Belgium at Eurovision: Hits, Misses, and One Win

A light-hearted journey through Belgium’s quirky, colorful, and sometimes cringeworthy history in Eurovision, the world’s biggest song contest.

It’s that time of year again – when sequins sparkle, confetti flies, and Europe tunes in for a spectacle like no other. Whether you’re a die-hard fan or a bemused observer, the Eurovision Song Contest is impossible to ignore. It’s on our screens, in our social feeds, sparking conversations everywhere from school gates to offices – and, of course, at countless glitter-filled Eurovision parties.

Belgium has been part of the Eurovision story since the very beginning in 1956, missing only a handful of editions. So what better moment to take a journey through our nation’s colorful, courageous, and sometimes quirky contributions to the contest? From heartfelt ballads to eyebrow-raising outfits, this is a look back at Belgium’s Eurovision highs, lows, and everything in between.

1956

Belgium made its Eurovision debut in 1956 with not one, but two entries – both in French, and worlds apart in tone. Mony Marc sang the buoyant “Le Plus Beau Jour de ma Vie” (“The Most Beautiful Day of My Life”), a cheerful ode to love and happiness. In contrast, Fud Leclerc’s haunting ballad “Messieurs Les Noyés de la Seine” (“The Drowned Men of the Seine”) painted a far darker picture. With lyrics like “The girl I loved never loved me; the friends I had have all abandoned me; I’m traveling the world to find spring,” Fud brought a brooding intensity to a contest still in its infancy. The voting that year was shrouded in secrecy, so we’ll never know how their fates truly compared – but Belgium had certainly arrived with both light and shadow.

1957

“Straatdeuntje” (Streetlight) by Bobbejaan Schoepen, performed in Dutch, finished 8th with 5 points. He later founded the hugely popular amusement park Bobbejaanland.

1958

Fud Leclerc is given another go – and he’s a fast learner. After his depressing song of two years ago, his 1958 entry, “Ma Petite Chatte”, translates as “My Little Darling.” Out of 10 contestants, he placed 5th with 8 points.

1959

“Hou toch van mij” (Do Love Me) by Bob Benny, in Dutch, secured 6th place with 9 points. Bob isn’t really Bob; it’s his stage name. Much more memorable and catchy than his real name: Emilius Wagemans.

1960

A THIRD attempt by Fud Leclerc (his unusual name stands for Ferdinand Urbain Dominic), and his position continues to decline. “Mon amour pour toi” finished 6th with 9 points. Surely it’s time to hand over the baton?

1961

What’s this perseverance with Fud and Bob? Surely Belgium could find some other singers? Bob Benny tries again – with “September, gouden roos” (September, golden rose) – and fails miserably. He managed to pick up one point – from friendly neighbor Luxembourg – consigning Bob to a joint last-place finish.

1962

Oh come on, this is getting ridiculous! This is Fud’s FOURTH attempt at Eurovision – and his worst showing yet. “Ton nom” (Your Name), received nul points, finishing 13th and last. Mind you, he did achieve a certain record: It was the first song performed at the Contest that scored “nul points”!

1963

At last, Bob and Fud are shunted out of the way to make space for new talent. Singer Jacques Raymond tried his luck with “Waarom?” (Why?). He gained a total of 4 points, placing 10th. Maybe he should have entitled his entry “Why bother?”

1964

In 1964, Robert Cogoi took to the stage with “Près de ma rivière” (“Close by My River”), a gentle ballad sung in French. It drifted quietly into 10th place with just 2 points. By this point, Belgium had sent out a near-unbroken stream of male performers since Mony Marc’s bright debut in 1956 – and with results that ranged from underwhelming to downright dismal. Surely, many were beginning to wonder: was it time to let a woman take the mic again?

1965

Indeed it was, and the honor fell to Lize Marke, singing “Als het weer lente is” (When It’s Spring Again”). Hopes were high … and hopes were crushed. Lize received the dreaded and embarrassing “nul points”, finishing, obviously, last out of 18 entrants.

1966

At last, something positive to write home about. “Un peu de poivre, un peu de sel” (A little pepper, a little salt) by Tonia, achieved 4th place, marking Belgium’s best result so far. Was this something to build on as the country aimed for a place on the podium?

