Best Eurovision moments of all time – from ABBA to Buck's Fizz

The Eurovision 2021 line-up has now been revealed and we have James Newman flying the flag for the United Kingdom this year with his song Embers.

But while we wait for the big night, we thought it would be fun to take a look back at some of the best and most iconic moments from Eurovision years gone by - and as expected with something like Eurovision, there is a lot to choose from!

Read more:

• How does the Eurovision Song Contest work?
• What’s the best Eurovision song of all time?
• Who is performing in the Eurovision 2021 interval?

The best Eurovision moments of all time

Abba performs Waterloo in 1974

We could not kick this list off without starting with one of the greatest performances to ever grace the Eurovision stage. Eurovision had always been popular but it was Abba that lifted it into the pop culture stratosphere with their performance that gave Sweden their first-ever win in the contest.

Abba, of course, went on to become one of the biggest groups in the world and their hits remain part of the cultural zeitgeist to this day with stage shows and two movies made based off of their hit songs - and there is every chance a third movie will come along after the success of the second.

Check out their iconic performance below!

Lordi stuns the crowds in 2006

If you can not understand why Lordi's 2006 performance is one of the most iconic of all time after looking at the above picture then we don't know what to tell you.

Representing Finland with their song ‘Hard Rock Hallelujah’, the costumed rock band blew everyone away and left many others a tad disturbed, but they did enough to secure victory for their country with a score of 262 - which was a record at the time that has been smashed in 2019 by the Netherlands.

Verka Serduchka perform Dancing Lasha Tumbai in 2007

We could go on about why the performance by Verka Serduckha in 2007 is iconic and always worth rewatching but your best bet is to watch the video of the performance and enjoy it in all its glory - and it truly is glorious.

The costume, the set, the song, the performer - all of it is pure golden Eurovision and we will always be grateful to Ukraine for giving it to us - every year needs to have an extravagant, over the top performance like this one.

Ireland is represented by a turkey in 2008

When people say that Eurovision has some strange moments, one of our first thoughts is that time that Dustin the turkey took to the stage to represent Ireland in the competition. The song of choice was called “Irelande Douze Pointe" which did not persuade the judges to dish out that many points, sadly for Dustin.

Needless to say, the performance did not go as well as Ireland would have hoped and they failed to make it out of the semi-finals that year. Sorry, Dustin.

Bucks Fizz perform Making Your Mind Up in 1981

To many, Bucks Fizz performing their classic hit, Making Your Mind Up, is Eurovision. Every time we hear it, we think about the song contest even if some of us were not even alive at the time of the show - it really is one of the definitive Eurovision performances.

And it was even risqué for the time with the velcro ripping moment in the dance raising more than a few eyebrows at home and all over Europe.

Dana International wins Eurovision in 1998

This is an iconic moment and an important one that paved the way for inclusivity in the contest. Dana International was the first ever transgender winner of Eurovision when she successfully competed in the 1998 contest on behalf of Israel.

She got the message out there that everyone is welcome in Eurovision and her win was celebrated by people all over the world who were looking for someone to aspire to. She set out to deliver her message when she joined up to perform and she did that and then some.

Alexander Rybak performs Fairytales in 2009

Sure, Eurovision can be just about fun and some of the acts go all out to put on a bizarre performance, and we are about to come to another of those, but sometimes it can be a cultural experience with the nations using their moment to pay homage to their homeland.

That was the case with Norway's impressive violin routine that saw Alexander Rybak surrounded by traditional Norwegian dancers and it was quite the spectacle - and quite the song too. It was so good that it won the contest for Norway that year!

Buranovskiye Babushki take to the stage for Russia in 2012

Some performances are just too good, or too surreal, to forget and that certainly applies to Buranovskiye Babushki and the bonkers show that they put on for Russia back in 2012.

Dressed as local villagers, the eight elderly women took part in some baking as they all danced around an oven while performing their song Party for Everybody - an aptly named track for something that very much felt like we were at a party - albeit a slightly strange one. It almost did the trick though as Russia placed second that year!

Watch the performance in all its glory below!

The Eurovision Song contest 2021 will air on the BBC this May. Check out the full list of Eurovision winners here. If you're looking for something to watch tonight, check out our TV Guide.