Greece has been represented at the
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest (), often known simply as Eurovision, is an international Music competition, song competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) among its members since 1956. Each participating broadcaster ...
45 times since its debut in , missing six contests in that time (1975, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1999, and 2000). The country won for the first and to date only time in with "
My Number One
"My Number One" is a song recorded by Greek-Swedish singer Helena Paparizou with music composed by Manolis Psaltakis and Christos Dantis, lyrics written by Dantis and Natalia Germanou, and produced by Dantis. It in the Eurovision Song Contes ...
" by
Helena Paparizou
Helena Paparizou (; ; born 31 January 1982) is a Swedish-Greek singer, and television personality. Born and raised in Sweden to Greek parents, she launched her singing career in Sweden in 1999 as a member of the laïko (Greek folk music) and Eur ...
. The Greek participating broadcaster in the contest is (ERT). Greece has never finished last in the contest.
Throughout the 20th century, Greece achieved only two top five results, finishing fifth with "" by Paschalis, Marianna, Robert, and
Bessy in and again fifth with "" by
Cleopatra
Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator (; The name Cleopatra is pronounced , or sometimes in both British and American English, see and respectively. Her name was pronounced in the Greek dialect of Egypt (see Koine Greek phonology). She was ...
in . The start of the 21st century saw Greece become one of the most successful countries in the contest, with ten out of thirteen top-ten results between 2001 and 2013, including third-place finishes for "
Die for You" by
Antique
An antique () is an item perceived as having value because of its aesthetic or historical significance, and often defined as at least 100 years old (or some other limit), although the term is often used loosely to describe any object that i ...
in (with 2005 winner Paparizou as lead singer), "
Shake It" by
Sakis Rouvas
Anastasios "Sakis" Rouvas (, ; born 5 January 1972), also known :wikt:mononym, mononymously as Sakis, is a Greeks, Greek singer, actor, businessman and former pole vaulter.
Born in Corfu, Rouvas won medals with Greece's U18 and U20 national sp ...
in , and "
Secret Combination" by
Kalomira
Maria Kalomira Sarantis (; born January 31, 1985), known professionally as Kalomira (sometimes transliterated as Kalomoira), is a Greek-American singer. Born and raised on Long Island, just outside of New York City in the United States, she firs ...
in . Since 2014, Greece has had less success, including thrice failing to qualify for the final (, , and ), although the country finished in the top ten three times during this period: in with "
Last Dance" by
Stefania
''Stefania'' is a genus of frogs in the family Hemiphractidae. They are native to the highlands of the Guiana Shield in southern Venezuela, Guyana, and adjacent far northern Brazil. Most are restricted to the tepui highlands, but '' S. evansi'' ...
, in with "
Die Together" by
Amanda Tenfjord, and in 2025 with "
Asteromata
"Asteromata" (, ; ), also spelled "Asteromáta", is a song by Greek singer Klavdia, written by Arcade and Klavdia with production handled by Arcade. It was released on 31 January 2025 and in the Eurovision Song Contest 2025. It peaked at number ...
" by
Klavdia.
Participation
(ERT) is a full member of the
European Broadcasting Union
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU; , UER) is an alliance of Public broadcasting, public service media organisations in countries within the European Broadcasting Area (EBA) or who are member states of the Council of Europe, members of the ...
(EBU), thus eligible to participate in the
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest (), often known simply as Eurovision, is an international Music competition, song competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) among its members since 1956. Each participating broadcaster ...
representing Greece. Of all the Greek entries in the contest, only three were not from ERT. The country's debut in the contest in its in 1974 was by ERT's predecessor (EIRT), and the Greek participation in the 2014 and 2015 contest was by ERT's replacement during its closure (NERIT).
Before Greece entered the contest, some Greek singers represented other countries. These singers were
Jimmy Makulis
Dimitrios Makulis (''Greek'': Τζίμης Μακούλης; 12 April 1935 in Athens – 28 October 2007 in Athens), known as Jimmy Makulis, was a Greek singer who had a successful career in German-speaking markets in the 1950s and 1960s, a ...
() for ,
Yovanna
Ioanna Fassou Kalpaxi (Greek: Ιωάννα Φάσσου Καλπαξή; born 14 November 1938), known professionally as Yovanna, is a Greek singer, novelist and poet known for her participation in the 1965 Eurovision Song Contest representing Sw ...
