Slovenia participated as an independent country was in 1993, the same year as the pre-decision show was held in Ljubljana. Since then, Slovenia has sent a total of 27 entries to the Eurovision Song Contest, with mixed success. They have only made it to the top 10 twice, Darja Svaiger with “Prisluhni Mi” in 1995 and Nuša Derenda with “Energy” 2001, but they have also failed to qualify for the Grand Final several times. Nonetheless, Slovenia remains a loyal participant in the contest and always brings its unique flavor to the stage.
Despite the debut entry’s modest result, Slovenia’s participation in Eurovision generated significant public interest and enthusiasm in the country. Over the years, Slovenia has sent a variety of musical genres to Eurovision, ranging from pop and rock to folk and even opera. The debut song for Slovenia was called “Tih Dezeven Dan” by 1X Band only reached the 22nd place in Millstreet. Nevertheless the participation of Slovenia brought a huge public interest.
The Croatian band Riva celebrated their victory with “Rock Me” in 1989 is still awarded as the big victory for Yugoslavia, as it was before the breakup of the country. As for Slovenia, their participation in Eurovision has indeed been marked by a commitment to quality and a desire to showcase their music on an international stage. This has led to some notable successes.
Slovenia does not benefit from the so-called “Balkan Block Voting” as much as some of the other ex-Yugoslav countries, as it is often not included in the same group of voters. However, it should be noted that the concept of a “Balkan Block” is not universally accepted and can be seen as an oversimplification of the voting patterns in the region.
Regarding Slovenia’s qualification record, out of the 18 times it has participated in the contest since the introduction of the semi-finals, Slovenia has qualified for the grand final six times, which is a 33% success rate. While this may not be as high as some other countries, it is still a respectable record considering the increasing competitiveness of the contest in recent years.
There is a funny parody of all Slovenian entries by the popular comedian Klemen Slakonja
Biggest successes
7th place, Darja Svajger with “Prisluhni Mi” (Dublin 1995)
7th place, Nusa Derenda with “Energy”
History
- Debut: 1993
- Participations: 27
- Victories: 0
- Finals: 15 (6 since 2004)
- Chances to reach the final: 56% (33% since 2004)
- Top 10: 3
- Chances to reach the Top 10: 11% (0% since 2004)
- Last place: 2 (in the Semi-Finals)
Video Nostalgia
Tanja Ribic with “Zbudi Se”, Rank 10 (Dublin 1997)
Karmen with “Nanana”, Rank 23 (Riga 2003)
Maja Keuc with “No One”, Rank 13 (Düsseldorf 2011)