The first Eurovision Song Contest was held in Lugano, Switzerland, in 1956.
The inaugural contest took place on 24 May 1956 at the Teatro Kursaal. Switzerland hosted because the European Broadcasting Union, which created the event, was based in the country. Seven countries participated, and each entered two songs.
The first contest differed from the modern competition in several ways. Only solo artists were allowed, orchestras accompanied every performance, and the jury results were not publicly disclosed in detail. Switzerland won the inaugural event with Lys Assia singing “Refrain.”
Lugano is in Switzerland’s Italian-speaking canton of Ticino, near the Italian border. The city is sometimes confused with Lausanne or Geneva when people recall Switzerland’s role in Eurovision, but Lugano specifically hosted the debut edition.