() for , and
Nana Mouskouri
Ioanna "Nana" Mouskouri ( ; born 13 October 1934) is a Greek singer and politician. Over the span of her career, she has released an estimated 450 albums in at least thirteen languages, including Greek language, Greek, French language, French, ...
() and
Vicky Leandros
Vasiliki Papathanasiou (, ; born 23 August 1949), known professionally as Vicky Leandros (, ), is a Greek singer living in Germany. She is the daughter of singer, musician and composer Leandros Papathanasiou (also known as Leo Leandros as well ...
( and ) for .
History
1970s to 1990s
In 1974, during
the Greek military junta, rock band
Nostradamos won the first Eurovision participation contest ran by the state broadcaster EIRT to represent Greece at Eurovision, after broadcasting it since .
However, due to a scandal, the band was not allowed to compete at Eurovision, and Greek
laiko singer
Marinella
Kyriaki Papadopoulou (; born 19 May 1938), known by her stage name Marinella (), is a Greek singer whose career has spanned several decades. She is well regarded due to her impressive vocal range.Dragoumanos, Petros (2009). ''Elliniki Diskogr ...
was sent instead.
Greece did not participate in for "unknown reasons" according to the EBU, but it was later discovered that it was in protest of Turkey's debut and its
invasion of Cyprus in 1974. On 3 December 1975, EIRT was replaced by ERT. Three years after Greece's debut in the contest, the country achieved its first top-five result with the song "Mathima solfege" (Solfege Lesson) performed by
Bessy, Paschalis, Marianna and Robert in 1977. The decade closed with Greece reaching eighth place twice in 1978 and 1979 with the songs "Charlie Chaplin" and "".
Greece was disqualified from the
Eurovision Song Contest 1982
The Eurovision Song Contest 1982 was the 27th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Harrogate, United Kingdom, following the country's victory at the with the song " Making Your Mind Up" by Bucks Fizz. Organised by the Europ ...
after it was revealed that Themis Adamantidis was to sing "", a previously released song. A known Greek folk song, it had been revised for the competition, but this violated the rules which stated that all songs had to be original in terms of songwriting and instrumentation and cannot be
cover songs
In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song released ...
. Greece was forced to pay a fine and was allowed to return the following year. Had Adamantidis been allowed to perform, he would have appeared second at
Harrogate
Harrogate ( ) is a spa town and civil parish in the North Yorkshire District, district and North Yorkshire, county of North Yorkshire, England. Historic counties of England, Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, the town is a tourist de ...
.
[TV.com - Eurovision 1982](_blank)
/ref> After returning in 1983, ERT stated that all of the possible songs were of "low quality" and decided not to participate in the contest.
Greece returned once more to the contest in 1985, and Polina was selected in the 1986 national selection to represent Greece at the contest in Bergen
Bergen (, ) is a city and municipalities of Norway, municipality in Vestland county on the Western Norway, west coast of Norway. Bergen is the list of towns and cities in Norway, second-largest city in Norway after the capital Oslo.
By May 20 ...
, Norway, but ERT pulled out of the contest unexpectedly. Polina stated that it was due to political troubles in Greece at the time, but she noted that a Eurovision website had learned that the real reason was that the contest was to be held the night before Orthodox Easter. Had she performed, she would have appeared eighteenth and she would have performed the song "". Greece returned to the contest in 1987 with the band Bang reaching 10th place. Overall the country reached three times top-ten in the 80s, with the other two songs being "" in 1981 and "" in 1989.
During the 1990s, Greece achieved two top-ten results with Cleopatra
Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator (; The name Cleopatra is pronounced , or sometimes in both British and American English, see and respectively. Her name was pronounced in the Greek dialect of Egypt (see Koine Greek phonology). She was ...
and Katy Garbi
Katerina "Katy" Garbi (, ; born 8 June 1961) is a Greek singer. Her career has spanned over 35 years with over 2 million records sold in Greece and abroad. Garbi's discography is marked by several multi-platinum releases, including ''Arhizo Polem ...
reaching fifth and ninth place in 1992 and 1993 respectively. The nation performed each year until the Eurovision Song Contest 1999
The Eurovision Song Contest 1999 was the 44th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, held on 29 May 1999 at the International Convention Centre in Jerusalem, Israel. Organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and host broadcaster Isra ...
