Eurovision Song Contest 1957

Infobox Eurovision
name = Eurovision Song Contest 1957


final = 3 March 1957
presenters = Anaïd Iplicjian
conductor = Willy Berking
host = flagicon|Germany HR for Deutsches Fernsehen/ARD
venue = Großer Sendesaal des Hessischen Rundfunks, Frankfurt, Germany
winner = flag|Netherlands
"Net Als Toen"
vote = Each country had 10 jury members who each awarded 1 point to their favourite song
entries = 10
debut = flag|Austria
flag|Denmark
flag|United Kingdom
return =
withdraw =
null = None
interval = None
opening =
con = Eurovision Song Contest
pre = ◄1956
nex = 1958►

The Eurovision Song Contest 1957 was the 2nd Eurovision Song Contest. Like the first contest, this one was still mainly a radio programme, but there was a noticeable increase in the number of people with televisions.

For some time, a rumour has existed that the German entry "Das Lied vom Großen Glück" by Walter Andreas Schwarz came second at the 1956 contest and that is why Germany hosted the Eurovision Song Contest 1957. In fact, the rule stating that the winning nation hosted the next year's Eurovision had not yet been conceived, and it was planned at the time that each participating country would take it in turns to host the event. However, as more countries wished to participate, this became impractical.

In this year's contest the Italian entry lasted for 5:09 minutes, whilst the UK's entry lasted for only 1:52 minutes. It was because of songs like the former that a rule was eventually introduced restricting each song to a maximum of 3 minutes; this rule still applies today.

Birthe Wilke and Gustav Winckler at the end of their song exchanged the longest kiss that has ever occurred in the contest — although, of course, only people with televisions could actually see it. This was due to a member of the production staff forgetting to give a pre-arranged sign that the kiss should end.

This was the first year where the juries were contacted by telephone. It was the first time the Netherlands won the contest.

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