It stands to reason that for a song competition which started in 1956, celebrities at Eurovision had to have happened, right?
Of course it did, and maybe more than you realize.
Over the course of the last seven decades, sure, most Eurovision performers were not or did not become global household names. However, it is undeniable that some serious star-power has graced the stage. Today, we look at the people who either were celebrities at Eurovision, or became stars because of it.
A Note on Celebrities at Eurovision
These are all of the names out of the 1,700-plus songs at the contest which we know were performed by solo artists or bands which are known to worldwide audiences. There is always the possibility we missed some, and by “celebrities,” we are only including those with a wider audience. Many Eurovision performers may be (or were) considered celebrities in their home countries, or even regionally, but for the purposes of this article, we are looking at a large scale.
The below are listed in chronological order of Eurovision appearances.
As a secondary note, this article also does not include interval performances. Madonna and Justin Timberlake have sung at Eurovision, but they were just there for the party, and hence they do not count.
Cliff Richard
Years & Country: 1968 & 1973, United Kingdom
Songs: Congratulations and Power to All Our Friends
How They Did: 2nd Place and 3rd Place, respectively
Claim(s) to Fame: Prolific singer who charted in the UK, US, Australia, and elsewhere
Cliff Richard was something of a sensation at the 1968 Eurovision Song Contest, one in which he was a strong favorite to win. That is not, of course, what happened. Richard lost to Spain’s Massiel by a single point, in what was considered a hugely-controversial result at the time (and depending on which person you ask, it still is).
He returned in 1973 and finished in third place, but his musical career has been extensive outside of the contest, both before and after appearing. Richard is one of the most commercially-successful British artists in history, and also had a career as an actor which brought him fame. He was the only one of these celebrities at Eurovision to show up twice.
Julio Iglesias
Year & Country: 1970, Spain
Song: Gwendolyne
How It Did: 4th Place
Claim(s) to Fame: Regarded as one of the most successful Spanish-language singers of all-time
The celebrity names, at least when it comes to popular singers, do not get much bigger than Julio Iglesias. His appearance at Eurovision was in 1970, towards the start of his singing career. Two years earlier, he won the Benidorm Song Festival (now known as Benidorm Fest) in Spain as a newcomer to the scene, and went to Eurovision on an upswing in popularity.
We all know what followed: Even though he did not win the contest, he went on to a stellar career in the music industry. Iglesias boasts platinum records in numerous countries over four decades and is one of the most well-known Spanish-language singers in history.
Olivia Newton-John
Year & Country: 1974, United Kingdom
Song: Long Live Love
How It Did: 4th Place
Claim(s) to Fame: Platinum-certified singer and actress who notably starred in Grease
We have her listed first because even though she and ABBA both appeared in the same year, Olivia was earlier in the running order. Some might think Newton-John was Australian, not British, but this is not quite true: Her family did move Down Under, but she was born in England. In any event, she was back to the UK in plenty of time to represent them when the contest went to Brighton.
Her musical and acting career started at least a decade before she sang at Eurovision. Most fans of hers know that her big break came in 1978, when she starred alongside John Travolta in the movie adaptation of Grease, playing Sandy. She remained a big star until her unfortunate passing in 2022.
ABBA
Year & Country: 1974, Sweden
Song: Waterloo
How It Did: Won the Contest
Claim(s) to Fame: International superstars with extreme commercial success
Imagine that: Olivia Newton-John and ABBA appearing on the same stage, on the same night. Eurofans in 1974 had no idea how good they had it.
At this point, everyone even Eurovision-adjacent knows that ABBA appeared at, and won, the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest. With the 2024 contest celebrating their 50th anniversary, there was a lot of Waterloo going on, and why not? ABBA, composed of Agnetha, Björn, Benny, and Anni-Frid, became global superstars after their victory. To this day, they still impact popular culture with their contributions to music, film, and theater.
Céline Dion
Year & Country: 1988, Switzerland
Song: Ne partez pas sans moi
How It Did: Won the Contest
Claim(s) to Fame: One of the most famous solo singers in modern history
There is no question that Céline Dion, one of the most well-known singers in the world, got her big break on the Eurovision stage. Though from La belle province (Québec) in Canada, she represented Switzerland in the 1988 contest. She won it by just a single point.
Céline had released some French-language albums prior to Eurovision and performed largely in her home province. Her first English-language album dropped about two years after winning the contest, and from there, she shot to super-stardom. Though illness has sadly slowed her down in recent years, her name is no less recognizable in music.
Katrina & The Waves
Year & Country: 1997, United Kingdom
Song: Love Shine A Light
How It Did: Won the Contest
Claim(s) to Fame: Performed the top-ten hit song Walking on Sunshine
Katrina & The Waves were known long prior to appearing at Eurovision. Walking on Sunshine has been a culturally-pervasive song, and was a big hit in 1985, even in the United States. Unlike some of the other artists and bands on this list, Katrina & The Waves’ success did not come thanks to appearing at Eurovision. In fact, after some success, the band’s popularity was on the decline; alleging that they were one-hit wonders would be fair.
So, imagine the surprise of many when they came out of nowhere to win the Eurovision Song Contest in 1997 in a rout. Love Shine A Light, probably one of the contest’s better winners, became their second hit.
As of 2024, their victory was the United Kingdom’s most recent.
t.A.T.u.
