Liechtenstein will not be making its debut at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024, set to be held in Malmö, Sweden.
1 FL TV, the national broadcaster, confirmed to ESC Today that the country will not be participating for another year. Liechtenstein faces more obstacles than most to making their debut at the Eurovision Song Contest. Even if Liechtenstein wanted to enter, the nation would first face the hurdle of applying for EBU membership.
The current contest rules state that only members of the European Broadcasting Union can compete. As membership would add further costs to competing, particularly for a nation as small as Liechtenstein, the country has not joined the Eurovision family as of yet.
In the early 2010s, Liechtenstein showed some interest in entering the contest. Peter Kolbel, a former director at 1 FL TV, was passionate about Liechtenstein competing at Eurovision, but plans for the nation to join were halted after Kolbel passed away four years ago.
Managing Director of the Liechtenstein-based broadcaster 1 FL TV Sandra Woldt confirmed to Eurovoix in 2022 that they are no longer aiming to join the European Broadcasting Union. Ms. Woldt said in a statement:
We are no longer pursuing this goal, we are concentrating on our reporting in and for Liechtenstein.
The news means that Eurovision fans are still waiting for a new country to debut in the competition. Australia, the last nation to enter for the first time, sent its first act in 2015.
Image Source: Henrique Ferreira | Source: ESC Today
