10th Grand Prix

10° Grand Prix Europe (fr. Dixième Grand Prix de l'Europe) was the tenth edition of the annual Grand Prix contest. The contest was held in Teatro Real in Madrid, Spain, following the victory of Armando Selva in the 9th Grand Prix. Twenty two nations participated in the contest, with Finland making their debut.

The contest was won by Norway with the song Domino. It was Norwegian third participation in a row where the country placed on the podium, having reached 3rd place two editions earlier and 2nd place in a previous contest. Austria finished second, marking their best result to that date and a significant improvement from the last contests, while the host country Spain ended third, earning 98 points. Sweden also received 98 points and the countries both were awarded douze points twice but Spain got 10 points thrice while Sweden got none, pushing the Scandinavian nation below the podium.

Location
Several Spanish cities applied to host, including Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao and Valencia. The Spanish broadcaster, RTE, did not decide to hold a vote between the council's members, claiming that the first Grand Prix to be hosted in Spain should take place in our capital and nowhere else. This statement sparked some controversy, especially within Catalan population, who were actively seeking independence at that time.

The show was held in Teatro Real, one of the major opera halls in the city, following the completion of its renovation a year before. The hall could seat over 1700 people, including audience, orchestras and delegation members.

The show
The broadcaster adapted to the increasing number of the participants, shortening the opening and middle-break sequences: the contest's anthem, La Mille Voix, traditionally played at the beginning of each contest, was dropped and instead mixed into the opening song of last edition's winner, Armando Selva. There was also no interval act, instead there was a short film showcasing the history of music in Spain.

The show was hosted by Nuncio & Daniela Ortega, a singer-actress couple. The pair was using French and English but also Spanish.

There were some controversies during the contest. Andorran song was criticized for being overly political, as the title and the lyrics were about Catalonia and the region's struggle for freedom. While the broadcaster nor the performer weren't punished, the EBU tightened the regulations and restrictions for song lyrics.

Participants
Twenty-two nations participated in the contest, an increase of two compared to the previous edition. Finland made their debut, while Andorra and Portugal returned, with the latter one last participating in the 5th Grand Prix. France initially planned to take part but due to the plane crash of PX611 and a subsequent death of nearly 300 people near the city of Lille, the broadcaster decided to withdraw.

Returning artists
Wasim Chraïbi returned for Morocco as a part of a band Tarouq. He represented the country previously in the 8th Grand Prix, where he reached 14th place.