Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest

Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest
Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest
Participating broadcaster	Radio-télévision belge de la communauté française (RTBF); Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroep (VRT);
Participation summary
Appearances	64 (55 finals)
First appearance	1956
Highest placement	1st: 1986
Host	1987
	Participation history 1956 ; 1957 ; 1958 ; 1959 ; 1960 ; 1961 ; 1962 ; 1963 ; 1964 ; 1965 ; 1966 ; 1967 ; 1968 ; 1969 ; 1970 ; 1971 ; 1972 ; 1973 ; 1974 ; 1975 ; 1976 ; 1977 ; 1978 ; 1979 ; 1980 ; 1981 ; 1982 ; 1983 ; 1984 ; 1985 ; 1986 ; 1987 ; 1988 ; 1989 ; 1990; 1991 ; 1992 ; 1993 ; 1994; 1995; 1996 ; 1997; 1998 ; 1999 ; 2000 ; 2001; 2002 ; 2003 ; 2004 ; 2005 ; 2006 ; 2007 ; 2008 ; 2009 ; 2010 ; 2011 ; 2012 ; 2013 ; 2014 ; 2015 ; 2016 ; 2017 ; 2018 ; 2019 ; 2020 ; 2021 ; 2022 ; 2023 ; 2024 ; ;
External links
	RTBF page ; VRT page ;
	Belgium's page at Eurovision.tv
	For the most recent participation see; Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024

Last updated May 29, 2024

Belgium has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 64 times since making its debut as one of seven countries at the first contest in 1956. The only countries with the same number or more appearances are Germany (66), France (65) and the United Kingdom (65). Belgium have been absent only three times in total, in 1994, 1997 and 2001, due to low scores in the previous contests that relegated them from the contest. Belgium has won the contest once, in 1986.

In the first 20 years of the contest, Belgium's best result was Tonia's fourth place in 1966. In 1978, Jean Vallée achieved Belgium's first top three placement, when he was second. Sandra Kim became the first and to date only winner for Belgium in 1986, when she won as a 13-year-old in Bergen, performing the song "J'aime la vie". Belgium's only other top three result came in 2003, when the group Urban Trad finished second in Riga, losing out by only two points. Belgium has finished last in the contest eight times, most recently in 2000, and has twice received nul points , in 1962 and 1965.

After the introduction of the semi-finals in 2004, Belgium failed to reach the final for five consecutive years (2005–09). Since 2010, Belgium has become more successful, qualifying for the final in eight out of 13 contests and placing in the top ten five times, with Tom Dice (sixth in 2010), Loïc Nottet (fourth in 2015), Laura Tesoro (tenth in 2016), Blanche (fourth in 2017), and Gustaph (seventh in 2023).

Broadcasting

Belgium has two national broadcasters of the contest, Dutch-speaking Flemish broadcaster Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroep (VRT) and French-speaking Walloon broadcaster Radio-télévision belge de la communauté française (RTBF). The two broadcasters rotate selection for the Eurovision Song Contest each year.

Contest history

Belgium has participated in Eurovision since the very first contest in 1956, however Tonia's fourth place at the 1966 contest remained the country's most notable achievement until Jean Vallée placed second in 1978. In the 80s, following good results for Stella (fourth in 1982) and Jacques Zegers (fifth in 1984), Belgium finished last for the sixth time in 1985. This was followed by Belgium's first and (as of 2023^[update]) only Eurovision victory in 1986, when Sandra Kim won with her song "J'aime la vie". Although the lyrics claimed she was 15 years old, she was actually only 13 which prompted runner-up Switzerland to petition for her disqualification, to no avail.^{[lower-alpha 1]} By winning in 1986, Belgium became the last of the seven Eurovision founding countries to win the contest, as Switzerland, the Netherlands, France, Luxembourg, Italy and Germany all had won at least once before. Belgium scored an absolute record at the time, with Kim earning a never-seen-before number of 176 points (that record remained until 1993, with Ireland scoring 187 points). With an average of 9.26 points per voting nation and 77.2% of the maximum possible score, as of 2022^[update], Kim's record still ranks eighth among all Eurovision winners.

Belgium finished last for the seventh time at the 1993 contest, before achieving its only top ten result of the 90s decade at the 1998 contest, where Mélanie Cohl finished sixth. In the 2000s, Belgium experienced mixed fortunes: the country started the decade by finishing last for the eighth and (as of 2022^[update]) final time at the 2000 contest in Stockholm, before achieving its best result of the 21st century in 2003 when Urban Trad sang in an imaginary language and earned second place with 165 points, losing out to Turkey's Sertab Erener by just two points. The country then failed to qualify from the semi-finals for 5 consecutive contests from 2005 to 2009.

The 2010 entry for Belgium was Tom Dice, runner-up of the Belgian Flemish version of The X Factor in 2008. Dice finished first in his semi-final, allowing Belgium to participate in the final for the first time since 2004 and eventually finishing sixth overall, Belgium's best result since 2003 and the best result ever for a Flemish entrant (tied with 1959).^[1] Belgium then experienced a mix of ups and downs for the remainder of the 2010s: while the country failed to qualify for the final on five occasions (in 2011, 2012, 2014, 2018 and 2019), Belgium qualified in 2013 (with Roberto Bellarosa placing 12th) before scoring a three-year streak in the top ten, thanks to Loïc Nottet (fourth in 2015), Laura Tesoro (tenth in 2016) and Blanche (fourth in 2017). Following two non-qualifications with Sennek (2018) and Eliot (2019), Belgium recorded three consecutive qualifications with Hooverphonic (2021), Jérémie Makiese (2022) and Gustaph (2023), the latter finishing in seventh place overall.