1967-1977

Alas, it was not to be. The next ten years saw Belgium field a variety of performers doing their best, but their highest position achieved was a humble 7th:

• 1967: “Ik heb zorgen” by Louis Neefs, in Dutch, placed 7^th with 8 points.
• 1968: “Quand tu reviendras” by Claude Lombard, in French, finished 7th with 8 points.
• 1969: “Jennifer Jennings” by Louis Neefs, in Dutch, secured 7th place with 10 points.
• 1970: “Viens l’oublier” by Jean Vallée, in French, placed 8th with 5 points.
• 1971: “Goeiemorgen, morgen” by Jacques Raymond and Lily Castel, in Dutch, finished 14th with 68 points.
• 1972: “À la folie ou pas du tout” by Serge and Christine Ghisoland, in French, placed 17th with 55 points.
• 1973: “Baby, Baby” by Nicole and Hugo, in Dutch, finished last (17th) with 58 points.
• 1974: “Fleur de liberté” by Jacques Hustin, in French, placed 9th with 10 points.
• 1975: “Gelukkig zijn” by Ann Christy, in Dutch/English, finished 15th with 17 points.
• 1976: “Judy et Cie” by Pierre Rapsat, in French, placed 8th with 68 points.
• 1977: “A Million in One, Two, Three” by Dream Express, in English, finished 7th with 69 points.

1978

Finally, a performance that put Belgium on the podium. “L’amour ça fait chanter la vie” (Love makes life sing) by Jean Vallée, achieved 2nd place with 125 points, marking Belgium’s first top-three finish. Well done Jean! And notice how he cleverly manages to keep playing the piano while moving away from it! (1.05 in video):

1979

After hitting the heights in 1978, it’s time to come crashing back to earth. “Hey Nana” by Micha Marah, in Dutch, scored a meagre 5 points, to end up in 18th position and joint last.

1980

Another “first” for Belgium. “Euro-Vision”, performed in French by Telex, was the first entry to mention the contest by name. Unfortunately it was a send-up of the event. Before going on stage, lead singer Michel Moers said that they hoped to finish last. However, Portugal ruined his day by awarding Telex 10 points. So Telex finished 17th instead of the hoped-for 19th.

1981-1985

A mixed bag of performances:

• 1981: “Samson” by Emly Starr, in Dutch, placed 13th with 40 points.
• 1982: “Si tu aimes ma musique” by Stella, finished a creditable 4th with 96 points.
• 1983: “Rendez-vous” by Pas de Deux, in Dutch, placed 18th with 13 points.
• 1984: “Avanti la vie” by Jacques Zegers, finished 5th with 70 points.
• 1985: “Laat me nu gaan” by Linda Lepomme, in Dutch, was awarded only 7 points, and ended up at the bottom of the pile.

1986: A WIN AT LAST!

30 years after the Eurovision Song Contest was established, Belgium struck gold! “J’aime la vie” (I Love Life)( by Sandra Kim, won the contest with 176 points, giving Belgium its first victory. What’s more, at 13 years old, Sandra became the youngest winner in Eurovision history, a record that still stands. Well done Sandra, whose win led to wild celebrations across Belgium.

Sandra’s performance was not entirely without controversy. Some thought she was masquerading as 15 years old when in fact she was 13 years and 7 months. This was because she sang: “Moi j’ai quinze ans et je te dis, whoa whoa, j’aime la vie” (I am fifteen and I tell you, whoa whoa, I love life). But her victory was allowed – although the rules were then tightened so that entrants had to be at least 16.

1987-2002

For the remainder of the century, Belgium continued to be placed in the bottom half of the contest.

• 1987: “Soldiers of Love” by Liliane Saint-Pierre, in English, finished 11th with 56 points.
• 1988: “Laissez briller le soleil” by Reynaert, scored just 5 points and ended up 18th out of 20.
• 1989: “Door de wind” by Ingeborg, in Dutch, finished 19th with 13 points.
• 1990: “Macédomienne” by Philippe Lafontaine, in French, placed 12th with 46 points.
• 1991: “Geef het op” by Clouseau, in Dutch, finished 16th with 23 points.
• 1992: “Nous, on veut des violons” by Morgane, placed 20th out of 23 with 11 points.
• 1993: “Iemand als jij” by Barbara Dex, in Dutch, finished last (25th) with just 3 points.
• 1994: “Liefde is een kaartspel” by Lisa del Bo, in Dutch, finished 16th with 22 points.
• 1995: “La voix est libre” by Frédéric Etherlinck, finished 20th with 8 points.
• 1996: “Liefde is een kaartspel” by Lisa del Bo, in Dutch, finished 16th with 22 points.
• 1997: Unable to participate (relegated due to poor performance in 1996)
• 1998: “Dis oui” by Mélanie Cohl did well to finish 6th with 122 points.
• 1999: “Like the Wind” by Vanessa Chinitor, in English, ended up 12th with 38 points.
• 2000: “Envie de vivre” by Nathalie Source, in French, finished 24th and last, with 2 points.
• 2001: Unable to participate (relegated due to poor performance in 2000)
• 2002: “Sister” by Sergio and the Ladies”, in English, finished 13th with 33 points.

