Netta’s victory with “Toy” on 12 May 2017 in Lisbon earned Israel the right to host the 64th Eurovision Song Contest in 2019. The live shows took place on 14th, 16th and 18th May 2019 at the Tel Aviv Convention Centre, the smallest ESC venue for a number of years.
Given the small venue and the great excitement surrounding a contest being staged in a Mediterranean city famed as a party town, ticket prices were set extremely high. This, combined with the high cost of travel and accommodation deterred many ESC fans from attending the 2019 contest in person. This was unfortunate as the Tel Aviv authorities, the host broadcaster and the local OGAE club organised a dazzling array of Eurovision-themed events and clubs throughout the finals week, including personal appearances by a record number of Eurovision acts.
Tel Aviv hosted both a EuroCafe and a EuroClub that offered fans ample opportunity to dance the night away. There were a few organisation glitches, but the week was a great success and the Grand Final was one of the most memorable ever.
Duncan Laurence’s victory with “Arcade” marked the Netherlands’ fifth ESC win and their first since 1975. After n almost 45 year gap, the Netherlands will once again host Europe’s favourite music contest in 2020.