Disparity between broadcasters

Belgium is a federal country divided into two major linguistic regions: Dutch-speaking Flanders in the north and French-speaking Wallonia in the south, each region having its own broadcaster (VRT in Flanders and RTBF in Wallonia). The broadcasters take turns to send the Belgian entry to the contest, and since 2021, Flemish VRT has been in charge on odd years while French-speaking RTBF has been in charge on even years.

There has been a significant difference in the results achieved by the broadcasters.^[2] The French-speaking RTBF recorded Belgium's only win in 1986, all of Belgium's ten top-five placements, and 18 out of Belgium's 26 top ten placements. On the other hand, the Flemish VRT has placed in the top ten eight times, while scoring six out of Belgium's eight last-place finishes.^[2] In the 1990s, the relegation rule was introduced, where the lowest-placing countries would not be allowed to compete the following year, to accommodate for the growing number of participating countries. Belgium was relegated three times, in 1994, 1997 and 2001; twice following a poor placing by a VRT act the previous year, and once after RTBF act Nathalie Sorce placed last in 2000.^[2]

Since the introduction of semi-finals in 2004, the broadcasters have scored similarly in terms of qualification: as of 2024^[update], RTBF and VRT each qualified four times out of ten and nine semi-finals respectively.^[3]

Participation overview

Table key
1	First place
2	Second place
3	Third place
◁	Last place
X	Entry selected but did not compete
†	Upcoming event

Year	Artist	Song	Language	Final	Points	Semi	Points
1956	Fud Leclerc	" Messieurs les noyés de la Seine "	French	—^{[lower-alpha 2]}	—^{[lower-alpha 2]}	No semi-finals
1956	Mony Marc	" Le Plus Beau Jour de ma vie "	French	—^{[lower-alpha 2]}	—^{[lower-alpha 2]}
1957	Bobbejaan Schoepen	" Straatdeuntje "	Dutch	8	5
1958	Fud Leclerc	" Ma petite chatte "	French	5	8
1959	Bob Benny	" Hou toch van mij "	Dutch	6	9
1960	Fud Leclerc	" Mon amour pour toi "	French	6	9
1961	Bob Benny	" September, gouden roos "	Dutch	15 ◁	1
1962	Fud Leclerc	" Ton nom "	French	13 ◁	0
1963	Jacques Raymond	" Waarom? "	Dutch	10	4
1964	Robert Cogoi	" Près de ma rivière "	French	10	2
1965	Lize Marke	" Als het weer lente is "	Dutch	15 ◁	0
1966	Tonia	" Un peu de poivre, un peu de sel "	French	4	14
1967	Louis Neefs	" Ik heb zorgen "	Dutch	7	8
1968	Claude Lombard	" Quand tu reviendras "	French	7	8
1969	Louis Neefs	"Jennifer Jennings"	Dutch	7	10
1970	Jean Vallée	" Viens l'oublier "	French	8	5
1971	Jacques Raymond and Lily Castel	" Goeie morgen, morgen "	Dutch	14	68
1972	Serge and Christine Ghisoland	" À la folie ou pas du tout "	French	17	55
1973	Nicole and Hugo	"Baby Baby"	Dutch	17 ◁	58
1974	Jacques Hustin	" Fleur de liberté "	French	9	10
1975	Ann Christy	" Gelukkig zijn "	Dutch, English	15	17
1976	Pierre Rapsat	" Judy et Cie "	French	8	68
1977	Dream Express	"A Million in One, Two, Three"	English	7	69
1978	Jean Vallée	" L'amour ça fait chanter la vie "	French	2	125
1979	Micha Marah	"Hey Nana"	Dutch	18 ◁	5
1980	Telex	"Euro-Vision"	French	17	14
1981	Emly Starr	"Samson"	Dutch	13	40
1982	Stella	" Si tu aimes ma musique "	French	4	96
1983	Pas de Deux	" Rendez-vous "	Dutch	18	13
1984	Jacques Zegers	"Avantila vie"	French	5	70
1985	Linda Lepomme	" Laat me nu gaan "	Dutch	19 ◁	7
1986	Sandra Kim	" J'aime la vie "	French	1	176
1987	Liliane Saint-Pierre	"Soldiers of Love"	Dutch	11	56
1988	Reynaert	" Laissez briller le soleil "	French	18	5
1989	Ingeborg	" Door de wind "	Dutch	19	13
1990	Philippe Lafontaine	" Macédomienne "	French	12	46
1991	Clouseau	" Geef het op "	Dutch	16	23
1992	Morgane	" Nous on veut des violons "	French	20	11
1993	Barbara	" Iemand als jij "	Dutch	25 ◁	3	Kvalifikacija za Millstreet
1995	Frédéric Etherlinck	" La voix est libre "	French	20	8	No semi-finals
1996	Lisa del Bo	" Liefde is een kaartspel "	Dutch	16	22	12	45
1998	Mélanie Cohl	" Dis oui "	French	6	122	No semi-finals
1999	Vanessa Chinitor	"Like the Wind"	English	12	38
2000	Nathalie Sorce	" Envie de vivre "	French	24 ◁	2
2002	Sergio and the Ladies	"Sister"	English	13	33
2003	Urban Trad	"Sanomi"	Imaginary	2	165
2004	Xandee	"1 Life"	English	22	7	Top 11 in 2003 contest ^{[lower-alpha 3]}
2005	Nuno Resende	" Le Grand Soir "	French	Failed to qualify		22	29
2006	Kate Ryan	" Je t'adore "	English			12	69
2007	The KMG's	"Love Power"	English			26	14
2008	Ishtar	"O Julissi"	Imaginary			17	16
2009	Copycat	"Copycat"	English			17	1
2010	Tom Dice	"Me and My Guitar"	English	6	143	1	167
2011	Witloof Bay	"With Love Baby"	English	Failed to qualify		11	53
2012	Iris	"Would You?"	English	Failed to qualify		17	16
2013	Roberto Bellarosa	"Love Kills"	English	12	71	5	75
2014	Axel Hirsoux	"Mother"	English	Failed to qualify		14	28
2015	Loïc Nottet	"Rhythm Inside"	English	4	217	2	149
2016	Laura Tesoro	"What's the Pressure"	English	10	181	3	274
2017	Blanche	"City Lights"	English	4	363	4	165
2018	Sennek	"A Matter of Time"	English	Failed to qualify		12	91
2019	Eliot	"Wake Up"	English	Failed to qualify		13	70
2020	Hooverphonic	"Release Me"	English	Contest cancelled^{[lower-alpha 4]}X
2021	Hooverphonic	"The Wrong Place"	English	19	74	9	117
2022	Jérémie Makiese	"Miss You"	English	19	64	8	151
2023	Gustaph	"Because of You"	English	7	182	8	90
2024	Mustii	"Before the Party's Over"	English	Failed to qualify		13	18
2025	Confirmed intention to participate †^[4]

