Greece
Facts First participation 1974 (Marinella) Victories 2005 (Helena Paparizou) Hosts Athens 2006
Greece is famous for its ancient history and rich cultural heritage. The country first entered the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974 but until the country won in 2005, it had only finished in the top five on four occasions. Greece hosted the Eurovision Song Contest in 2006 and has never finished last in the competition.
When it comes to success in the Eurovision Song Contest, Greece has had mixed results. Whilst the country didn't exactly set the scoreboard alight when it made its Eurovision debut in the 1970s, it achieved consistent results over the decades and to date, has never finished last in the contest.
The turn of the century saw a change in strategy for Greece; the country experimented with different styles of music and different language combinations. Their secret combination worked and in 2005 Helena Paparizou stole the show in Kyiv with My Number One, taking the contest to Greece for the first time ever. From that point, until 2012, Greece placed consistently inside the top ten which was no mean feat given the rapid expansion of the contest over the years.
Since the semi-finals were introduced Greece has only once failed to qualify for the Grand Final, in 2016.
