Eurovision Song Contest — The Hague 1980

Israeli TV declined the opportunity to host the 1980 Song Contest again after Israel won in Jerusalem in 1979. After much discussion, it was decided that the contest would be arranged by Dutch TV NOS in The Hague.

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  01 Eurovision Song Contest 1980

  Apr 19, 19802h 17m★ 5.0

  The Hague was once again the host city for the song contest after both Israel and the United Kingdom declined to stage the contest after Israel declined the opportunity to host the show twice in succession. As a result of these delays, the 1980 contest was hastily arranged and Dutch TV NOS had to re-use most of the stage from 1976, the last time they hosted the contest. NOS picked 19th April as the date for the song contest, but as this was the Holocaust Memorial Day in Israel, the defending champion decided not to participate which marked the only time when the winner of one Eurovision Song Contest did not participate in the next.