From Bucks Fizz to Loreen: How Eurovision entries use language to bridge barriers

Since it first took to the stage in Switzerland in 1956, the Eurovision Song Contest has reflected the diversity of European languages and cultures. This year sees the event take place in Vienna, Austria, after singer JJ won in Basel last year. Language is at the heart of the event, from the original dominance of English in the early days to the multilingual contest we see today.

In this blog we celebrate 70 years of Eurovision and how it reflects the ongoing evolution of language across the continent.

Language and translation trends

Language rules have varied over the years to reflect the changing nature of Europe. Originally, most entrants chose to sing in their native language, but gradually more entrants moved to singing in English. Eurovision organisers introduced national language rules between 1966 and 1972 and between 1977 and 1999, requiring entrants to sing in one or more of their country’s official languages.

By the end of the 20th century, all language rules had been relaxed and many entrants adopted a hybrid approach.  In 2025, a record-breaking 22 of the 37 entries were sung in a national language other than English, and in 2026 we will hear even more languages at 24!

As of 2026, the only country that has never entered a song completely in one or more of its official, regional or national languages is Azerbaijan, but this year’s song does feature a small portion in the Azerbaijani language. The country which had gone the longest without using a native language is Sweden. That was until song Bara bada bastu last year, sung in a mixture of a Swedish dialect Vörå and Finnish, one of Sweden’s minority languages.

Celebrating the diversity of language

Many artists have embraced the opportunity to perform in multiple languages, with Norway’s 1973 entry taking it even further, singing It’s Just A Game in 12 languages: English, French, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, German, Irish, Serbo-Croatian, Hebrew, Finnish, Swedish, and Norwegian!  As the competition has become increasingly global, many song entries have used languages from beyond Europe, the furthest being Yankunytjatjara, an indigenous Australian language, featured in Australia’s 2024 entry.

Is there a secret to Eurovision success?

The simple answer is: we don’t know! However, our team has looked at some of the trends over the years:

• Lyrics
  Catchy and emotionally-charged songs seem to do well, especially those focused on universal themes, such as love, freedom and togetherness. These songs cross language barriers, for example, Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra in 2022, who combined Ukrainian lyrics with modern beats and Portugal’s Salvador Sobral in 2017, whose entry was a traditional romantic song delivered with such heartfelt sincerity it even connected with non-Portuguese speakers.
  
• Language
  Since the start of the Eurovision Song Contest, the question has been whether to sing in English or a national language. After 1999, most winning songs were sung in English, but in the 2010s national language entries made a comeback, including Italy in 2021 and Ukraine in 2022. Many entrants choose a hybrid strategy, mixing English with native sections to represent their countries.
  
• Localisation
  Including regional elements, such as local instruments, costumes, and dances, is a good idea to ensure your entry is unique and memorable.  As exposure on the world stage, Eurovision is the ideal opportunity to showcase local culture: who can forget the Polish milkmaids churning butter on stage in 2014, Norway’s KEiiNO introducing us to Sámi joiking (yodelling) in 2019 or KAJ’s Nordic sauna rituals in 2025?

We look forward to seeing what combination of lyrics, language and localisation proves successful at Eurovision 2026! 

Trust TLF’s expert language services

TLF has over 30 years of experience delivering high-quality translations to various sectors, including the events industry. We provide a human-led service, employing a team of expert mother-tongue linguists and a specialist team of Project Managers who support our clients before, during and after their event. 

We have worked with nearly 270 language pairs, ranging from European languages such as French and German to large non-European languages such as Arabic and Vietnamese, and lesser-used regional languages from around the globe. With such a wide scope of languages catered for, we can provide events translation services for event planners operating in almost any region. 

Talk to the TLF team to find out how we can help you with your next event translation.