Eurovision Song Contest Dates

 

The earliest Eurovision date was 3 March, in 1957 and the latest 29 May, in 1999.

March		April		May
03.	1957	03.	1971, 1976	03.	1986, 1997
05.	1966	04.	1981	04	1985, 1991
11.	1959	06.	1968, 1974	05.	1984, 1990
12.	1958	07.	1973	06.	1989
17.	1962	08.	1967	07.	1977
18.	1961	09.	1980	09.	1987, 1992, 1998
20.	1965	22.	1978	10.	2007 (s)
21.	1964, 1970	23.	1983	12.	2001, 2004 (s), 2007 (f)
22.	1975	24.	1982	13.	1993, 1995, 2000
23.	1963	30.	1988, 1994	15.	2004 (f)
25.	1960, 1972			18.	1996, 2006 (s)
29.	1969			19.	2005 (s)
31.	1979			20.	2006 (f), 2008 (s1)
				21.	2005 (f)
				22.	2008 (s2)
				24.	1956, 2003, 2008 (f)
				25.	2002
				29.	1999
			(f) = final		(s) = semi-final

 

This year, it is clearly stated in the Rules of the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest that:

"Eurovision Song Contest (the "ESC") is produced each May under the auspices of the European Broadcasting Union (the EBU)"

The word "each" may have been inserted with no intention to influence future contests but, I’m clinging to it. 

The Rules further state:

" The ESC takes place in two parts as follows:

• two Semi-Finals, which shall be held either both on Thursday, 22May2008 or one on Thursday, 22 May 2008 and the other on another day in the Final week. Each shall take place from 21.00 to approximately 23.00 CET. The decision on the dates of the two Semi-Finals shall be taken by the Reference Group and communicated to the Participating Broadcasters during the Meeting of the Heads of Delegation at the latest;
• a GrandFinal, which shall be held on Saturday, 24 May 2008 (from 21.00 to approximately 00.00 CET)."

 

Eventually, it was decided that the semi-finals will be held on 20th and 22nd May and the final on the 24th of May.