Welcome to the return of Eurovision Ireland’s first ever A-Z of the Eurovision Song Contest, which we started last summer. Over the next few weeks, we will be bringing you some alphabetical memories from everyone’s favourite Song Contest to conclude the A to Z. Today, we look at R.

Rotterdam

Rotterdam has hosted the Eurovision Song Contest on one occasion – 2021 at the Ahoy Arena. In 2021, 39 countries took part in the Contest. Bulgaria and Ukraine both returned to the Contest, while Armenia, Belarus, Hungary and Montenegro all withdrew.

Måneskin took victory for Italy, with “Zitti e buoni”. Italy won with 524 points, 25 points ahead of France.

Ruslana

Ruslana is probably one of Ukraine’s most famous ever winners and was their first back in 2004, when the Contest took place in Istanbul, Turkey.

Ruslana took victory with her entry “Wild Dances”. 280 points were enough to claim victory back in the mid noughties, 17 points ahead of Serbia & Montenegro.

Romani

The Romani language first appeared at the Eurovision Song Contest back in 2013, when North Macedonia participated at the fifty-eighth Contest, in Malmo, Sweden.

Esma & Lozano represented North Macedonia, with their entry “Pred da se razdeni”. North Macedonia finished in sixteenth place in the Semi Final, with just 28 points.

Rock Me

Riva took victory for Yugoslavia, for the first time in 1989, with “Rock Me”.

Riva took victory for Yugoslavia with 137 points, 7 points ahead of the United Kingdom.

Rome

Rome has hosted the Eurovision Song Contest on one occasion – 1991 at the Cinecittà Studios. In 1991, 22 countries took part in the Contest. Malta returned to the Contest, while The Netherlands withdrew.

Carola took victory for Sweden, with “Fångad av en stormvind”. Sweden won with 146 points, after a tie break with France.

Let us know what you think about our original #AtoZ of the Eurovision Song Contest – either in the comments below or on our FACEBOOK and TWITTER pages.

Author: Richard Taylor

Source: Eurovision Ireland