70th Anniversary of the Danish Eurovision Song Contest
Join us as we celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Danish Eurovision Song Contest with behind-the-scenes stories and some of the competition’s biggest hits from seven decades.
In February 1957, Gustav Winckler and Birthe Wilke won in the first edition of the newly launched song contest, Dansk Melodi Grand Prix, with the love duet "Skibet skal sejle i nat". At that time, the same two singers performed all six competing songs to find the song that would be representing Denmark at the international Eurovision Song Contest for the first time.
Since then, the competition has gone through many changes. From the early years of the beloved singalong classics such as "To lys på et bord" (1960) and "Dansevise" (1963), Denmark’s first international winner, to a period of ten years when Denmark did not participate at all, and to the "golden age" of Dansk Melodi Grand Prix, where "Boom Boom" (1978) and "Disco Tango" (1979) began a whole new chapter in the history of the competition. With the expansion of participating countries after the fall of the Berlin Wall, changes to the language rules, and the arrival of the internet, to name just a few, the competition has endured while the world has changed.
Today, Dansk Melodi Grand Prix is a staple in Danish television, and in February 2027, the competition’s 70th edition will be broadcast! Join us as we tell the story of a song competition, a changing Denmark and Europe – and enjoy some of the greatest Grand Prix classics in Danish popular music.
Featuring
Henrik Smith-Sivertsen, Senior Researcher
Emil de Waal, drums
Gustaf Ljunggren, guitar and electronics
TBA
