The year Eurovision changed its rules and its sound forever
In short: The 1998 contest in Birmingham marked a massive turning point for the Eurovision Song Contest. It was the first time results were determined predominantly by televoting, and the final year that a live orchestra provided accompaniment for all competing entries, forever altering the contest's musical landscape.
On 9 May 1998, the 43rd Eurovision Song Contest took place at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, United Kingdom. Hosted by the BBC and presented by Terry Wogan and Ulrika Jonsson, the event followed the United Kingdom's 1997 victory with Katrina and the Waves. The contest was notable for several structural shifts, including the introduction of predominant televoting for results and the final appearance of a live orchestra for all participants.
The winner was Israel, represented by Dana International with the song 'Diva,' composed by Svika Pick and written by Yoav Ginai. While a significant victory, her participation was met with controversy and death threats from certain sections of Israeli society. The top five finishers included the United Kingdom, Malta, the Netherlands, and Croatia.
The 1998 edition saw twenty-five participating countries. Due to a relegation system based on average points from previous contests, several nations were absent, including Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Denmark, Iceland, and Russia. Macedonia made its first appearance, participating under the provisional name 'the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia' due to an ongoing naming dispute with Greece. Other returning nations included Belgium, Finland, Israel, Romania, and Slovakia. The event also saw a near-withdrawal from Greece after a conflict during rehearsals, though the decision was reversed minutes before the broadcast.
The contest's production was massive, involving a 60-piece BBC Concert Orchestra directed by Martin Koch. While the arena could hold 13,000 people, the audience was limited to approximately 4,500 people, with tickets awarded by ballot. The infrastructure built for the event, including the press centre, was so substantial that much of it was reused for the 24th G8 summit held the following week.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Eurovision Song Contest 1998
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