Luxembourg at the Eurovision Song Contest

2025: Laura Thorn in Basel

After a successful comeback in 2024, Luxembourg is continuing its Eurovision journey on a high note in 2025 – this time with Laura Thorn representing the Grand Duchy. Her incredibly catchy song "La poupée monte le son" is a direct tribute to France Gall’s “Poupée de cire, poupée de son”, with which she won the contest for Luxembourg exactly 60 years ago. But while France Gall sang about a puppet that was under the control of others, Laura Thorn tackles themes such as self-determination and strength, delivering a powerful song that combines nostalgic elements with a modern pop sound.

Luxembourg 12 Points? We will find out whether Laura Thorn can win this year’s contest at the Semi-Final on 15 May, followed by the ESC Grand Final on 17 May 2025 in Basel, Switzerland!

Luxembourg and the ESC: a success story

Despite its small size, the Grand Duchy has always proven throughout ESC history that it can think big in terms of music. Having racked up five wins and various other top positions on the leader board, Luxembourg is the sixth most successful participating country in the contest, just behind the Netherlands (5th place), France (4th place), the UK (3rd place), Sweden (2nd place) and Ireland (1st place).

Luxembourg’s five ESC winners:

• 1961: Jean-Claude Pascal – "Nous les amoureux". The actor and singer impressed viewers with an emotional ballad that advocated for equality and same-sex relationships, making it far ahead of its time.
• 1965: France Gall – "Poupée de cire, poupée de son". This song, written by Serge Gainsbourg, was one of the first modern pop songs at the ESC. It was performed by France Gall, who was just 17-years-old at the time.
• 1972: Vicky Leandros – "Après toi". The German-Greek singer captivated millions of viewers with this dramatic ballad. The song became an international hit and was released in six other languages.
• 1973: Anne-Marie David – "Tu te reconnaîtras". This powerful anthem was performed under the direction of Luxembourgish conductor and composer Pierre Cao, earning the Grand Duchy a second consecutive victory.
• 1983: Corinne Hermès – "Si la vie est cadeau". By putting on an emotional performance, Luxembourg’s most recent winner was able to secure victory in a neck-and-neck race against the Israeli participant.

Luxembourg has hosted the Eurovision Song Contest four times altogether, not only delighting viewers with its music but also impressing them with its elaborate shows in Villa Louvigny and the Grand Théâtre. The Luxembourgish organisers opted for elaborate lighting and stage effects, as well as technical innovations in live broadcasts, whose use was revolutionary for the time and had a lasting impact on the show.

The last time that Luxembourg hosted the ESC was in 1984, after Corinne Hermès’ victory. The then 19-year-old Désirée Nosbusch – now an internationally renowned and successful actress and director – hosted the event in several different languages.

A return to the ESC stage after 31 years

After Luxembourg’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1993, the country withdrew completely from the contest. It wasn’t until 2024, after a 31-year break, that Luxembourg made its major comeback on the ESC stage.

The newly introduced Luxembourg Song Contest (LSC) has since served as the national selection show, where the audience, together with an international jury, votes on Luxembourg’s ESC entry. Over the past two years, the contest has provided a platform for a range of talented artists to impress the audience.

In 2024, Tali won the LSC with her song "Fighter" and represented Luxembourg in Malmö, Sweden. The energetic power song earned her 13th place in the competition.

Music connects people

Shaped by reconstruction, cooperation between nations and the pursuit of lasting peace, the European broadcasting landscape in the 1950s sought innovative ways to strengthen transnational connections and promote shared radio and TV programmes. In 1955, Marcel Bezençon, Director of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), came up with the idea of organising an international music competition for which each participating country would send its own entry. The first edition of the “Grand Prix Eurovision de la Chanson Européenne” – as the “Eurovision Song Contest” was called at the time – was held in 1956 in Lugano, Switzerland. Luxembourg was one of the very first countries to take part right from the start, together with just six others.

While the early editions were primarily followed on the radio, the competition developed over the years into one of the largest live TV events in European television. More and more countries joined the show, expanding the international audience beyond Europe’s borders. The elaborate stage shows and memorable songs have since enchanted millions of viewers every year, with 163 million alone for the 2024 edition!

The musical diversity, creative staging and cultural representation that each country brings with its entry make the Eurovision Song Contest unique and impressively showcase what defines the European community year after year.