Slovakia in the Eurovision Song Contest

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Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Script error: No such module "Infobox".Template:Template other

Slovakia has been represented at the Eurovision Song Contest seven times, debuting in Template:Escyr. It had attempted to debut in Template:Escyr, but did not pass through the qualifying round. In the first three finals that Slovakia participated in, it placed no better than 18th, which it achieved in Template:Escyr. Due to poor results, Slovakia was relegated in Template:Escyr and Template:Escyr, and eventually withdrew in Template:Escyr. The country returned in Template:Escyr, although it withdrew again within four years, having failed to qualify for the final every year since its return.

History

Before participation

During the time of Czechoslovakia, Czechoslovak Television (ČST) is known to have broadcast a number of editions of the contest in Czechoslovakia during the 1960s to the early 1990s.[1][2][3][4] Karel Gott, one of the most popular Czechoslovakian artists, represented Austria in the 1968 contest, held in London, United Kingdom. Furthermore, the Prague Theatre of Illuminated Drawings from the Czech capital performed as interval act in the 1984 contest, held in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg. Czechoslovakia was a member of EBU for a short time from 1991 until its dissolution in 1992.

Debut and first span of participation (1993–1998)

Slovakia had planned on entering the contest at the 1993 contest, but with the introduction of many new countries, a preliminary round was held to trim down the number of new entries. Kvalifikacija za Millstreet took place on 3 April 1993 and was hosted by Radiotelevizija Slovenija in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The competition featured seven countries competing for only three places in the final. Slovakia was represented by internally selected band Elán with "Amnestia na neveru" and came fourth in the contest, just one point away from qualification behind Croatia, and therefore had to wait another year before entering again. Despite the non-qualification for the event, STV did send a commentary team to Millstreet, Ireland and broadcast coverage of the contest on the broadcaster's main channel.

Slovakia made its first official appearance at the Eurovision Song Contest 1994 in Dublin, where the country was represented for the first time by Tublatanka with "Nekonečná pieseň". Slovakia's first attempt proved reasonably unsuccessful, with the band receiving points from just two countries; three points from Greece and a surprising twelve points from Malta placing the country nineteenth on the leaderboard. This was unfortunately not enough to guarantee a spot for Slovakia in the Eurovision Song Contest 1995, with the then EBU rules specifying that the bottom seven countries would be relegated the following year. STV then decided to not even broadcast the 1995 contest.

In 1996, Slovakia returned to the Eurovision Song Contest, with STV deciding to internally select their representative for the third time in a row. Ultimately, Marcel Palonder was internally selected to represent Slovakia in Eurovision Song Contest 1996 with the song "Kým nás máš". Due to the rising number of countries wishing to participate, in 1996 the EBU introduced an audio-only qualification round. Slovakia managed to qualify in seventeenth place in a field of twenty-nine and progressed to the final. Here, Slovakia achieved their best result to date, placing eighteenth with nineteen points. However, it was not enough to guarantee participation in the 1997 contest and Slovakia was, once again, relegated.

For the 1998 contest, which was held in Birmingham in the United Kingdom, STV selected their artist through the national final Bratislavská Lýra 1998 - a contest which held previously been held during the existence of Czechoslovakia but revived for the purpose of selecting Slovakia's artist for the Eurovision Song Contest. The event took place on 7 June 1997, in which Katarína Hasprová took victory and was hence selected by STV to represent the country at the 1998 contest. The broadcaster internally selected "Modlitba" to be sung by Hasprová. At the contest, Slovakia only managed to receive eight points - all of which came from Croatia. This was the country's last participation for a number of years.

First withdrawal (1999–2008)

Due to a poor average score, Slovakia was automatically excluded from the Eurovision Song Contest 1999 and would therefore not be eligible to participate until 2000. However, after being due to return, STV withdrew due to financial concerns.[5] Throughout the early 2000s, the Eurovision project was mainly ignored by STV. After the first appearance of Slovakia's neighbour: the Czech Republic in Template:Escyr, the program director of Slovenská Televízia (STV), Peter Lipták, stated on 11 May 2007 that STV would like to participate in the 2008 contest, but due to a lack of financial funds Slovakia did not make a return.[6]

Second span of participation (2009–2012)

File:Flickr - aktivioslo - Slovakia - Kristina Pelakova.jpg
Kristína represented Slovakia in 2010 and failed to qualify from the semi-final despite being a bookmakers and fan favourite to win the contest.

On 24 September 2008, STV announced their return to the Eurovision Song Contest in 2009 after an eleven-year absence.[7][8] The program director of STV Roman Lipták stated that the pressure from local artists was the driving force behind the country's return.[9] Upon their return, STV organised a large-scale national final to select their entry. Eurosong 2009 consisted of six shows which commenced on 15 February 2009 and concluded with a final on 8 March 2009. The competition resulted in the selection of Slovak duo Kamil Mikulčík and Nela Pocisková with "Leť tmou". At the contest, the entry only received eight points and failed to qualify for the competition. For the 2010 contest, STV held the same national selection method, which resulted in the selection of Kristína with "Horehronie". Despite being a bookies and fan favourite, the song failed to qualify to the final - finishing in sixteenth place with twenty-four points.

