It has been confirmed that Luxembourg will not be returning for the 2022 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest in Italy.
According to Eurofestivales, the Luxembourgish broadcaster RTL Télé Lëtzebuerg has stated that the Grand Duchy will not be returning to the contest. This makes them the fourth nation to confirm that they will not be participating, along with Slovakia and Andorra. Belarus will not be returning as their broadcaster is sanctioned by the EBU. It is also widely expected that Bosnia & Herzegovina will not be taking part, due to ongoing financial difficulties.
Luxembourg are amongst the most successful nations in the Eurovision Song Contest, notching up an impressive 5 victories before being relegated after a poor result in the 1993 contest. They have not returned since.
There have been some calls within the country for a return to the contest, and it was debated by the Luxembourgish government in 2016 after it was petitioned. Unfortunately there was no change and RTL have continued to not participate, despite being an EBU member.
It is reported that financial restraints are one of the most prevalent barriers to a contest return. The public service remit of RTL states that their main focus should be on delivering Luxembourgish news to Luxembourgish citizens, and unfortunately the Eurovision Song Contest does not fall under this remit.
The 2022 edition will be taking place in Italy, and currently over 20 countries have confirmed their participation, with that number expected to grow in the coming months.
Source: Eurofestivales (In Spanish) // Image source: BBC
Luxembourg in the Eurovision Song Contest
Luxembourg was one of seven countries to take part in the first Eurovision Song Contest in 1956. Luxembourg participated in the contest a total of 37 times before withdrawing from the contest after 1993. During these 37 years, they won the contest five times, the last of these victories came in 1983. Luxembourg came close to returning to the contest in 2004, however, opted against it due to the financial cost of participating.