Selection process

While VRT normally hosts a national final, Eurosong, when selecting their entries for Eurovision, RTBF usually holds an internal selection process (although it sometimes holds a national final, for example in 1998, 2005 ^[5]^[6] and 2011, while VRT internally chose Tom Dice for the 2010 edition, Sennek for the 2018 edition and Hooverphonic for the 2020 and 2021 editions).

Year	Selection process	Broadcaster	Ref.
1956	National final with 7 songs	INR
1957	Artist: Internal selection Song: National final with 3 songs	NIR
1958	National final	INR
1959	National final with 2 participants	NIR
1960	National final with 5 participants	INR
1961	National final with 6 participants	BRT
1962	National final with 5 participants	RTB
1963	National final with 6 participants	BRT
1964	Internal selection	RTB
1965	Artist: Internal selection Song: National final with 6 songs	BRT
1966	Artist: Internal selection Song: National final with 4 songs	RTB
1967	National final with 7 participants	BRT
1968	National final with 10 participants	RTB
1969	Artist: Internal selection Song: National final with 6 songs	BRT
1970	National final with 4 participants	RTB
1971	National final with 12 participants	BRT
1972	Artist: Internal selection Song: National final with 10 songs	RTB
1973	National final with 10 participants	BRT
1974	Artist: Internal selection Song: National final with 6 songs	RTB
1975	National final with 10 participants	BRT
1976	National final with 5 participants	RTB
1977	National final with 3 participants	BRT
1978	National final with 8 participants	RTBF
1979	Artist: Internal selection Song: National final with 3 songs	BRT
1980	National final with 7 participants	RTBF
1981	National final with 10 participants	BRT
1982	National final with 4 participants	RTBF
1983	National final with 9 participants	BRT
1984	National final with 10 participants	RTBF
1985	Internal selection	BRT
1986	National final with 9 participants	RTBF
1987	National final with 11 participants	BRT
1988	National final with 12 participants	RTBF
1989	National final with 12 participants	BRT
1990	Internal selection	RTBF
1991	Artist: Internal selection Song: National final with 3 songs	BRT
1992	National final with 10 participants	RTBF
1993	National final with 12 participants	BRTN
1994	Did not participate
1995	National final with 10 participants	RTBF
1996	National final with 12 participants	BRTN
1997	Did not participate
1998	National final with 10 participants	RTBF
1999	National final with 8 participants	VRT
2000	National final with 10 participants	RTBF
2001	Did not participate
2002	National final with 7 participants	VRT
2003	Internal selection	RTBF
2004	National final with 7 participants	VRT
2005	National final with 2 participants	RTBF
2006	National final with 7 participants	VRT
2007	Internal selection	RTBF
2008	National final with 5 participants	VRT
2009	Internal selection	RTBF
2010	Internal selection	VRT
2011	National final with 14 participants	RTBF
2012	Artist: Internal selection Song: National final with 2 songs	VRT
2013	Artist: Internal selection Song: National final with 3 songs	RTBF
2014	National final with 6 participants	VRT
2015	Internal selection	RTBF
2016	National final with 5 participants	VRT
2017	Internal selection	RTBF
2018		VRT
2019		RTBF
2020		VRT	^[7]
2021		VRT	^[8]
2022		RTBF
2023	National final with 7 participants and 2 songs for each	VRT	^[9]
2024	Internal selection	RTBF	^[10]
2025	National final	VRT	^[4]

Hostings

Year	Location	Venue	Presenter
1987	Brussels	Centenary Palace	Viktor Lazlo

Awards

Barbara Dex Award

Year	Performer	Host city	Ref.
2000	Nathalie Sorce	Stockholm	^[11]

