SWITZERLAND: representing artist for Austria will be choosen on 31st of January

Switzerlands broadcaster announced the road for the artists to represent Switzerland in Austria next year. Together with the RTR, RTS (French Broadcaster) and RSI (Italian Broadcaster) the EBU-broadcaster SRF called the artists to apply for the competition between 27th of September and 29th of October on the broadcasters digital platform. More about the appplication rules you can find of SRF homepage. The regulation are available in English, German and Italian. Just search for the PDF in your language on the page (down on the right side). 

After that a national jury together with the public in the internet will shortlist the artists down to 9 artists in the second phase. SRF and RTR will contribute another 9 acts in the second phase. So in total 18 artists will participate and compete for the ticket to the neighbour country. The broadcasters will in an exhausting evaluation shortlist the 18 artist down to 6 who will fight for the golden ticket on the national selection show 'Die Entscheidungsshow' which will held on 31st of January in Kreuzlingen. 

Switzerland in the Eurovision Song Contest

Switzerland is one of the countries who participate most in the Eurovision Song Contest. Never since the 1st edition the country withdraw. Just in 1995, 1999, 2001 and 2003 the Swiss had to pause due to the bad results in the years before. 

Switzerland is also the country which won the very first edition with the song 'Refrain' by Lys Assia, who represent the Swiss three times between 1956 and 1958. The second win achieved Celin Dion in 1988 with 'Ne partez pas sans moi'. 2013 the Swiss representative called Takasa (called Heilsarmy in Switzerland) also got a new record. Emil Ramsauer who was part of Takasa is the oldest participant on stage in the history of the Eurovision Song Contest ever. But the 95-years-old musican was only once at stage. Switzerland didn't made it to the final. 

Here are the most sucessful song (1st to 3rd place) for Switzerland during the ESC years: 

1956 - Lys Assia

'Refrain' - Winner

1958 - Lys Assia

'L'enfant que j'étais' - 2nd place 

1961 - Franca di Rienzo

'Nous aurons demain' - 3rd place

 

1963 - Esther Ofraim

'T'en vas pas' - 2nd place

1982 - Arlette Zola

'Amour on t'aime' - 3rd place

1986 - Daniela Simons 

'Pas pour moi' - 2nd place

1988 - Celine Dion

'Ne partez pas sans moi' - winner

1993 - Annie Cotton

'Moi, tout simplement' - 3rd place