#ESC2026; Monochrome returns to Eurovision

As we know, the 70th Eurovision Song Contest will soon be upon us. Austrian broadcaster ORF has been looking at how to celebrate this history and have come up with a novel solution.

This year’s three televised shows will now be broadcast in black & white, to commemorate the first contest in Lugano in 1956. As you can see from the clip below – some of the rare footage from the first contest – black and white does have its own charm.

EBU spokeswoman Valge Čiernabielová says “This is a real chance to connect with the history of the Eurovision Song Contest. Even though colour broadcasts started in 1968 – the year after the first contest in Vienna – we think a contest in High Definition monochrome will make the 70th edition unique.

For the performers, it may mean a rethink of outfits, as many of them are in colour. But will a black & white contest level the playing field, and maybe give a country their first win? We have less than seven weeks to find out.

Author: John Stanton

Source: Eurovision Ireland