Related involvement

Conductors

Year	Conductor^{[lower-alpha 5]}	Notes	Ref.
1956	Léo Souris		^[12]
1957	Willy Berking	Host conductor
1958	Dolf van der Linden	Host conductor
1959	Francis Bay
1960	Henri Segers
1961	Francis Bay
1962	Henri Segers
1963	Francis Bay
1964	Henri Segers
1965	Gaston Nuyts
1966	Jean Roderes	Host conductor
1967	Francis Bay
1968	Henri Segers
1969	Francis Bay
1970	Jack Say		^[13]
1971	Francis Bay
1972	Henri Segers
1973	Francis Bay
1974	Pierre Chiffre
1975	Francis Bay
1976	Michel Bernholc
1977	Alyn Ainsworth
1978	Jean Musy
1979	Francis Bay
1980	No conductor		^[14]
1981	Giuseppe Marchese
1982	Jack Say
1983	Freddy Sunder
1984	Jo Carlier
1985	Curt-Eric Holmquist	Host conductor
1986	Jo Carlier
1987	Freddy Sunder	^{[lower-alpha 6]}
1988	Daniel Willem
1989	Freddy Sunder
1990	Rony Brack
1991	Roland Verlooven
1992	Frank Fievez
1993	Bert Candries
1995	Alec Mansion
1996	Bob Porter
1998	No conductor

Commentators and spokespersons

Over the years, commentary for the contest on VRT and RTBF has been provided by several experienced radio and television presenters, including Nand Baert, Jacques Mercier, Luc Appermont and Paule Herreman. From 1991, André Vermeulen provided the Dutch-language commentary every year except 1996. Jean-Pierre Hautier provided French-language commentary from 1994 to 2012, later dying shortly after the 2012 contest. In 1962, BRT retransmitted the commentary feed from the Dutch broadcaster NTS, possibly for financial reasons.

VRT supplied an additional commentator to join André Vermeulen starting in 1998; between 1999 and 2010, dual commentary was provided by either Bart Peeters or Anja Daems. Peeters provided the commentary during the years when VRT selected the entries, whilst Daems commentated the years in which RTBF selected the entries. Sven Pichal [ nl ] replaced Daems in 2011, whilst Peter Van de Veire replaced Peeters. In 2007, Jean-Louis Lahaye joined Jean-Pierre Hautier as a supplementary commentator for RTBF. After Hautier's death in 2012, Lahaye was joined by Maureen Louys in 2013.

Year	Flemish commentator	French-speaking commentator	Spokesperson	Ref.
1956	Nand Baert	Janine Lambotte	No spokesperson
1957	Nic Bal	Janine Lambotte	Bert Leysen
1958		Arlette Vincent	Paule Herreman
1959		Paule Herreman	Bert Leysen
1960		Georges Désir	Arlette Vincent
1961		Commentary via RTF France	Ward Bogaert
1962	Commentary via NTS the Netherlands	Nicole Védrès	Arlette Vincent
1963	Herman Verelst, Denise Maes	Pierre Delhasse	Ward Bogaert
1964	Herman Verelst	Paule Herreman	André Hagon
1965			Ward Bogaert
1966			André Hagon
1967			Ward Bogaert
1968			André Hagon
1969	Jan Theys		Ward Bogaert	^[15]
1970	Jan Theys		André Hagon
1971	Herman Verelst		No spokesperson
1972
1973
1974		Georges Désir	André Hagon
1975	Jan Theys	Paule Herreman	Ward Bogaert
1976	Luc Appermont	Georges Désir	André Hagon
1977		Patrick Duhamel	An Ploegaerts
1978		Claude Delacroix	André Hagon
1979		Paule Herreman	An Ploegaerts
1980		Jacques Mercier	Jacques Olivier
1981			Walter De Meyere
1982			Jacques Olivier
1983			An Ploegaerts
1984			Jacques Olivier
1985			An Ploegaerts
1986		Patrick Duhamel	Jacques Olivier
1987		Claude Delacroix	An Ploegaerts
1988		Pierre Collard-Bovy	Jacques Olivier
1989		Jacques Mercier	An Ploegaerts
1990		Claude Delacroix	Jacques Olivier
1991	André Vermeulen		An Ploegaerts
1992			Jacques Olivier
1993			An Ploegaerts
1994		Jean-Pierre Hautier	Did not participate
1995		Jean-Pierre Hautier	Marie-Françoise Renson "Soda"
1996	Michel Follet, Johan Verstreken	Jean-Pierre Hautier, Sandra Kim	An Ploegaerts
1997	André Vermeulen	Jean-Pierre Hautier	Did not participate
1998	André Vermeulen, Andrea Croonenberghs		Marie-Hélène Vanderborght
1999	André Vermeulen, Bart Peeters		Sabine De Vos
2000	André Vermeulen, Anja Daems		Thomas Van Hamme
2001	André Vermeulen, Anja Daems		Did not participate
2002	André Vermeulen, Bart Peeters		Geena Lisa
2003	André Vermeulen, Anja Daems		Corinne Boulangier
2004	André Vermeulen, Bart Peeters		Martine Prenen
2005	André Vermeulen, Anja Daems		Armelle Gysen
2006	André Vermeulen, Bart Peeters		Yasmine
2007	André Vermeulen, Anja Daems	Jean-Pierre Hautier, Jean-Louis Lahaye	Maureen Louys
2008	André Vermeulen, Bart Peeters		Sandrine Van Handenhoven
2009	André Vermeulen, Anja Daems		Maureen Louys
2010	André Vermeulen, Bart Peeters		Katja Retsin
2011	André Vermeulen, Sven Pichal		Maureen Louys
2012	André Vermeulen, Peter Van de Veire		Peter Van de Veire	^[16]
2013	André Vermeulen, Tom De Cock	Maureen Louys, Jean-Louis Lahaye	Barbara Louys	^[16]
2014	Peter Van de Veire, Eva Daeleman		Angelique Vlieghe	^[16]
2015	Peter Van de Veire, Eva Daeleman		Walid	^[16]
2016	Peter Van de Veire		Umesh Vangaver	^[16]
2017			Fanny Gillard	^[16]
2018			Danira Boukhriss	^[17]^[16]^[18]
2019			David Jeanmotte	^[19]^[20]^[21]
2021		Fanny Jandrain, Jean-Louis Lahaye	Danira Boukhriss	^[22]^[23]^[24]
2022		Maureen Louys, Jean-Louis Lahaye	David Jeanmotte	^[25]^[26]
2023			Bart Cannaerts	^[27]^[28]
2024			Livia Dushkoff	^[29]^[30]^[31]^[32]^[33]

