The times France wowed us with the Eiffel Tower at Eurovision

Joyeux 14 juillet !

Today is Bastille Day, celebrating the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille in 1789 which is one of the most pivotal moments in the French Revolution. Bastille Day is also the anniversary of the Fête de la Fédération (Festival of the Federation) in 1790 which celebrated the unity of the French people.

It is difficult to name a more iconic duo at Eurovision than France and the Eiffel Tower, so to commemorate France's national day, we are looking at the times France wowed us at Eurovision with one of their most recognisable landmarks!

'L'amour à la française' - Les Fatals Picards (2007)

The first time France brought the Eiffel Tower to the Eurovision stage was back in 2007. The band Les Fatals Picards won the French national selection 'Eurovision 2007: et si on gagnait?' with their song 'L'amour à la française'.

The entry had a combination of French and English lyrics, which tell the story of an English man who fell in love with a beautiful French woman that he had met in Paris, but he finds himself metaphorically and literally lost in the city and in translation.

Sadly, Europe did not show this entry much love, with the entry placing 22nd out of 24 finalists and scoring only 19 points in total.

'Évidemment' - La Zarra (2023)

France's Eurovision entry this year brought French glamour, elegance, and drama to the stage in Liverpool, with fans comparing La Zarra's tall sparkling black dress to the iconic Parisian building! Despite high expectations, 'Évidemment' sadly did not reach as lofty heights on the scoreboard as the chanteuse's elevated platform, and France finished in 16th place with 104 points.

Junior Eurovision (2018 and 2020)

Of course, some honourable mentions have to go outside the main competition to Junior Eurovision. The French 2018 and 2020 entries, 'Jamais sans toi' and 'J'imagine', both displayed the Eiffel Tower prominently in their staging. The latter song became France's first ever Junior Eurovision winner! The logo for France's Junior Eurovision hosting in 2021 also heavily featured the famous landmark.

'Requiem' - Alma (2017)

Back in 2017, Alma's Eiffel Tower-themed staging made Eurovision fans dizzy with excitement! The song scored 135 points, placing 12th in the final, and was a success in France, reaching number 5 on the French charts.

The Eiffel Tower's starring role during the voting

Almost every year, the French spokespeople announce the lucky recipients of France's 'douze points', Eurovision viewers get to see none other than the Iron Lady in the background - the Eiffel Tower, that is! It features so often that British Eurovision commentator Graham Norton has made it a running joke to comment on the scenery behind the French spokespeople every year.

'Mon alliée (The Best In Me)' - Tom Leeb (2020)

Just when you think that there was no way France could possibly top their many Eiffel Tower-themed staging attempts over the years, l'Hexagone managed to outdo itself by setting the music video for its 2020 Eurovision entry on the Eiffel Tower!

Unfortunately for Tom Leeb, the 2020 Contest was cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions, so he never got to perform his Eurovision entry live at the contest, but 'Mon alliée (The Best In Me)' lives on in its iconic music video form.

For continued updates on all the Eurovision news follow Aussievision on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and Threads. All links at: https://linktr.ee/aussievisionnet