Posted by The Riff Report Blog โ where riffs reign, pyro rules, and we ain’t afraid of a little glitter with our growls. ๐๐ธ
Alright butt, strap in for a wild ride through pyro, leather, ridiculous costumes, and just enough double-kick pedal to make your nan cry into her sherry! ๐ท๐ฅ
Hereโs Every Metal and Rock Band Thatโs Ever Competed in the Eurovision Song Contest (Until Now) โ from cult chaos to chart-topping riff lords! ๐ค๐ช๐บ
๐ธ 1. Lordi (Finland, 2006 โ WINNERS!)
Genre: Shock Rock / Hard Rock / Monster Metal
Song: Hard Rock Hallelujah
Result: ๐ 1st place
๐ฅ The iconic moment metalheads still brag about. Finland sent monsters to Eurovisionโฆ and they won. Ghoulish glam, pyro explosions, and a chorus that had Europe screaming โHard Rock Hallelujah!โ in 40 languages. Only in Eurovision, munโฆ
๐ค 2. Mรฅneskin (Italy, 2021 โ WINNERS!)
Genre: Glam Rock / Alternative Rock
Song: Zitti e buoni
Result: ๐ 1st place
Slick, stylish and sexy as hell. Mรฅneskin proved rock ‘n’ roll ainโt dead โ it just moved to Rome and got a killer wardrobe. ๐ฉ๐ฅ Their gritty riffs and swagger won over Europe and the TikTok crowd alike.
๐ค 3. Wig Wam (Norway, 2005)
Genre: Glam Metal
Song: In My Dreams
Result: 9th place
Looking like a glam-metal version of ABBA on speed, Wig Wam brought big hair, bigger choruses, and glittery spandex to the stage. A cult favourite and lowkey Eurovision legends. ๐ธโจ
๐งโโ๏ธ 4. Terรคsbetoni (Finland, 2008)
Genre: Power Metal
Song: Missรค miehet ratsastaa
Result: 22nd place
Imagine Manowar chugging mead at a Viking pub quiz โ thatโs Terรคsbetoni. Full Finnish metal fury with swords, chants, and testosterone levels so high they nearly melted the stage.
๐จด 5. AWS (Hungary, 2018)
Genre: Post-Hardcore / Metalcore
Song: Viszlรกt nyรกr
Result: 21st place
One of the heaviest entries ever. Screamed vocals? Check. Emotional lyrics about grief? Check. Moshable breakdown in front of a confused grandma from Luxembourg? Absolutely. Respect. ๐
๐ 6. Voyager (Australia, 2023)
Genre: Synth-Prog Metal / Pop Metal
Song: Promise
Result: 9th place
Australian prog meets synthwave madness. Eurovision didnโt know what hit it. Keytars, headbanging, and choruses as catchy as hell. These guys should soundtrack a space opera, tbh.
๐งฐ 7. Manga (Turkey, 2010)
Genre: Nu Metal / Alt Rock
Song: We Could Be the Same
Result: ๐ฅ 2nd place
Turkey went full Linkin Park and it WORKED. Moody riffs, rap-rock flavour, and a sleek futuristic aesthetic. They nearly won it โ and weโre still salty they didnโt. ๐
๐ช๏ธ 8. Blind Channel (Finland, 2021)
Genre: Nu Metal / Post-Hardcore
Song: Dark Side
Result: 6th place
They called their style โviolent popโ and honestly, YES. Like if 2001 came back in eyeliner and Drop D tuning. The most fun youโll have yelling โput your middle fingers up!โ on live TV.
๐ช๏ธ 9. The Dredge (San Marino, 2024 โ National Final)
Genre: Symphonic Rock
Song: Imperium
Result: Didnโt qualify ๐ญ
Dressed like Victorian vampires and sounding like Nightwish in a dungeon. Sadly didnโt make the big stage, but a gothโs dream entry.
๐ช 10. Let 3 (Croatia, 2023)
Genre: Avant-Rock / Satirical Metal
Song: Mama ล ฤ!
