurovision: The Story of Fire Saga aren’t all that outlandish.

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Thought to have brought in audiences of 400 million, the contest was watched around the world - with viewers from as far as Brazil.

A review of the 1972 event published by the Stage reads: “The Eurovision Song Contest is the best example in television of the massive oversell. But credit where credit is due, and let me say at the outset that of all the Eurovision Song Contests I have sat through this was, in strict television terms, by far the best.”

Watch the full contest below.

This article was first published on March 23, 2022.