Photo gallery

Fud Leclerc performing "Ma petite chatte" in Hilversum (1958)
Xandee performing "1 Life" in Istanbul (2004)
The KMG's performing "Love Power" in Helsinki (2007)
Ishtar performing "O Julissi" in Belgrade (2008)
Copycat in Moscow (2009)
Tom Dice in Oslo (2010)
Roberto Bellarosa performing "Love Kills" in Malmö (2013)
Axel Hirsoux performing "Mother" in Copenhagen (2014)
Loïc Nottet performing "Rhythm Inside" in Vienna (2015)
Laura Tesoro performing "What's the Pressure" in Stockholm (2016)
Blanche performing "City Lights" in Kyiv (2017)
Sennek performing "A Matter of Time" in Lisbon (2018)
Eliot performing "Wake Up" in Tel Aviv (2019)
Hooverphonic performing "The Wrong Place" in Rotterdam (2021)
Jérémie Makiese performing "Miss You" in Turin (2022)
Gustaph performing "Because of You" in Liverpool (2023)
Mustii performing "Before the Party's Over" in Malmö (2024)

Notes and references

Notes

↑ Since the 1990 contest, the minimum age for participation is 16, meaning that Kim shall remain the youngest winner unless the age limit is waivered.
1 2 The 1956 contest had secret voting and, apart from the winner, no results were released.
↑ According to the then-Eurovision rules, the top ten non-Big Four countries from the previous year along with the Big Four automatically qualified for the Grand Final without having to compete in semi-finals. For example, if Germany and France placed inside the top ten, the 11th and 12th spots were advanced to next year's Grand Final along with all countries ranked in the top ten.
↑ The 2020 contest was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
↑ All conductors are of Belgian nationality unless otherwise noted.
↑ The contest was organized by RTBF, but the Belgian entry was from VRT, hence Walloon Jo Carlier serving as musical director (and conducting for Cyprus) while a Flemish conductor led the Belgian entry.

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Belgium participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 with the song "Would You?" written by Nina Sampermans, Jean Bosco Safari and Walter Mannaerts. The song was performed by Iris, who was internally selected by the Flemish broadcaster Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie (VRT) in November 2011 to represent the nation at the 2012 contest in Baku, Azerbaijan. The song was selected through the national final Eurosong 2012: Een song voor Iris, which was organised by VRT and featured two songs. In the final on 17 March 2012, "Would You?" was selected as the winning song after gaining 53% of the public televote.

Belgium participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 with the song "Rhythm Inside" written by Loïc Nottet and Beverly Jo Scott. The song was performed by Loïc Nottet, who was internally selected by the Walloon broadcaster Radio Télévision Belge de la Communauté Française (RTBF) in November 2014 to represent the nation at the 2015 contest in Vienna, Austria. The song, "Rhythm Inside", was presented to the public on 10 March 2015.

Belgium participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 with the song "What's the Pressure" written by Sanne Putseys, Louis Favre, Birsen Uçar and Yannick Werther. The song was performed by Laura Tesoro. The Belgian entry for the 2016 contest in Stockholm, Sweden was selected through the national final Eurosong 2016, organised by the Flemish broadcaster Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie (VRT). The competition featured five competing acts and consisted of two presentation shows and a final. In the final on 17 January 2016, the winner was selected over two rounds of voting: the first selected the top two via the votes of ten international jury groups and a public televote, while the second selected the winner solely by public televoting. "What's the Pressure" performed by Laura Tesoro was the winner after placing first during both rounds of voting.

Belgium participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 with the song "City Lights" written by Pierre Dumoulin, Emmanuel Delcourt and Ellie Delvaux. The song was performed by Blanche, which is the artistic name of singer Ellie Delvaux who was internally selected by the Walloon broadcaster Radio Télévision Belge de la Communauté Française (RTBF) in November 2016 to represent the nation at the 2017 contest in Kyiv, Ukraine. The song, "City Lights", was presented to the public on 8 March 2017.

Belgium participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 with the song "A Matter of Time" written by Laura Groeseneken, Alex Callier and Maxime Tribeche. The song was performed by Sennek, which is the artistic name of singer Laura Groeseneken who was internally selected by the Flemish broadcaster Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie (VRT) in September 2017 to represent the nation at the 2018 contest in Lisbon, Portugal. The song, "A Matter of Time", was presented to the public on 5 March 2018.