File:Twiins at ESC 2011.jpg
Twiins represented Slovakia in 2011.

Though STV originally stated that Slovakia would not take part in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2011, it eventually did appear in Düsseldorf represented by the new national public broadcaster Radio and Television of Slovakia (RTVS), which had been created on 1 January 2011.[10][11] On 18 February 2011, RTVS revealed their choice for Slovakia's 2011 entry. The song was "I'm Still Alive" and was performed by twin sisters Daniela and Veronika Nízlová, known as the pop duo TWiiNS. The sisters had prior experience at Eurovision as backing singers and dancers for Tereza Kerndlová, the Czech entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008. The 2011 entry was the first Slovak entry performed in English. TWiiNS eventually finished 13th in their semi-final, thereby not qualifying for the final. RTVS sent an entry to the contest in 2012, with a song that was selected internally. At a press conference on 7 March 2012, the Slovak entry for the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest was announced as Max Jason Mai with the song "Don't Close Your Eyes". It was performed in the second semi-final, held on 24 May 2012 and did not qualify in the final, placing last with 22 points.

Second withdrawal (2013–present)

On 4 December 2012, RTVS announced its withdrawal from the 2013 contest, beginning an absence that has continued in every edition since.[12][13][14] However, RTVS returned to Eurovision Young Dancers in 2015, with RTVS explaining that their return to Eurovision Young Dancers was in support of domestic production and promoted national culture at a European level. RTVS' PR manager, Juraj Kadáš, explained in April 2016 that Slovakia's absence from the contest since 2012 was not due to poor results, but rather the costs associated with participation.[15] This was reiterated in May 2023 by Filip Púchovský from the PR department of RTVS, adding that if Slovakia were to return to the contest, their artist would likely have to fund themselves rather than by the broadcaster.[16]

On 8 August 2023, the head of marketing communication at RTVS, Zuzana Vicelová, stated that the broadcaster was considering a return to the contest in 2025, following a restructuring of the broadcaster's financing model by the Slovak government, with the support of general director Ľuboš Machaj.[17] The following month, Machaj declared that the broadcaster was actively working to secure the funding needed to participate in 2025.[18] On 8 April 2024, RTVS announced that it would not return to the contest in 2025 due to budget cuts, putting any potential return in jeopardy.[19]

On 29 May 2025, Filip Púchovský, a press representative for STVR, stated that it plans to reassess its participation in the contest and may return under "favourable budgetary and artistic conditions".[20]

Participation overview

Table key
◁ Last place
X Entry selected but did not compete
Year Artist Song Language Final Points Semi Points
Template:Escyr Elán "Script error: No such module "Lang"." Slovak colspan="2" Template:N/ATemplate:Efn X 4 50
Template:Escyr Martin Ďurinda and Tublatanka "Script error: No such module "Lang"." Slovak 19 15 colspan="2" Template:N/A
Template:Escyr Marcel Palonder "Script error: No such module "Lang"." Slovak 18 19 17 38
Template:Escyr Katarína Hasprová "Script error: No such module "Lang"." Slovak 21 8 colspan="2" Template:N/A
Template:Escyr Kamil Mikulčík and Nela Pocisková "Script error: No such module "Lang"." Slovak colspan="2" rowspan="4" Template:N/A 18 8
Template:Escyr Kristina "Script error: No such module "Lang"." Slovak 16 24
Template:Escyr Twiins "I'm Still Alive" English 13 48
Template:Escyr Max Jason Mai "Don't Close Your Eyes" English 18 ◁ 22

Trivia

Songs by language

Template:Pie chart

Songs Language Years
6 Slovak 1993, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2009, 2010
2 English 2011, 2012

Selection process

Year Selection process
Template:Escyr Internal selection
Template:Escyr
Template:Escyr
Template:Escyr Bratislavská lýra for artist; internal selection for song
Year Selection process
Template:Escyr Eurosong with 50 participants
Template:Escyr Eurosong with 60 participants
Template:Escyr Internal selection
Template:Escyr

Related involvement

Delegation members

The public broadcaster of each participating country in the Eurovision Song Contest assigns a head of delegation as the EBU's contact person and the leader of their delegation at the event. The delegation, whose size can greatly vary, includes a head of press, the contestants, songwriters, composers and backing vocalists, among others.[21]

Heads of delegation

Year Head of delegation Ref.
Template:Escyr–Template:Escyr Jana Majorava
[22][23]
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Heads of press

Year Head of press Ref.
Template:Escyr–Template:Escyr Alon Amir
[22]
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Costume designers

Year Costume designers Ref.
Template:Escyr Lucia Senášiová
[24]
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Conductors

Between 1993 and 1998, Slovakia sent a native conductor to the contest every year the country took part until the orchestra was dropped by the EBU in 1999.