Result: 13th place
Imagine Rammstein meets Monty Python. Screaming generals, glittery moustaches, and anti-war satire dressed in camp absurdity. Utter chaos. Utterly Eurovision. ๐ช
๐ฎ 11. Conan Osรญris (Portugal, 2019)
Genre: Experimental Electronic + Rock
Song: Telemรณveis
Result: Didnโt make the final ๐
OK, not fully rock, but enough weird and heavy electro-goth to make this list. Wacky visuals, twisted beats โ the kind of act that makes you go โWhat the hell is thisโฆ I love it.โ
๐ง Honourable Mentions
These artists flirted with rock, metal, or heavier vibes:
- Hatari (Iceland, 2019) โ BDSM Industrial Techno-Rock ๐
- Dร รฐi Freyr (Iceland, 2021) โ Electro Funk with some rock flavour ๐ฎ
- Sam Ryder (UK, 2022) โ Power pop with guitar hero energy ๐คฏ
- Go_A (Ukraine, 2021) โ Folk meets trance with distorted screams ๐ฅ
๐ So, Whatโs the Verdict?
Eurovision might be a glitter-drenched fever dream, but every now and thenโฆ METAL WINS. ๐
From Lordiโs monster mash to Mรฅneskinโs fashionably loud revolution, rock and metal have kicked in the door of Europeโs glitziest TV show, stomped on the stage in platform boots, and screamed into the confetti-stained mic:
โWeโre not here to mime to ballads, mun โ we came to melt faces.โ ๐ค๐ฅ
๐ผ Whoโs Next?
- Will Babymetal ever show up for Japan (if theyโre let in)?
- Could Bring Me The Horizon write a Eurovision banger?
- Will Rammstein burn the stage down (and the stagehands)?
Let us know who you wanna see screaming over lasers and dry ice next year ๐๐
Diolch for reading, and remember:
๐บ Eurovision might be glitterโฆ but sometimes itโs full-blown mosh pit madness.
#TheRiffReport ๐ฅ
#EurovisionGoesMetal
#HardRockHallelujahForever
Michael is the founder, editor, and chief riff wrangler behind The Riff Report, an independent Welsh rock and metal publication built by fans, for fans. With a lifelong passion for loud guitars, unforgettable live shows, and the incredible community that surrounds rock and metal, he created The Riff Report to celebrate everything that makes the scene specialโfrom legendary headline acts and grassroots venues to rising bands that deserve to be heard.
A familiar face at festivals across the UK, Michael spends much of the year covering events including Download Festival, Bloodstock Open Air, Steelhouse Festival, Firevolt, Plumpton Revival, and many more. Whether heโs battling the Welsh weather on a mountainside, surviving a weekend in a muddy campsite, or squeezed against the front barrier with thousands of fellow fans, heโs always searching for the next great story to share.
As editor of The Riff Report, Michael writes festival guides, breaking news, album reviews, gig reviews, interviews, opinion pieces, nostalgia features, and behind-the-scenes stories from across the rock and metal world. His writing combines honest opinions, humour, and a genuine love for live music, bringing readers closer to the bands, festivals, venues, and people that keep the scene alive.
Michael is particularly passionate about supporting independent artists, local venues, charities, and the wider UK rock and metal community. He believes every band deserves a chance to be discovered and every festival has a story worth telling. Through The Riff Report, he aims to shine a spotlight on both the biggest names in rock and the future stars waiting to break through.
When heโs not writing or interviewing artists, youโll probably find him exploring festival campsites, photographing live shows, chatting with fellow fans over a pint, or planning the next road trip in search of more riffs, bigger crowds, and unforgettable moments.
Above all, Michael believes rock and metal are about more than musicโtheyโre about community, friendship, and creating memories that last a lifetime. Thatโs exactly what The Riff Report exists to celebrate.
Proudly Welsh. Proudly Loud. Always chasing the next great riff. ๐ค
Lisa Stanley On 18 May 2026 at 2:57 PM
I want within temptation to enter they would smash it her voice is like an angel ๐