Eurovision’s Bizarre “Rule Of Six” Gets Stranger Every Year

Rules Rule

Like any contest worth it’s weight in salt, Eurovision has to have clear rules in place. Rules ensure that everyone is judged on an equal playing field, keeping the show fair and worth watching. When it comes to these regulations, obviously they will change with the times to meet the needs of the contest. However, the important thing is that they are enforced equally for all participants in the same competition to retain the show’s validity. As a result of the irrelevance of maintaining rules of yore, the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) has had quite the plethora of rules over the course of its existence. This is a good thing. A healthy show can evolve and adapt to the times and context it is in, whilst avoiding staleness. Problems should only arise if you lose the essence of why people tune into your show at all.

History Matters

Experimentation is necessary but equally we cannot be reinventing the wheel every few years. Part of having a well established TV show such as Eurovision is that people know what to expect, know they like it and as result choose to consume it. If you rip out too many components, the show becomes unrecognisable and you might as well have just started up a new show from scratch and gain all the hype, newness can provide. What Eurovision is at its core, will of course vary heavily from viewer to viewer. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) is therefore left with the challenge of determining what elements of the show need a cosmetic uplift to keep the shows vitality and what parts should not be touched for fear of viewer alienation.

The “Rule of Six”

If there was a single rule in the contest I have seen complained about every single year I have been a Eurofan, it is the rule that only a maximum of six (non-avian) contestants can be on stage per delegation. This rule whilst seemingly random at first, isn’t normally a problem. Sure, it did mean Mandinga had to leave a band member sitting in the green room while the rest of the band got to perform but they were able to do just that perform. After all, all music is pre-recorded these days so whether or not another band member got to stand in front of the camera does not detract from the fact they were able to play on the number.

Challenges and Restrictions

These sort of not exactly ideal scenarios aren’t exactly rare either. No, of course most delegations aren’t sending seven piece bands to the contest but what they do tend to do is send solo singers. Of the 39 participating songs in Eurovision 2021, 29 out of 39 were credited to solo singers. That’s just shy of two in every three acts. Should these songs require backing dancers they have a choice: either have less than the maximum number of dancers (and have to make up for any potential feelings of emptiness on stage) or have an asymmetrical number of backing dancers on either side of the lead singer. A minor complaint sure but something that could be so easily remedied by allowing for one extra person on stage.

Tradition?

It seems quite absurd to suggest that this rule exists to preserve tradition or because the producers believe it enhances the show’s branding in some capacity. You have to already be invested in Eurovision before you are going to go raking through the exact rules of the contest to know that the restriction is exactly six people, in many ways it is probably more noticeable that such and such a country had a rather underwhelming dance routine on stage. It’s also not like Eurovision has had this rule permanently. Way back in 1956, the contest was solo singers only (with backing vocals), duets and bands were strictly prohibited. It is true that if you count the number of backing singers in the winning performance, the total number of people on stage back in 1956 was six but c’mon, once again who but someone who is already a fan is going to know that? And the fact persists, technically it was a one person rule as you would not have been allowed multiple lead vocalists or a dancer.

Of course you don’t have to have been present from the start of the contest’s history to be ubiquitous with Eurovision. The famous douze points didn’t join the party until 1975! But there is a fair difference between a phrase repeated several times in every contest for around half a century and a minor clause in the rules. So why don’t the EBU change it? Probably because it is there for practicality’s sake and the noise requesting it to be changed comes merely from those who know of the rules existence and are therefore already invested in the show. That of course doesn’t mean it wouldn’t add to the quality of the show to relax the rule to allow for one more person.

Behind The Scenes

Adding one extra person is a small change on paper but in practice it does mean more work for the organisers behind the scenes. If 40 delegations decided to all send one extra person, that is 40 more hotel rooms needed to be found, 40 more people to get through rehearsals efficiently, 40 more props to set up etc. Logistically the more people competing in the event, the more preparation that has to be done and the more that can ultimately go wrong. The good news is it is highly unlikely all the participating broadcasters would use all their performer slots, many already don’t, so this number would be lower but then again if the EBU did alter the rules to add one more person, what’s to stop people asking for another two more a few years down the line?

Yet There Is Good Reason For Change

On the contrast, the EBU has altered their backing vocalist rules in the light of the pandemic. In many ways allowing for backing vocals to be recorded feels like a way more drastic change to an event known for its live (sometimes off-key) vocals identity than adding one extra person to the team would do. This change is temporary (supposedly) but if the EBU were willing to experiment with it at all, why couldn’t they do it with the six person rule? Personally, if this backing vocal change persists I will find it a real disappointment. There is something special about live singing at Eurovision and it would also seem poor taste to implement a time-saving rule change off the back of a deadly pathogen. However, if it does stay that would make the six person on stage rule even more outdated.

If backing singers no longer have to be there, then surely some delegations will choose to take less people with them and save money? This also means the EBU would have less people to have to deal with come the contest. Even if you allowed for up to seven people per delegation, you could still end up with less people than you would have had the backing vocalists had to come. It just seems odd to me that Iceland could send a literal choir of singers, whilst Norway would have breached the rules had they brought all the backing dancers from Tix’s national final performance.

Of Course This Rule Is Not Permenant

Whilst I unfortunately cannot shake my suspicions the EBU will consider keeping this rule change, I still think it highlights that a change to the number of performers on stage would not break the Eurovision formula. Would it end up costing them more time and money? Potentially but I’d say it is pretty unlikely all things considered. In the grand scheme of things, it would be a trivial cost to the show and there seems to be a lot of consensus that it would add to the show. In my opinion, they should just give it a go!

Is There Really Consensus?

But the question remains if you agree with me! Feel free to have a discussion with me (and other readers) in the comments here or on social media. This is also the part where you share the article to get a larger sample size! Joking aside, it would be great to know what you think on this matter and whether the EBU should consider it as a priority at all.