Year & Country: 2003, Russia
Song: Ne Ver’, Ne Boisia
How It Did: 3rd Place
Claim(s) to Fame: Sang the hit song All the Things She Said
t.A.T.u., a two-member Russian girl group (Lena and Julia), attended Eurovision at the height of their popularity. Russia swung for the fences sending them to the contest in 2003, less than a year after their album 200 km/h in the Wrong Lane was a hit. Its premier song was All the Things She Said, which went platinum as a single in several countries.
They came in third place in the contest, which was won by Turkey. The group released several more albums over the course of the 2000s.
Engelbert Humperdinck
Year & Country: 2012, United Kingdom
Song: Love Will Set You Free
How It Did: 25th Place
Claim(s) to Fame: Singer who toured the world for decades
Humperdinck definitely found Eurovision towards the end of his singing career, which started in the 1950s. In fact, his musical career is almost as long-lived as the Eurovision Song Contest itself. Had he appeared in its earlier decades, who knows what might have happened, but Humperdinck was busy touring the world for shows and recording new music.
He did not achieve the success he wanted at Baku in 2012, but made it clear during the contest how thrilled he was to be there.
Cascada
Year & Country: 2013, Germany
Song: Glorious
How It Did: 21st Place
Claim(s) to Fame: Group that offered Everytime We Touch and Evacuate the Dancefloor
Few German groups in the past several decades have been as successful as Cascada. In the mid-2000s, they found fame with their hit song Everytime We Touch, which peaked in the top five on the United States dance charts. Evacuate the Dancefloor in 2009 also made it to the top ten there.
Appearing at Eurovision came after the release of their most recent new album, and unfortunately for them, they only placed 21st at the 2013 contest. The group still exists as of 2024 and is planning a new album, their first non-compilation in over a decade.
Bonnie Tyler
Year & Country: 2013, United Kingdom
Song: Believe In Me
How It Did: 19th Place
Claim(s) to Fame: Grammy-nominated singer who performed Total Eclipse of the Heart
Even if you did not know Bonnie Tyler by name, you knew her music. Everyone and their cousin has heard Total Eclipse of the Heart, and you may have also heard something like Holding Out for a Hero back in the 1980s. By the time she got to Eurovision in 2013, Tyler had released over a dozen albums. Her appearance at the contest was part of an effort to publicize her latest work.
Tyler is still producing new music and going on tour as of 2024.
Il Volo
Year & Country: 2015, Italy
Song: Grande Amore
How It Did: 3rd Place
Claim(s) to Fame: World-renowned tenor trio
Il Volo got their start at around the beginning of the 2010s, and within a few years, they began gaining popularity in both Europe and the United States, as well as other countries. Their first American tour and TV circuit was well prior to their 2015 Eurovision appearance, so no claiming that Eurovision made their careers.
It would be fair to say that Il Volo were at or near the peak of their popularity when they won Sanremo in 2015 and then went subsequently to Eurovision. As we will get into down the road on Euro Yard, 2015 was one of my personal favorite contests, and Grande Amore placed third behind winning Sweden (though it did win the televote).
The group still performs today, and they attempted comebacks at Sanremo in both 2019 and 2024. They placed third in 2019, and eighth in 2024.
Darude
Year & Country: 2019, Finland
Song: Look Away (feat. Sebastian Rejman)
How It Did: Did Not Qualify
Claim(s) to Fame: DJ and producer who performed Sandstorm
Darude might be one of the more niche celebrities on this list, if not the most. His big break came in 1999, when his dance song Sandstorm became an international hit. It peaked at number one in several countries, and charted in the top five in the US dance singles category while going platinum. That song is still played today at various sporting events in the United States.
The largest chunk of his musical success was behind him when he appeared at Eurovision in 2019. His was the only song out of this list not to qualify for the grand final, but in his defense, most of the performers came from “Big Five” countries that get there automatically, and came from contests before the semifinal even existed. Darude’s most recent album was released in 2023.
They Kind of Count
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Year & Country: 2009, United Kingdom
Song: It’s My Time (Jade Ewen)
How It Did: 5th Place
Claim(s) to Fame: EGOT winner and Broadway fixture
What’s The Catch: He was on stage playing the piano and received both songwriting and backing credit, but did not get top billing
Andrew Lloyd Webber, one of the most recognizable names in the history of musical theater around the world, was directly involved in Britain’s 2009 Eurovision entry. Jade Ewen’s fifth-place finish was the UK’s best result in seven years.
As if he did not have enough titles or accolades, Lloyd Webber was granted a peerage in the British House of Lords in 1997, serving in the United Kingdom’s upper house for two decades as Baron Lloyd-Webber of Sydmonton. However, as he was busy winning awards and producing hit songs and shows, he rarely attended votes and retired in 2017.
Flo Rida
Year & Country: 2021, San Marino
Song: Adrenalina (Senhit)
How It Did: 22nd Place
Claim(s) to Fame: Grammy-nominated hip-hop star
What’s The Catch: Though he was on stage and very much a participant in the live performance, he was officially uncredited
Of all the celebrities at Eurovision over the years, this was the only American solo act. (Katrina from 1997 was born in America, but not a soloist.) San Marino, a tiny enclave country surrounded by Italy, established a reputation for recycling performers. They sent Valentina Monetta four times, Serhat twice, and Senhit twice. The latter sent the song Adrenalina to the contest in the post-Covid year 2021, and joining her on stage was Flo Rida, noted American rapper. It was unknown until the week of the contest if he would actually appear in Rotterdam or not, but there he was.
Flo Rida helped propel San Marino out of the semifinal for just the third time in their history, but the act went flat at the grand final.
