Nearly 60 years after first taking the Eurovision stage, Vicky Leandros is returning to Vienna for a special opening performance at this year's Eurovision Song Contest, revisiting the city where her Eurovision journey began in 1967. In an exclusive interview with RTL ahead of Tuesday's first semi-final, the singer became emotional while reflecting on her long connection with Luxembourg, the country she credits with launching her international career.
"Luxemboug gave me this chance", she said, recalling how Radio Luxembourg selected her in 1967 to represent the Grand Duchy at Eurovision with L'amour est bleu.
At the time, there was no large-scale national selection show like the Luxembourg Song Contest. Instead, a jury chose the winning entry from several songs, ultimately selecting the track by French composer André Popp.
Although she finished fourth at the contest, L'amour est bleu became her international breakthrough. Leandros later recorded the song in seven or eight languages and found success far beyond Europe, including in Canada and Japan.
Leandros then made Eurovision history in 1972 when she won the contest for Luxembourg in Edinburgh with Après toi, written by her father, Leo Leandros. Returning to Vienna now therefore carries special significance for the singer.
During Tuesday's first semi-final, Leandros will perform L'amour est bleu in the show's opening sequence, the same song she performed in Vienna as a 17-year-old contestant under the name 'Vicky'.
She said she immediately accepted the invitation from Austrian broadcaster ORF: "I thought 'what a nice idea, I'd love to come'."
Speaking about this year's contest, the singer also voiced opposition to calls for an Israeli boycott, arguing that music should unite people rather than divide them.
Reflecting on how Eurovision has evolved, Leandros said she is amazed by the scale of today's production compared to the modest contest she first experienced in the 1960s and 70s. "The stage is so gigantic", she said.
Leandros recalled that performances back then featured little more than a symphony orchestra, a few rehearsals, and minimal staging. During her performance of Après toi, she said, the set consisted mainly of a black curtain and a few strands of tinsel.
While impressed by the modern spectacle, Leandros believes the competition can sometimes overdo the production aspects. "Back then, it was mainly about the best song", she said, noting that social media, staging, and visual effects now play a much bigger role.
Although Leandros officially concluded her farewell tour in 2024, she says retirement is not on the horizon. Due to continued demand from fans, she plans to keep performing and is already preparing a new European tour for 2027 and 2028, with Luxembourg expected to be included once again.