, when it was relegated from participation. This was as its five-year points average had fallen under the limit for participation after Thalassa's 20th-place finish in 1998. The following year, ERT announced that it would not return at the Eurovision Song Contest 2000
The Eurovision Song Contest 2000 was the 45th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, held on 13 May 2000 at the Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden and presented by Kattis Ahlström and Anders Lundin. Organised by the European Broadcasting Union ( ...
(even though it was eligible to, having broadcast the 1999 contest on television) due to financial reasons.
2000s
Greece returned in 2001
The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...
, and was represented by the Greek-Swedish duo Antique
An antique () is an item perceived as having value because of its aesthetic or historical significance, and often defined as at least 100 years old (or some other limit), although the term is often used loosely to describe any object that i ...
, consisting Helena Paparizou
Helena Paparizou (; ; born 31 January 1982) is a Swedish-Greek singer, and television personality. Born and raised in Sweden to Greek parents, she launched her singing career in Sweden in 1999 as a member of the laïko (Greek folk music) and Eur ...
and Nikos Panagiotidis. Their song " Die for You" was selected through ''Ellinikós Telikós 2001'' and placed third at the 2001 contest, a new record for highest placing for the nation. Following two 17th place entries in 2002
The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...
and 2003
2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater.
In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War.
Demographic ...
by Michalis Rakintzis ("S.A.G.A.P.O.") and Mando ("Never Let You Go"), respectively, ERT internally selected Sakis Rouvas
Anastasios "Sakis" Rouvas (, ; born 5 January 1972), also known :wikt:mononym, mononymously as Sakis, is a Greeks, Greek singer, actor, businessman and former pole vaulter.
Born in Corfu, Rouvas won medals with Greece's U18 and U20 national sp ...
for 2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
. Rouvas' song " Shake It" was the first to compete in a contest semi-final, which had been introduced to accommodate the growing number of participating nations. After qualifying to the final, the song tied what had been the nation's best performance at the time, placing third.
Thirty-one years after its debut, Greece won for the first time in 2005
2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
with Helena Paparizou (appearing as a solo performer) singing "My Number One
"My Number One" is a song recorded by Greek-Swedish singer Helena Paparizou with music composed by Manolis Psaltakis and Christos Dantis, lyrics written by Dantis and Natalia Germanou, and produced by Dantis. It in the Eurovision Song Contes ...
". The entry's 230 points tied the record for the most top ''twelve points'' allocated to a song (ten in total), matching Katrina and the Waves
Katrina and the Waves were a British Rock music, rock band formed in Cambridge in 1981, widely known for their 1985 hit "Walking on Sunshine (Katrina and the Waves song), Walking on Sunshine". They won the 1997 Eurovision Song Contest with the ...
' 1997
Events January
* January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States.
* January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis.
* January 1 ...
song "Love Shine a Light
"Love Shine a Light" is a song by British rock band Katrina and the Waves written by Kimberley Rew. It in the Eurovision Song Contest 1997 held in Dublin, resulting in the country's fifth and most recent win at the contest. It was released as a ...
". The victory made Greece the first country that was not a member of Big Four to win the contest without participating in a semi-final. After Eurovision, the song topped the charts in Greece, Cyprus as well as Sweden and entered the top ten in Romania, the Netherlands, Hungary, Belgium, as well as the American ''Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' Hot Dance Club Play
The Dance Club Songs (also known as National Disco Action, Hot Dance/Disco Club Play, and Hot Dance Club Play) was a chart published weekly between 1976 and 2020 by ''Billboard'' magazine. It used club disc jockeys set lists to determine the mos ...
Chart. Later that year, contest organisers held a commemorative program, '' Congratulations: 50 Years of the Eurovision Song Contest'', to celebrate 50 years of the contest. At the event, "My Number One" came fourth in a vote for the show's most popular entry, behind " Hold Me Now" (1987), "" (1958) and ABBA
ABBA ( ) were a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. They are one of the most popular and successful musical groups of all time, and are one of the List ...
