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The Norwegian city of Bergen had the honour of hosting the 1986 Eurovision Song Contest which saw Belgium score its first and to date, only victory with Sandra Kim's J'Aime La Vie

For the first time, Norway had the honour of hosting the 31st Eurovision Song Contest. Just like in Munich three years earlier, 20 countries participated in the contest. The Netherlands and Yugoslavia returned, Italy and Greece withdrew from the from the contest and Iceland made its debut. Iceland had wanted to participate for some years but the small Atlantic island nation had to wait until a satellite connection to Iceland could be established. The 1986 Eurovision Song Contest also marked a historic landmark as the 500th Eurovision song was performed in Bergen - Luxembourg's entry L'Amour De Ma Vie by Canadian-born Sherisse Laurence.

The presenter of the 1986 Eurovision Song Contest, Åse Kleveland, had already participated as a singer for her home country in 1966 where she was placed 3rd. She had also presented the Norwegian national final in 1980.

Youngest winner ever

The winner of the song contest was the 13-year-old Sandra Kim, who sang J'Aime La Vie. She actually had told the producers of the show that she was 15 year old.  It was the first win for Belgium, and it meant that all countries that had participated in the very first contest in 1956 had now won at least once.

Facts and figures 

  • Jazz singer Timna Brauer, the daughter of the famous artist Arik Brauer, came 18th for Austria with Die Zeit Ist Einsam.  
  • Yugoslavia's singer, Doris Dragovic, would appear 13 years later in the 1999 Jerusalem edition of the song contest, then singing for Croatia and improving her result: she only came 11th in Norway, but would come 4th in 1999.
  • Bergen is the most northerly host city of the Eurovision Song Contest.