Belgium participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 with the song "Wake Up" written by Eliot Vassamillet and Pierre Dumoulin. The song was performed by Eliot, which is the artistic name of singer Eliot Vassamillet who was internally selected by the Walloon broadcaster Radio Télévision Belge de la Communauté Française (RTBF) in January 2019 to represent the nation at the 2019 contest in Tel Aviv, Israel. The song, "Wake Up", was presented to the public on 28 February 2019.

Belgium originally planned to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 with the song "Release Me" written by Alex Callier and Luca Chiaravalli. The song was performed by the band Hooverphonic, which was internally selected by the Flemish broadcaster Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie (VRT) in October 2019 to represent the nation at the 2020 contest in Rotterdam, Netherlands. The song, "Release Me", was presented to the public on 17 February 2020.

Het Grote Songfestivalfeest is a Dutch television concert programme starring artists of the Eurovision Song Contest, produced by PilotStudio, and held at the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam. Three editions of the show have been held, on 15 December 2019, 17 November 2022 and 16 November 2023.

Belgium participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 with the song "The Wrong Place" written by Alex Callier and Charlotte Foret. The song was performed by the band Hooverphonic, which was internally selected by the Belgian broadcasters Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie (VRT) and Radio Télévision Belge de la Communauté Française (RTBF) in March 2020 to represent the nation at the 2021 contest in Rotterdam, Netherlands, after they were due to compete in the 2020 contest with "Release Me" before the 2020 event's cancellation. The song, "The Wrong Place", was presented to the public on 4 March 2021.

Belgium participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 in Liverpool, United Kingdom, with the song "Because of You" performed by Gustaph. The Belgian entry for the 2023 contest was selected through the national final Eurosong 2023, organised by the Flemish broadcaster Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie (VRT). The competition featured seven competing acts and consisted of five songclub shows and a final. In the final on 14 January 2023, "Because of You" performed by Gustaph was selected as the winner via the votes of a fifteen-member jury panel and a public vote.

Stef Caers, known professionally as Gustaph, is a Belgian singer-songwriter, producer and vocal coach. He represented Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 in Liverpool, United Kingdom with the song "Because of You" and finished 7th place.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Starlings (duo)</span> Belgian music duo

The Starlings are a Belgian musical duo founded in 2018, consisting of Tom Dice and Kato Callebaut. The group released their first single "Mine" in 2019. In 2020, the couple participated in the sixth season of Liefde voor muziek. In May 2020, they released their debut album Don't Look Back.

Belgium participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 in Malmö, Sweden, with "Before the Party's Over" performed by Mustii. The Walloon broadcaster Radio Télévision Belge de la Communauté Française (RTBF) internally selected the Belgian entrant for the contest.

References

↑ "Eurovision 2010: complete televoting and jury results". wiwibloggs.com. 30 June 2010. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
1 2 3 Tielens, Filip (15 May 2021). "Waarom Vlaanderen telkens slecht scoort op het Eurovisiesongfestival". De Standaard. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
↑ "Belgium". Eurovision.tv.
1 2 James, Washak (8 May 2024). "Belgium: Eurosong Returns to Select Eurovision 2025 Entry". Eurovoix. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
↑ "Belgian National Final 1998". Archived from the original on 22 October 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-04.
↑ "Belgian National Final 2005". Archived from the original on 22 October 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-04.
↑ NWS, VRT (18 March 2020). "Door coronacrisis kan ook Songfestival niet doorgaan in 2020, Hooverphonic reageert: "wereldgezondheid gaat voor"". vrtnws.be (in Dutch). Retrieved 23 March 2020.
↑ NWS, VRT (20 March 2020). "Hooverphonic neemt volgend jaar deel aan het Eurovisiesongfestival: "We hebben er nog altijd enorm veel zin in"". vrtnws.be (in Dutch). Retrieved 23 March 2020.
↑ "Wie gaat voor België naar het Eurovisiesongfestival?" [Who will go to the Eurovision Song Contest for Belgium?]. vrt.be (in Dutch). VRT. 8 November 2022. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
↑ Jiandani, Sanjay (16 August 2023). "Belgium: RTBF confirms participation at Eurovision 2024". ESCToday. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
↑ Adams, William Lee (9 July 2015). "Poll: Who was the worst dressed Barbara Dex Award winner?". Wiwibloggs . Retrieved 8 December 2019.
↑ Roxburgh, Gordon (2012). Songs for Europe: The United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest. Vol. One: The 1950s and 1960s. Prestatyn: Telos Publishing. pp. 93–101. ISBN 978-1-84583-065-6.
↑ Roxburgh, Gordon (2014). Songs for Europe: The United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest. Vol. Two: The 1970s. Prestatyn: Telos Publishing. pp. 142–168. ISBN 978-1-84583-093-9.
↑ Roxburgh, Gordon (2016). Songs for Europe: The United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest. Vol. Three: The 1980s. Prestatyn: Telos Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84583-118-9.
↑ "De festival-herinneringen van Jan Theys". Story. 12 May 1987.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Granger, Anthony (20 May 2018). "EBU Wants to See More Commentators Attend the Eurovision Song Contest". eurovoix.com. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
↑ "Peter Van de Veire: "Als ik een voetballer was, zou ik iedereen onderuit schoppen"". niewsblad.be (in Dutch). 3 March 2018. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
↑ Granger, Anthony (22 April 2018). "Belgium: Danira Boukhriss Terkessidis Revealed as Spokesperson". eurovoix.com. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
↑ "Tweede halve finale van het Songfestival verhuist naar Ketnet". hln.be (in Dutch). 26 April 2019. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
↑ Granger, Anthony (14 March 2019). "Belgium: Maureen Louys & Jean-Louis Lahaye Confirmed As Commentators For Tel Aviv". eurovoix.com. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
↑ "Eurovision 2019 Spokespersons – Who will announce the points?". eurovisionworld.com. 18 May 2019. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
↑ "TV-gids". één.be.
↑ "Beleef het Eurovisiesongfestival bij de VRT". communicatie.vrt.be (in Flemish). 7 May 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
↑ "Eurovision 2021 : 3 soirées exceptionnelles à ne pas manquer sur la RTBF !". rtbf.be.
↑ "Jouw voorjaar bij Eén". Een.be (in Dutch). VRT. Archived from the original on 23 December 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
↑ "Eurovision 2022 : Préparez-vous à voter pour votre candidat préféré !". RTBF (in French). Retrieved 7 April 2022.
↑ "Ontdek het voorjaar 2023 van Eén". communicatie.een.be (in Flemish). Retrieved 3 January 2023.
↑ "Bart Cannaerts maakt Belgische jurypunten bekend in finale Songfestival 2023". Songfestival.be (in Dutch). 11 May 2023. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
↑ van Waarden, Franciska (29 March 2024). "Belgium: Livia Dushkoff Spokesperson for Eurovision 2024". Eurovoix. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
↑ Farren, Neil (17 April 2024). "Belgium: RTBF Reveal Eurovision 2024 Broadcast Plans". Eurovoix. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
↑ "Voici le dispositif mis en place par la RTBF pour l'Eurovision" [Here is the plan put in place by RTBF for Eurovision]. Soirmag (in French). 15 April 2024. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
↑ Farren, Neil (26 April 2024). "Belgium: VRT Reveals Eurovision 2024 Broadcast Plans". Eurovoix. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
↑ "Concours Eurovision de la chanson 2024 | Finale" [Eurovision Song Contest 2024 | Final]. Auvio (in French). RTBF. Retrieved 26 April 2024.

