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Eurovision Song Contest 1996

Eurovision Song Contest 1996
ESC 1996 logo.svg
Dates
Final 18 May 1996
Host
Venue Oslo Spektrum
Oslo, Norway
Presenter(s) Ingvild Bryn
Morten Harket
Conductor Frode Thingnæs
Director Pål Veiglum
Executive supervisor Christine Marchal-Ortiz
Executive producer Odd Arvid Strømstad
Host broadcaster Norsk rikskringkasting (NRK)
Opening act "Heaven's Not For Saints" performed by Morten Harket
Interval act Nils Gaup & Runar Borge feat. Aamil Paus-Beacon Burning
Participants
Number of entries 23
Debuting countries None
Returning countries
Withdrawing countries
Vote
Voting system Each country awarded 12, 10, 8-1 point(s) to their 10 favourite songs
Nul points None
Winning song  Ireland
"The Voice"

The Eurovision Song Contest 1996 was the 41st Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 18 May 1996 in Oslo Spektrum in Oslo, Norway. The presenters were Ingvild Bryn and Morten Harket. Harket, lead singer of a-ha, opened the show with a performance of his single "Heaven's Not for Saints". Twenty-three countries participated in the contest, with Eimear Quinn of Ireland crowned the winner after the final voting, with the song, "The Voice". The song was written by Brendan Graham, who also composed the 1994 winner "Rock 'n' Roll Kids". It was also a record seventh win for Ireland and the most recent win of Ireland.

A non-televised audio-only pre-qualification round was organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), in order to shortlist the number of participating nations that would compete in the televised final from twenty-nine, to a more manageable twenty-three.Germany, Israel, Denmark, Hungary, Russia, Macedonia, and Romania all failed to qualify. Macedonia eventually went on to make their debut in 1998. The 1996 contest remains the only Eurovision without a German entry.


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