Spain joined the Eurovision family in 1961 with the debut song “Estando Contigo” by Conchita Bautista, which reached the 9th place in Cannes. From that time Spain has never missed an ESC. So this year it is going to be the 64th time to see Spain participating in the Eurovision Song Contest.

Spain has been a consistent participant in the Eurovision Song Contest since their debut in 1961. In fact, Spain is one of the “Big Five” countries (along with the UK, France, Germany, and Italy) who automatically qualify for the Grand Final each year, regardless of their performance in previous years.  The reason for this is the financial contribution to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).

The most successful period for Spain was in the late 60’s and early 70’s when there were two victories and some second places. Spain was also the first country having these two victories directly after another one in 1968 “La, La, La…” by Massiel and 1969 with “Vivo Cantando” by Salomé. Spain also achieved second place three times during that period: in 1971 with “En un mundo nuevo” by Karina, in 1973 with “Eres tú” by Mocedades and in 1979 with “Su canción” by Betty Missiego.

The chance to reach the Top10 is 46%, as in the history Spain reached the Top10 for 29 times, out of 62 participations. Even if the Big 5 countries did not shape up that well in former years, Spain could at least make the 10th place for three times since 2004: Ramón with “Para Llenarme De Ti” in 2004, Pastora Soler with “Quédate Conmigo” in 2012 and Ruth Lorenzo with “Dancing In The Rain” in Copenhagen 2014.

There were many great songs with outrageous quality both in songs and singers. But there is also a trend in recent years that the entries from the Big 5 countries place on the bottom of the scoreboard. The Big 5 countries have sometimes faced criticism for not putting in as much effort as other countries in the contest. This may be due in part to the fact that they are automatically qualified for the final, so they don’t have to go through the rigorous selection process that other countries do.

It’s been 56 years since Spain’s last victory in the Eurovision Song Contest. As we have seen in recent years, anything can happen and surprises are always possible, even countries like Austria and Portugal could win the ESC. Last year the duo Nebulossa could only reach the 22^nd place, but became a kind of summer song in certain countries.

It’s important for each country to focus on sending a high-quality entry that reflects their culture and musical style, rather than solely aiming for a victory. Ultimately, the Eurovision Song Contest is a celebration of diversity and music, and every country’s participation adds to the richness of the event.