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[1] Since the 1990 contest, the minimum age for participation is 16, meaning that Kim shall remain the youngest winner unless the age limit is waivered.

[esc_1956-5] 1 2 The 1956 contest had secret voting and, apart from the winner, no results were released.

[note2-6] According to the then-Eurovision rules, the top ten non-Big Four countries from the previous year along with the Big Four automatically qualified for the Grand Final without having to compete in semi-finals. For example, if Germany and France placed inside the top ten, the 11th and 12th spots were advanced to next year's Grand Final along with all countries ranked in the top ten.

[7] The 2020 contest was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

[16] All conductors are of Belgian nationality unless otherwise noted.

[20] The contest was organized by RTBF, but the Belgian entry was from VRT, hence Walloon Jo Carlier serving as musical director (and conducting for Cyprus) while a Flemish conductor led the Belgian entry.

[2] "Eurovision 2010: complete televoting and jury results". wiwibloggs.com. 30 June 2010. Retrieved 23 March 2014.

[standaard.be-3] 1 2 3 Tielens, Filip (15 May 2021). "Waarom Vlaanderen telkens slecht scoort op het Eurovisiesongfestival". De Standaard. Retrieved 16 May 2021.

[4] "Belgium". Eurovision.tv.

[2025:-8] 1 2 James, Washak (8 May 2024). "Belgium: Eurosong Returns to Select Eurovision 2025 Entry". Eurovoix. Retrieved 8 May 2024.

[9] "Belgian National Final 1998". Archived from the original on 22 October 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-04.

[10] "Belgian National Final 2005". Archived from the original on 22 October 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-04.

[11] NWS, VRT (18 March 2020). "Door coronacrisis kan ook Songfestival niet doorgaan in 2020, Hooverphonic reageert: "wereldgezondheid gaat voor"". vrtnws.be (in Dutch). Retrieved 23 March 2020.

[12] NWS, VRT (20 March 2020). "Hooverphonic neemt volgend jaar deel aan het Eurovisiesongfestival: "We hebben er nog altijd enorm veel zin in"". vrtnws.be (in Dutch). Retrieved 23 March 2020.

[2023NF-13] "Wie gaat voor België naar het Eurovisiesongfestival?" [Who will go to the Eurovision Song Contest for Belgium?]. vrt.be (in Dutch). VRT. 8 November 2022. Retrieved 8 November 2022.

[14] Jiandani, Sanjay (16 August 2023). "Belgium: RTBF confirms participation at Eurovision 2024". ESCToday. Retrieved 16 August 2023.

[15] Adams, William Lee (9 July 2015). "Poll: Who was the worst dressed Barbara Dex Award winner?". Wiwibloggs . Retrieved 8 December 2019.

[17] Roxburgh, Gordon (2012). Songs for Europe: The United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest. Vol. One: The 1950s and 1960s. Prestatyn: Telos Publishing. pp. 93–101. ISBN 978-1-84583-065-6.

[18] Roxburgh, Gordon (2014). Songs for Europe: The United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest. Vol. Two: The 1970s. Prestatyn: Telos Publishing. pp. 142–168. ISBN 978-1-84583-093-9.

[19] Roxburgh, Gordon (2016). Songs for Europe: The United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest. Vol. Three: The 1980s. Prestatyn: Telos Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84583-118-9.

[21] "De festival-herinneringen van Jan Theys". Story. 12 May 1987.

[rtbf_comm-22] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Granger, Anthony (20 May 2018). "EBU Wants to See More Commentators Attend the Eurovision Song Contest". eurovoix.com. Retrieved 12 December 2019.