's "Waterloo
Waterloo most commonly refers to:
* Battle of Waterloo, 1815 battle where Napoleon's French army was defeated by Anglo-allied and Prussian forces
* Waterloo, Belgium
Waterloo may also refer to:
Other places
Australia
* Waterloo, New South Wale ...
" (1974).
The nation's 2005 win earned Greece the opportunity to host the Eurovision Song Contest 2006
The Eurovision Song Contest 2006 was the 51st edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Athens, Greece, following the country's victory at the with the song "My Number One" by Helena Paparizou. Organised by the European Broadcas ...
. Rouvas and Greek American
Greek Americans ( ''Ellinoamerikanoí'' ''Ellinoamerikánoi'' ) are Americans of full or partial Greek ancestry. There is an estimate of 1.2 million Americans of full or partial Greek ancestry. According to the US census, 264,066 people o ...
presenter Maria Menounos
Maria Menounos ( ; ; born June 8, 1978) is an American and Greek television host. She has hosted ''Extra'' and ''E! News''; she was a TV correspondent for '' Today'', ''Access Hollywood'', and co-hosted the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 in Athen ...
hosted the event, which was staged in Athens
Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...
at the O.A.C.A. Olympic Indoor Hall. The singer representing Greece was 1980's Greek entrant Vissi, who achieved ninth place with the song "Everything
Everything, every-thing, or every thing, is all that exists; it is an antithesis of ''nothing'', or its complement. It is the totality of things relevant to some subject matter. Without expressed or implied limits, it may refer to . The uni ...
". Until the end of the decade Greece achieved three more top-ten results, including seventh place by Sarbel
Charbel Michael (; ; born 14 May 1981) known mononymously as Sarbel, is a British-Cypriot pop singer. His singles include " Se Pira Sovara", and albums '' Parakseno sinesthima'', ''Sahara'' and '' Kati san esena''. Ηe represented Greece in th ...
with "Yassou Maria
"Yassou Maria" () is a song recorded by Cypriot-British singer Sarbel, with music composed by Alex Papakonstantinou and Marcus Englöf and lyrics written by Markus Sepehrmanesh. It in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007, held in Helsinki, placing s ...
" in 2007
2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year.
Events
January
* January 1
**Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
and third place by Kalomira
Maria Kalomira Sarantis (; born January 31, 1985), known professionally as Kalomira (sometimes transliterated as Kalomoira), is a Greek-American singer. Born and raised on Long Island, just outside of New York City in the United States, she firs ...
with " Secret Combination" in 2008
2008 was designated as:
*International Year of Languages
*International Year of Planet Earth
*International Year of the Potato
*International Year of Sanitation
The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
.
From 2004 to 2006, ERT had selected high-profile artists internally and set up national finals to choose the song, while in 2007
2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year.
Events
January
* January 1
**Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
and 2008
2008 was designated as:
*International Year of Languages
*International Year of Planet Earth
*International Year of the Potato
*International Year of Sanitation
The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
it held a televised national final to choose both the song and performer. For the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest, ERT was able to secure a high-profile artist once again and planned a national final to choose the song. The song voted by the public was " This Is Our Night", another song performed by Sakis Rouvas, which eventually reached seventh place. Greece has been one of the most successful countries in the Eurovision Song Contest in the 21st century with 12 times finishing in the top-ten and 20 in total.
2010s
At the 2010 contest, Greece finished eighth with the song "", followed by a seventh place in 2011
The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
with " Watch My Dance". After Eleftheria Eleftheriou placed 17th in with her song "Aphrodisiac", Greece achieved its 10th top-ten result of the century and 18th in total in 2013
2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years).
2013 was designated as:
*International Year of Water Cooperation
*International Year of Quinoa
Events
January
* January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
, finishing sixth with the song " Alcohol Is Free" by Koza Mostra
Koza Mostra is a Greece, Greek rock band founded in 2012. It consists of Ilias Kozas (lead singer, classical and electric guitar), Dimitris Raptis (drums), Stavros Apostolidis (bouzouki, backing vocals), Giannis Bellos (bass guitar, backing vocals ...
and Agathonas Iakovidis. In 2014
The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
, Greece finished in 20th place, which, along with 1998, were the country's worst result in the contest at that time. Greece was one of only three countries (along with Romania and Russia) to have never failed to qualify from the semifinals since their 2004 introduction (2004–15). In addition, Greece also qualified from the 1996 audio-only pre-qualifying round.
