Sharon Cohen

Richard Fairbrass goes behind the scenes of the 1998 Eurovision Song Contest.

In 2026, the Eurovision Song Contest celebrates its 70th anniversary. With around 160 million viewers, the ESC is one of the world's biggest music spectacles. This documentary looks back on seven decades filled with music, emotions and passion. From its beginnings as a chanson competition in 1956 through flamboyant outfits and spectacular performances to unforgettable victories, bitter defeats and the political debates of the recent past. Stars like Jean Paul Gaultier, Hape Kerkeling, Tom Neuwirth (aka Conchita Wurst), and Germany's first ESC winner, Nicole, share their experiences on and off stage. The documentary paints a multifaceted portrait of the ESC, highlighting its profound influence on music, fashion, and society, as well as on the LGBTQIA+ community, thus becoming a vibrant journey through seven decades of European pop culture history.

The Congratulations: 50 Years of the Eurovision Song Contest (Vol. 2: 1981–2005) DVD is a high-energy retrospective that captures the contest's evolution into a modern pop spectacle.