[23] "Peter Van de Veire: "Als ik een voetballer was, zou ik iedereen onderuit schoppen"". niewsblad.be (in Dutch). 3 March 2018. Retrieved 12 December 2019.

[24] Granger, Anthony (22 April 2018). "Belgium: Danira Boukhriss Terkessidis Revealed as Spokesperson". eurovoix.com. Retrieved 12 December 2019.

[25] "Tweede halve finale van het Songfestival verhuist naar Ketnet". hln.be (in Dutch). 26 April 2019. Retrieved 12 December 2019.

[26] Granger, Anthony (14 March 2019). "Belgium: Maureen Louys & Jean-Louis Lahaye Confirmed As Commentators For Tel Aviv". eurovoix.com. Retrieved 12 December 2019.

[27] "Eurovision 2019 Spokespersons – Who will announce the points?". eurovisionworld.com. 18 May 2019. Retrieved 12 December 2019.

[28] "TV-gids". één.be.

[29] "Beleef het Eurovisiesongfestival bij de VRT". communicatie.vrt.be (in Flemish). 7 May 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2021.

[30] "Eurovision 2021 : 3 soirées exceptionnelles à ne pas manquer sur la RTBF !". rtbf.be.

[31] "Jouw voorjaar bij Eén". Een.be (in Dutch). VRT. Archived from the original on 23 December 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2022.

[32] "Eurovision 2022 : Préparez-vous à voter pour votre candidat préféré !". RTBF (in French). Retrieved 7 April 2022.

[33] "Ontdek het voorjaar 2023 van Eén". communicatie.een.be (in Flemish). Retrieved 3 January 2023.

[34] "Bart Cannaerts maakt Belgische jurypunten bekend in finale Songfestival 2023". Songfestival.be (in Dutch). 11 May 2023. Retrieved 11 May 2023.

[35] van Waarden, Franciska (29 March 2024). "Belgium: Livia Dushkoff Spokesperson for Eurovision 2024". Eurovoix. Retrieved 29 March 2024.

[36] Farren, Neil (17 April 2024). "Belgium: RTBF Reveal Eurovision 2024 Broadcast Plans". Eurovoix. Retrieved 17 April 2024.

[37] "Voici le dispositif mis en place par la RTBF pour l'Eurovision" [Here is the plan put in place by RTBF for Eurovision]. Soirmag (in French). 15 April 2024. Retrieved 17 April 2024.

[38] Farren, Neil (26 April 2024). "Belgium: VRT Reveals Eurovision 2024 Broadcast Plans". Eurovoix. Retrieved 26 April 2024.

[39] "Concours Eurovision de la chanson 2024 | Finale" [Eurovision Song Contest 2024 | Final]. Auvio (in French). RTBF. Retrieved 26 April 2024.

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v t e Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest
Participation	1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 ~~2020~~ 2021 2022 2023 2024
Artists	Roberto Bellarosa Bob Benny Blanche Lily Castel Vanessa Chinitor Ann Christy Clouseau Robert Cogoi Mélanie Cohl Copycat Lisa del Bo Barbara Dex Tom Dice Dream Express Eliot Frédéric Etherlinck Serge and Christine Ghisoland Gustaph Axel Hirsoux Hooverphonic Jacques Hustin Ingeborg Iris Ishtar Sandra Kim The KMG's Philippe Lafontaine Fud Leclerc Linda Lepomme Claude Lombard Jérémie Makiese Micha Marah Mony Marc Lize Marke Morgane Mustii Louis Neefs Nicole and Hugo Loïc Nottet Pas de Deux Pierre Rapsat Jacques Raymond Nuno Resende Reynaert Kate Ryan Liliane Saint-Pierre Bobbejaan Schoepen Sennek Sergio and the Ladies Nathalie Sorce Emly Starr Stella Telex Laura Tesoro Tonia Urban Trad Jean Vallée Witloof Bay Xandee Jacques Zegers
Songs	"1 Life" "À la folie ou pas du tout" "Als het weer lente is" "L'Amour ça fait chanter la vie" "Avantila vie" "Baby, Baby" "Because of You" "Before the Party's Over" "City Lights" "Copycat" "Dis oui" "Door de wind" "Envie de vivre" "Euro-Vision" "Fleur de liberté" "Geef het op" "Gelukkig zijn" "Goeiemorgen, morgen" "Le Grand soir" "Hey Nana" "Hou toch van mij" "Iemand als jij" "Ik heb zorgen" " J'aime la vie " " Je t'adore " "Jennifer Jennings" "Judy et Cie" "Laat me nu gaan" "Laissez briller le soleil" " Liefde is een kaartspel " "Like the Wind" "Love Kills" "Love Power" "Ma petite chatte" "Macédomienne" "A Matter of Time" "Me and My Guitar" "Messieurs les noyés de la Seine" "A Million in One, Two, Three" "Miss You" "Mon amour pour toi" "Mother" "Nous, on veut des violons" "O Julissi" "Un peu de poivre, un peu de sel" "Le Plus beau jour de ma vie" "Près de ma rivière" "Quand tu reviendras" ~~"Release Me"~~ "Rendez-vous" "Rhythm Inside" "Samson" "Sanomi" "September, gouden roos" "Si tu aimes ma musique" "Sister" "Soldiers of Love" "Straatdeuntje" "Ton nom" "Viens l'oublier" "La Voix est libre" "Waarom?" "Wake Up" "What's the Pressure" "With Love Baby" "Would You?" "The Wrong Place"
Note: Entries scored out signify where Belgium did not compete