In 2013, ERT was shut down by a government directive and replaced with the interim Dimosia Tileorasi
Public Television (DT) (originally as Greek Public Television (EDT)) was a temporary, state television broadcaster in Greece (up to the creation of the new public channels of New Hellenic Radio, Internet and Television, NERIT). From 27 January 201 ...
(DT) and later by the NERIT broadcaster. During this time, from 2013 through 2015, the Greek television station ''MAD TV
''Mad TV'' (stylized as ''MADtv'') is an American sketch comedy television series created by David Salzman, Fax Bahr, and Adam Small. Loosely based on the humor magazine '' Mad'', ''Mad TVs pre-taped satirical sketches were primarily parodie ...
'' organised the selection process. On 28 April 2015, a legislative proposal that resulted in the renaming of NERIT to ERT was approved and signed into law by the Hellenic Parliament
The Parliament of the Hellenes (), commonly known as the Hellenic Parliament (), is the Unicameralism, unicameral legislature of Greece, located in the Old Royal Palace, overlooking Syntagma Square in Athens. The parliament is the supreme demo ...
; ERT began broadcasting once again on 11 June 2015, and shortly after confirmed their intentions to once again participate in the Eurovision Song Contest.
For 2016, ERT selected the Eurovision entry internally. They selected the band Argo
In Greek mythology, the ''Argo'' ( ; ) was the ship of Jason and the Argonauts. The ship was built with divine aid, and some ancient sources describe her as the first ship to sail the seas. The ''Argo'' carried the Argonauts on their quest fo ...
with the song " Utopian Land". For the first time since the semi-finals were introduced in 2004, Greece failed to qualify for the final, after finishing 16th in the first semi-final.
In 2017, ERT selected the composer Dimitris Kontopoulos
Dimitris T. Kontopoulos (; born November 9, 1971) is a Greek composer.
Personal life
Dimitris Kontopoulos was born in Athens, Greece on November 9, 1971. After graduating from the Ziridis school, he continued his studies in film scoring at Berkle ...
and the choreographer Fokas Evangelinos internally. They chose Demy for representing Greece in Kyiv. ERT agreed, and on 6 March 2017, Greece chose their song via a national final. Three songs were competed: "Angels", "This Is Love" and "When the Morning Comes Around". The final result was combined by 70% from televoting and by 30% from international juries from nine countries. Finally, "This Is Love" gained 70% and won the national final. At Eurovision, she qualified for the Grand Final, where she finished in 19th place with 77 points.
For 2018, the Greek broadcaster decided to hold a national final to choose the Greek entry to Lisbon
Lisbon ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 567,131, as of 2023, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainlan ...
and was to take place on 22 February 2018. However, on 16 February 2018 ERT confirmed Yianna Terzi
Ioanna "Yianna" Terzi (, ; born 1 December 1980) is a Greeks, Greek singer and songwriter. She Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest 2018, represented Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 with the song "Oniro mou".
Biography
Terzi was bor ...
as the Greek representative for the 2018 contest following the disqualification of Areti Ketime and Chorostalites, with the selected song being "". In Lisbon, Greece failed to qualify for the grand final for the second time on its participation history. In 2019, ERT selected internally Katerine Duska to represent Greece in Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv-Yafo ( or , ; ), sometimes rendered as Tel Aviv-Jaffa, and usually referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the Gush Dan metropolitan area of Israel. Located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline and with a popula ...
with the song " Better Love" finishing 21st. It was later revealed that Greece placed fifth in the semi-final, receiving a total of 185 points.
2020s
In 2020, ERT decided once again decided to select the Greek entry internally. Seven acts were shortlisted to represent Greece in Rotterdam
Rotterdam ( , ; ; ) is the second-largest List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city in the Netherlands after the national capital of Amsterdam. It is in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of South Holland, part of the North S ...
, including Irini Papadopoulou, Stefania
''Stefania'' is a genus of frogs in the family Hemiphractidae. They are native to the highlands of the Guiana Shield in southern Venezuela, Guyana, and adjacent far northern Brazil. Most are restricted to the tepui highlands, but '' S. evansi'' ...
