eurovision 2022

The Eurovision Song Contest 2022 was the 66th edition of the contest, held at the PalaOlimpico in Turin, Italy, with the final on May 14, 2022. It featured 40 participating countries, including the return of Armenia and Montenegro, while Russia was excluded due to its invasion of Ukraine. The winner was Ukraine with the song "Stefania" performed by Kalush Orchestra, scoring a record 631 points, including winning the televote with 439 points, the highest ever in the contest's history. The UK finished second, achieving its best result since 1998, followed by Spain, Sweden, and Serbia in the top five. "Stefania" was notable as the first winning song entirely in Ukrainian and the first winner with hip-hop elements. The contest was hosted by Alessandro Cattelan, Laura Pausini, and Mika. It had a television audience of 161 million viewers in 34 European markets, with an additional 18 million viewers online. The final included 25 countries, and the contest continued the voting system split between 50% televoting and 50% national juries. Italy hosted as the previous year's winner with Måneskin's "Zitti e buoni." The Eurovision 2022 slogan was "The Sound of Beauty," and the event's interval featured performances by Måneskin, Gigliola Cinquetti, and Mika. The event also featured a special message from astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti from the International Space Station. This edition was marked by Ukraine's emphatic win and the geopolitical context affecting participants and viewers.