Overview of Eurovision 1964 in Copenhagen

The ninth edition of the Eurovision Song Contest took place on 21 March 1964 at Tivoli Concert Hall in the Danish capital, Copenhagen. This marked the first time the contest was hosted in the Nordic region, following Denmark's win in 1963.

Participants and Debuts

  • Sixteen countries competed, with Portugal making its debut represented by António Calvário.
  • Udo Jürgens also debuted for Austria and would become a Eurovision icon with eventual victory in 1966.
  • Switzerland’s Anita Traversi made her third and final participation this year.
  • The United Kingdom sent popular artist Matt Monro, known for performing the James Bond theme "From Russia With Love." Monro later recorded an English version of Austria's entry, achieving chart success.
  • Notable firsts included Spain's first group performance, as rules required lead by a soloist, and Netherlands’ Anneke Grönloh, the first performer of color and born outside Europe.

Scoring and Outcomes

  • The contest introduced a new scoring system: juries allocated nine points among three songs (5, 3, and 1 points respectively).
  • Portugal, Germany, Switzerland, and Yugoslavia all received their first-ever nul points.
  • Italy won its first Eurovision with Gigliola Cinquetti’s "Non Ho l’Eta," notable for her young age of 16 years and 92 days, setting a record for youngest winner at the time.
  • Cinquetti’s winning margin was substantial, nearly triple the runner-up’s points.

Historical Significance and Legacy

Though no complete television recordings of the 1964 contest survive, audio, fragments, photographs, and memories remain. Thanks to Danish broadcaster DR archives and Finnish broadcaster Yle, some footage of the winning performance has been recovered and made available.

Gigliola Cinquetti would return to Eurovision multiple times, including as a contestant and interval act in future years.

In 2026, the Eurovision Song Contest began a search for missing recordings of 1956 and 1964 contests, hoping to recover lost historic material.