, Ian Stratis, and the boy band One
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...
, with Stefania ultimately being announced as the entrant on 3 February 2020 with the song "Supergirl
Supergirl is the name of several fictional superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original, current, and most well known Supergirl is Supergirl (Kara Zor-El), Kara Zor-El, the cousin of superhero Superman. Th ...
". Greece was drawn to compete in the second semi-final and was to perform in the first position, but on 18 March, the contest was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. The EBU announced soon after that entries intended for 2020 would not be eligible for the following year, though each broadcaster would be able to send either their 2020 representative or a new one. ERT responded that its intention was to continue its cooperation with Stefania for the next contest in 2021. It was also announced that the same team that was responsible for the songwriting and the choreography of the 2020 entry would also be used for the 2021 contest, and that the song would be selected internally. The selected song, " Last Dance", an 80's-pop song, premiered for the first time on 10 March 2021. The entry placed sixth in the second semi-final and qualified to the final, where it finished in 10th place with 170 points.
For 2022, ERT opened a submission period on 7 September 2021 where artists and composers were able to submit up to three songs each for consideration by the broadcaster with a 10 October 2021 deadline. 25 artists were reported to have submitted applications from a total of more than 40 entries, and a seven-member jury panel shortlisted five entrants in late October 2021. On 15 December 2021, the committee selected the Greek-Norwegian artist Amanda Tenfjord with the song " Die Together" to represent the country in Turin
Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...
. Greece managed to qualify from the first semi-final, placing third, and finished in eighth place in the final with 215 points: 57 points from the televoting and 158 points from the juries. This was the best placement for the nation in the final since its sixth-place finish in . In 2023
Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...
, Victor Vernicos
Victor Vernicos Jørgensen (; born 23 October 2006) is a Greek singer and songwriter. He Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, represented Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 with the song "What They Say (Victor Vernicos song), Wha ...
represented the nation with the song " What They Say". Competing in the second semi-final, Greece did not qualify for the final for the third time in its history. ERT opted again for an internal selection in 2024, announcing Marina Satti
Marina Satti (; born 26 December 1986) is a Greek singer, composer, music producer and actress. Her music combines Greek traditional music, traditional Greek, Arabic music, Arab and Balkan music, Balkan sounds with Urban music, urban elements, r ...
as the Greek representative on 24 October 2023. She finished fifth in the semi-final and ultimately came 11th in the final with 126 points. A national final for the 2025 contest took take place on 30 January 2025, where Asteromata
"Asteromata" (, ; ), also spelled "Asteromáta", is a song by Greek singer Klavdia, written by Arcade and Klavdia with production handled by Arcade. It was released on 31 January 2025 and in the Eurovision Song Contest 2025. It peaked at number ...
by Klavdia was chosen. She managed to finish 6th in the grand final.
Voting
Greece is infamous for regularly exchanging 12 points with , which was attributed to the two countries' close cultural ties. While Greece and Cyprus did exchange top marks a few times (1987, 1994, and 1997), there were also several years where this did not occur. In 1983, the second time Greece and Cyprus competed together, Greece awarded the Cypriot entry no points for the first and only time. However, between 1997 and 2013, the two countries always gave each other twelve points if presented the opportunity. Due to the controversies caused by political voting, two semi-finals were introduced for the 2008 contest in which Cyprus and Greece were unable to vote for each other in the semi-finals. In the build-up to the 2008 contest, however, the artists representing Greece and Cyprus jointly held a successful warm-up party at the Euroclub, attended by 17 other delegations from the contest and 1500 guests attracted by the promised "confluence of the Greek-Cypriot sound".
In the 21st century, Greece and Cyprus did not exchange top marks for each other in three instances: In 2015, Greece gave Cyprus 10 points and Cyprus gave Greece 8 points, while both countries gave the maximum 12 points to Italy. In 2023, the Greek jury gave 4 points to Cyprus. In 2024, the Greek jury awarded Cyprus 10 points, while the Cypriot jury gave Greece 7 points.
