A Eurovision classic surfaces in the final season of Squid Game

**WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD**

You wouldn’t expect a Eurovision song from the 1960s to appear in a South Korean survival thriller—but that's exactly what happens in the final season of Squid Game, the hit series that captivated audiences worldwide.

The third and final season of the South Korean survival drama premiered on Netflix on June 27, 2025.

In Episode two, titled 별이 빛나는 밤에 (The Starry Night), a surprising musical choice plays a key role in the episode’s intense hide-and-seek-style game.

In this round, players are divided into two teams. “Team Blue” receives keys and must stealthily navigate rooms to either survive a countdown or reach the game’s exit. Their opponents, “Team Red,” are armed and tasked with eliminating the “Team Blue” before they escape.

As a "Team Blue" player unlocks the exit door—securing their place in the next round—an unexpected tune fills the air: Cliff Richard’s upbeat 1968 Eurovision entry Congratulations.

Originally performed at Eurovision 1968 in London, Congratulations finished second, narrowly losing to Spain’s first-ever winning entry, La La La by Massiel.

The song was written by Bill Martin and Phil Coulter, the duo also responsible for the UK’s first Eurovision-winning entry, Puppet on a String.

Despite missing out on Eurovision victory, Congratulations became a massive hit. It topped the charts in seven countries, including Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, and the UK. It also marked Cliff Richard’s sixth appearance on the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 99.

In Australia, the song reached No. 4 on the Kent Music Report chart in 1968.

It is great to see a Eurovision classic like, Congratulations, find a new life in Squid Game, bringing an unexpected burst of nostalgia - and irony - to a tense moment in one of the world’s most-watched shows.

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