Year ConductorTemplate:Efn Ref.
Kvalifikacija za Millstreet Vladimir Valovič
[25]
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Template:Escyr
[26]
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Template:Escyr Juraj Burian
[27]
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Template:Escyr Vladimír Valovič
[28]
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Commentators and spokespersons

For the show's broadcast on STV and RTVS, various commentators have provided commentary on the contest in the Slovak language. At the Eurovision Song Contest after all points are calculated, the presenters of the show call upon each voting country to invite each respective spokesperson to announce the results of their vote on-screen.[29] In 2011, Rádio FM began broadcasting the final of the contest, a broadcast which has continued every year (with the exception of 2022) from Slovakia's withdrawal in 2012 until the creation of Slovak Television and Radio in 2025. Though the EBU initially announced that STVR would be broadcasting the final of the 2025 contest on radio, the broadcast never appeared on STVR radio scheduling.[30]

Year Television Radio Spokesperson Ref.
Channel Commentator Channel Commentator
Template:Escyr ČST Template:N/A rowspan="34" colspan="2" Template:N/A rowspan="26" Template:N/A
[31]
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Template:Escyr Template:Ill
[32]
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Template:Escyr
[33]
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Template:Escyr Miroslav Horníček
[34][35]
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Template:Escyr Template:N/A
Template:Escyr ČST1 Vladimír Dvořák and Ivan Úradníček [36]
Template:Escyr Ivan Úradníček [37]
Template:Escyr ČST2 Blažena Kočtúchová [38]
Template:Escyr J. Šrámek [39]
Template:Escyr–Template:Escyr colspan="2" Template:N/A
Template:Escyr ČST2 rowspan="2" Template:N/A [40]
Template:Escyr [41]
Template:Escyr–Template:Escyr colspan="2" Template:N/A
Template:Escyr ČST2 rowspan="14" Template:N/A
[42]
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Template:Escyr ČST1
[43]
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Template:Escyr ČST2
[44]
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Template:Escyr
[45]
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Template:Escyr
[46]
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Template:Escyr
[47]
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Template:Escyr [48]
Template:Escyr [49]
Template:Escyr ČST1 [50]
Template:Escyr ČST2 [51]
Template:Escyr Template:Ill
[52]
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Template:Escyr Template:Ill
[53]
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Template:Escyr STV2 [54]
Template:Escyr Juraj Čurný [55]
Template:Escyr colspan="2" Template:N/A Template:N/A Template:N/A
Template:Escyr STV2 rowspan="3" Template:N/A Alena Heribanová [56]
Template:Escyr Template:N/A [57]
Template:Escyr Alena Heribanová [58]
Template:Escyr–Template:Escyr colspan="2" Template:N/A Template:N/A Template:N/A
Template:Escyr Dvojka Roman Bomboš Ľubomír Bajaník
[59][60][61][62]
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Template:Escyr
[63][64][65]
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Template:Escyr Jednotka (SF1 & Final)
Dvojka (SF2)		 Rádio FM Roman Bomboš Mária Pietrová
[66]
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Template:Escyr Jednotka Rádio Slovensko
Rádio FM		 Roman Bomboš (Rádio Slovensko)
Daniel Baláž and Pavol Hubinák (Rádio FM)
[67]
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Template:Escyr rowspan="12" colspan="2" Template:N/A Rádio FM Daniel Baláž and Pavol Hubinák rowspan="12" Template:N/A
[68]
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Template:Escyr Daniel Baláž, Pavol Hubinák and Juraj Kemka
[69][70]
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Template:Escyr
[71]
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Template:Escyr
[72]
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Template:Escyr
[73]
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Template:Escyr Daniel Baláž, Pavol Hubinák, Juraj Malíček, Ela Tolstová and Celeste Buckingham
[74]
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Template:Escyr Daniel Baláž and Pavol Hubinák
[75]
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Template:Escyr Daniel Baláž, Lucia Haverlík, Pavol Hubinák and Juraj Malíček
[76][77]
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Template:Escyr colspan="2" Template:N/ATemplate:Efn
[78]
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Template:Escyr Rádio FM Daniel Baláž, Lucia Haverlík, Pavol Hubinák and Juraj Malíček
[79][80][81][82]
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Template:Escyr
[83][84]
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Template:Escyr colspan="2" Template:N/A
[85]
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Photo gallery

Notes and references

Notes

Template:Notelist

References

Template:Reflist

Template:Slovakia in the Eurovision Song Contest Template:Eurovision Song Contest

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  9. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  11. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  12. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  13. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  14. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  15. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  16. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  17. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  18. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  19. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  20. ↑ https://escspot.pl/2025/06/07/exclusive-slowacja-rozwazy-powrot-na-eurowizje-w-niedalekiej-przyszlosci/
  21. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  22. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  23. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".Template:Cbignore
  24. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  25. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  26. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  27. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  28. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  29. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  30. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  31. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  32. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  33. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  34. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  35. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  36. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
  37. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
  38. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
  39. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
  40. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
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  42. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  43. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  44. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  45. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  46. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  47. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  48. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  49. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
  50. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  51. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  52. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  53. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  54. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  55. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  56. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  57. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  58. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  59. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  60. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  61. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  62. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  63. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  64. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  65. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  66. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  67. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  68. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  69. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  70. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  71. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  72. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  73. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  74. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  75. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  76. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  77. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  78. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  79. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  80. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  81. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  82. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  83. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  84. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  85. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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