Participation overview
''Congratulations: 50 Years of the Eurovision Song Contest''
Hostings
Awards
Marcel Bezençon Awards
Barbara Dex Award
Related involvement
Heads of delegation
Each participating broadcaster in the Eurovision Song Contest assigns a head of delegation as the EBU's contact person and the leader of their delegation at the event. The delegation, whose size can greatly vary, includes a head of press, the contestants, songwriters, composers and backing vocalists, among others.
Costume designers
Commentators and spokespersons
For the show's broadcast in Greece, various commentators have provided commentary on the contest in the local language. At the Eurovision Song Contest after all points are calculated, the presenters of the show call upon each voting country to invite each respective spokesperson to announce the results of their vote on-screen.
Other shows
Stage directors
Conductors
Jury members
A five-member jury panel consisting of music industry professionals is made up for every participating country for the semi-finals and final of the Eurovision Song Contest, ranking all entries except for their own country's contribution. The juries' votes constitute 50% of the overall result alongside televoting. The modern incarnation of jury voting was introduced beginning with the .
Photo gallery
File:Eurovisie Songfestival 76 Den Haag Mariza Koch (Griekenland), Bestanddeelnr 928-5025.jpg, Mariza Koch
Mariza Koch (; born 14 March 1944) is a Greek folk music singer who has recorded many albums since starting her career in 1971. On the wider stage she is best remembered for representing her homeland at the Eurovision Song Contest 1976 with the so ...
in the Hague
The Hague ( ) is the capital city of the South Holland province of the Netherlands. With a population of over half a million, it is the third-largest city in the Netherlands. Situated on the west coast facing the North Sea, The Hague is the c ...
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File:Eurovision Song Contest 1980 postcards - Anna Vissi & the Epikouri 10.png, Anna Vissi
Anna Vissi (, , ; born 20 December 1957) is a Greek Cypriot singer. She studied music at conservatories and performed locally before moving to the professional scene in Athens, in 1973, where she signed with Minos EMI#Merger with Minos Matsas ...
and the Epikouri in the Hague
The Hague ( ) is the capital city of the South Holland province of the Netherlands. With a population of over half a million, it is the third-largest city in the Netherlands. Situated on the west coast facing the North Sea, The Hague is the c ...
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File:Sakis Rouvas ESC 2004 Istanbul.jpg, Sakis Rouvas
Anastasios "Sakis" Rouvas (, ; born 5 January 1972), also known :wikt:mononym, mononymously as Sakis, is a Greeks, Greek singer, actor, businessman and former pole vaulter.
Born in Corfu, Rouvas won medals with Greece's U18 and U20 national sp ...
in Istanbul
Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...
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File:ESC 2007 Greece - Sarbel-Yassou Maria2.jpg, Sarbel
Charbel Michael (; ; born 14 May 1981) known mononymously as Sarbel, is a British-Cypriot pop singer. His singles include " Se Pira Sovara", and albums '' Parakseno sinesthima'', ''Sahara'' and '' Kati san esena''. Ηe represented Greece in th ...
in Helsinki
Helsinki () is the Capital city, capital and most populous List of cities and towns in Finland, city in Finland. It is on the shore of the Gulf of Finland and is the seat of southern Finland's Uusimaa region. About people live in the municipali ...
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File:ESC 2008 - Greece - Kalomira, 1st semifinal.jpg, Kalomira
Maria Kalomira Sarantis (; born January 31, 1985), known professionally as Kalomira (sometimes transliterated as Kalomoira), is a Greek-American singer. Born and raised on Long Island, just outside of New York City in the United States, she firs ...
in Belgrade
Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...
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File:Sakis Rouvas Raising Greek Flag.jpg, Sakis Rouvas
Anastasios "Sakis" Rouvas (, ; born 5 January 1972), also known :wikt:mononym, mononymously as Sakis, is a Greeks, Greek singer, actor, businessman and former pole vaulter.
Born in Corfu, Rouvas won medals with Greece's U18 and U20 national sp ...
in Moscow
Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
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File:Giorgos Alkaios 01.JPG, Giorgos Alkaios
Giorgos Alkaios (Greek: Γιώργος Αλκαίος; born 24 December 1971) is a Greek recording artist. His career began in 1989 after appearing on a Greek reality show. Following a brief period of stage acting, Alkaios dedicated himself to m ...
and Friends
''Friends'' is an American television sitcom created by David Crane (producer), David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, lasting List of Friends episodes, ten seasons. With an ensemble cast ...
in Oslo
Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...