The only comment worth making is in regard to Barbara Dex (1993). Barbara’s self-made, semi-transparent dress caught the attention, but for all the wrong reasons. It led to the creation of the Barbara Dex Award, given annually (until 2021) to the worst-dressed performer at Eurovision.

2003

In 2003, Belgium took a bold creative leap. Departing from the usual rhythm of alternating French and Dutch entries, the group Urban Trad stepped onto the Eurovision stage with “Sanomi” – a haunting, ethereal song sung in an entirely imaginary language. No one knew what it meant, and perhaps that was its magic. With its mysterious lyrics and hypnotic harmonies, “Sanomi” captured the hearts of Europe, earning 165 points and soaring to a stunning 2nd place – missing victory by a mere two points. So close!

2004 – 2009

From 2004, qualifying was introduced. Belgian singer Xandee got through the semi-final in 2004 with “1 Life”, sung in English, but struggled to 22nd position (out of 24), with 7 points, 5 of which came from friendly neighbor The Netherlands. For the next five years Belgium did not do particularly well in the semi-finals:

• 2005: “Le Grand Soir” by Nuno Resende failed to qualify.
• 2006: “Je t’adore” by Kate Ryan, in English, failed to qualify.
• 2007: “Love Power” by The KMGs, in English, failed to qualify.
• 2008: “O Julissi” by Ishtar, in another imaginary language, failed to qualify.
• 2009: “Copycat” by Copycat, in English, failed to qualify.

2010

This was a high spot for Belgium. In a contest often known for glitter, gimmicks, and grand theatrics, Tom Dice brought a breath of fresh air to the event. Stepping quietly onto the stage with nothing but an acoustic guitar and an honest voice, Tom reminded Europe what pure musical talent looked and sounded like. No flashy costumes, no over-the-top choreography – just a beautifully crafted song, “Me and My Guitar”, delivered with heartfelt sincerity. His performance cut through the noise, resonating deeply with audiences. Tom soared through his semi-final in first place and went on to claim a well-earned 6th place in the final with 143 points. I thought he should have placed even higher – but in that moment, he had already won something greater: the respect of music lovers across the continent.

2011 – present

By now, French and Dutch had been ditched for English. Not that it helped, apart from two notable exceptions:

• 2011: “With Love Baby” by Witloof Baby failed to qualify for the final.
• 2012: “Would You?” by Iris failed to qualify.
• 2013: “Love Kills” by Roberto Bellarosa finished 12th with 71 points.
• 2014: “Mother” by Axel Hirsoux failed to qualify.
• 2015: Loïc Nottet’s “Rhythm Inside” did well to earn an excellent 4th place with 271 points.
• 2016: Laura Tesoro and “What’s the Pressure?” ended 10th with 181 points.
• 2017: “City Lights” by Blanche hit the high notes of 4th with 363 points.
• 2018: “A Matter of Time” by Sennek failed to qualify.
• 2019: “Wake Up” by Eliot, sent the judges to sleep, and did not qualify.
• 2020: Hooverphonic were all set to perform “Release Me” but the contest was cancelled due to COVID-19.
• 2021: Hooverphonic got another chance, performing “The Wrong Place” but probably wished they hadn’t as they ended up 19th with 74 points.
• 2022: 19th was also the position for Jérémie Makiese with “Miss You”.
• 2023: Gustaph represented Belgium with “Because of You,” finishing 7th.
• 2024: “Before the Party’s Over” by Mustii did not qualify for the final.

2025

Hopes were high in Basel this year for Red Sebastian with his song “Strobe Lights”. However, despite a strong performance in the semi-final, he failed to qualify for the final.

Summary

So there you have it. To summarize Belgium’s performance in the Eurovision Song Contest:

• Participations: 66         
• Victories: 1 (1986)
• 2^nd place: 2
• 3^rd place: 0
• Last place: 8 (1961, 1962, 1965, 1973, 1979, 1985, 1993, 2000)
• Nul points: 2 (1962, 1965)
• Finals (since 2004): 9 out of 21

One win out of 66 attempts might not place Belgium at the top of the Eurovision leaderboard – especially when compared to our neighbors. France, Luxembourg, the UK, and the Netherlands each boast five victories. But Eurovision has never just been about winning. Belgium’s entries have brought moments of joy, surprise, laughter, and the occasional raised eyebrow. They’ve added color, creativity, and character to the contest, year after year. And who knows? The next unforgettable moment could be just around the corner.

Enjoy this year’s Eurovision Song Contest – may it be as wonderfully unpredictable as ever! As ever, drop your comments below or via email.

Denzil Walton

I created Discovering Belgium in 2011 to share the country’s hidden stories, fascinating places, and remarkable people. Through articles, photography, and audio walks, I share discoveries that reveal Belgium beyond the obvious. Hope you enjoy this site.