The 2026 Eurovision Song Contest is fast approaching, with this year’s acts all preparing themselves to take centre stage in just under a month.
This year, the UK is being represented by Look Mum No Computer, AKA Sam Battle, a live electronics performer, composer and self-proclaimed Eurovision fan.
The current Eurovision odds are currently in favour of Finland taking the crown, with our entry currently predicted to come in 18th place, with odds of 80/1 to win.
But, has the UK ever won Eurovision? And how many times have we hosted the event?
As Eurovision 2026 gets underway, we cast our eyes back to the past – here’s how many times the UK have won in the history of the contest and when the last victory for us was – it was some time ago!
Who has won Eurovision from the UK?
Sandie Shaw – Puppet on a String (1967)
Sandie was our first-ever winner of the contest back in 1967 with her song Puppet on a String – it’s still an absolute banger all these years later if you ask us. It took us a while to get our first victory as the contest originally began in 1956.
Lulu – Boom Bang-a-Bang (1969 as a joint winner with Spain, the Netherlands and France)
Our second win came a mere two years later, those were the days, but it was a bit of a complicated one as Eurovision had never counted on a tie – let alone a four-way one, and we ended up with four different countries emerging on top.
It was the Netherlands who ended up being the hosts for the contest in 1970 – presumably, it wasn’t us as we had only just hosted the year before.
Brotherhood of Man – Save Your Kisses for Me (1976)
We had a few years to wait until our next big win and it was Brotherhood of Man that delivered the goods in 1976 with Save Your Kisses For Me. It’s a super fun tune that is still enjoyable to listen to today – no wonder we won that year!
Bucks Fizz – Making Your Mind Up (1981)
To many, this song defines Eurovision more than any other and it remains one of the most popular songs ever performed in the competition – it’s just so darn catchy!
Bucks Fizz gave us our only win in the ’80s with their 1981 victory and it would be quite the wait until we got another…
Katrina and the Waves – Love, Shine a Light (1997)
Our fifth and, to date, final Eurovision win was all the way back in 1997 and it was Katrina and the Waves and their song, Love, Shine a Light, that did the job.
So that means it has been 25 years since we last emerged on top of the pile when the Eurovision votes were counted and it would be fair to say that we have hardly been a powerhouse in the contest since.
Will 2026 finally be our year?
How many times has the UK hosted Eurovision?
The UK has hosted Eurovision nine times in total, having also stepped in to stage the event when others were unable to do so.
The last time the UK hosted the Eurovision Song Contest was in 2023 in Liverpool, as it was runner-up to winner Ukraine in 2022, which couldn’t host due to the ongoing conflict.
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The Eurovision Song Contest has faced significant criticism over its decision to allow Israel to take part in the event due to the ongoing war in Gaza.
This year, a number of countries will boycott the contest following the European Broadcasting Union’s decision not to expel Israel from the competition.
At the EBU general assembly in December 2025, a vote was held to introduce new rules that would stop governments and third parties from disproportionately promoting songs to influence voters. No vote was held on Israel’s participation.
The EBU said in a statement: “A large majority of members agreed that there was no need for a further vote on participation and that the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 should proceed as planned, with the additional safeguards in place.”
Following this, Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Iceland confirmed they would not participate in this year’s Eurovision.
Irish broadcaster RTÉ said: “RTÉ feels that Ireland’s participation remains unconscionable given the appalling loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there, which continues to put the lives of so many civilians at risk.”
The BBC, which broadcasts the competition in the UK, has said it supports the decision made by the EBU. “This is about enforcing the rules of the EBU and being inclusive,” it said in a statement.
The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 final will take place on Saturday 16 May 2026.
You can also check out the full list of Eurovision winners and how many times the UK has won Eurovision.
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