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File:ESC2013 - Greece 01.jpg, Koza Mostra
Koza Mostra is a Greece, Greek rock band founded in 2012. It consists of Ilias Kozas (lead singer, classical and electric guitar), Dimitris Raptis (drums), Stavros Apostolidis (bouzouki, backing vocals), Giannis Bellos (bass guitar, backing vocals ...
and Agathonas Iakovidis in Malmö
Malmö is the List of urban areas in Sweden by population, third-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg, and the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, sixth-largest city in Nordic countries, the Nordic region. Located on ...
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File:ESC2014 - Greece 11.jpg, Freaky Fortune
Freaky Fortune was a Greek musical duo consisting of vocalist Nicolas "Nick" Raptakis (; born 30 April 1990) and producer Theofilos "Teo" Pouzbouris (; born 9 February 1991). They represented Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 together wi ...
and Riskykidd in Copenhagen
Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...
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File:20150515 ESC 2015 Maria Elena Kyriakou 6853.jpg, Maria Elena Kyriakou in Vienna
Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
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File:ESC2016 - Greece 12.jpg, Argo
In Greek mythology, the ''Argo'' ( ; ) was the ship of Jason and the Argonauts. The ship was built with divine aid, and some ancient sources describe her as the first ship to sail the seas. The ''Argo'' carried the Argonauts on their quest fo ...
in Stockholm
Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...
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File:Demy (Greece). Photo 361.jpg, Demy in Kyiv
Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...
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File:ESC2018 - Greece 01.jpg, Yianna Terzi
Ioanna "Yianna" Terzi (, ; born 1 December 1980) is a Greeks, Greek singer and songwriter. She Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest 2018, represented Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 with the song "Oniro mou".
Biography
Terzi was bor ...
in Lisbon
Lisbon ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 567,131, as of 2023, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainlan ...
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File:Eurovision 2019 Greece.jpg, Katerine Duska in Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv-Yafo ( or , ; ), sometimes rendered as Tel Aviv-Jaffa, and usually referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the Gush Dan metropolitan area of Israel. Located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline and with a popula ...
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File:Stefania Liberakakis - Last Dance - Eurovisie Songfestival.jpg, Stefania
''Stefania'' is a genus of frogs in the family Hemiphractidae. They are native to the highlands of the Guiana Shield in southern Venezuela, Guyana, and adjacent far northern Brazil. Most are restricted to the tepui highlands, but '' S. evansi'' ...
in Rotterdam
Rotterdam ( , ; ; ) is the second-largest List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city in the Netherlands after the national capital of Amsterdam. It is in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of South Holland, part of the North S ...
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File:Eurovision 2022 - Semi-final 1 - Greece - Amanda Georgiadi Tenfjord.jpg, Amanda Tenfjord in Turin
Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...
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File:Eurovision 2023 - Jury Semi-final 2 - Greece - Victor Vernicos (05).jpg, Victor Vernicos
Victor Vernicos Jørgensen (; born 23 October 2006) is a Greek singer and songwriter. He Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, represented Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 with the song "What They Say (Victor Vernicos song), Wha ...
in Liverpool
Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
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File:Marina Satti Eurovision Song Contest 2024 Final Malmö dress rehearsal semi 2 09.jpg, Marina Satti
Marina Satti (; born 26 December 1986) is a Greek singer, composer, music producer and actress. Her music combines Greek traditional music, traditional Greek, Arabic music, Arab and Balkan music, Balkan sounds with Urban music, urban elements, r ...
in Malmö ()
File:Klavdia at ESC2025 for Greece 10.jpg, Klavdia in Basel
Basel ( ; ), also known as Basle ( ), ; ; ; . is a city in northwestern Switzerland on the river Rhine (at the transition from the High Rhine, High to the Upper Rhine). Basel is Switzerland's List of cities in Switzerland, third-most-populo ...
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See also
* Greece in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest – Junior version of the Eurovision Song Contest.
Notes
References
External links
ERT's official Eurovision profile on Facebook
ERT's official Eurovision profile on X
ERT's official Eurovision profile on Instagram
{{Authority control
Countries in the Eurovision Song Contest