# Sopot International Song Festival

The Sopot International Song Festival or Sopot Festival (later called Sopot Music Festival Grand Prix, Sopot Top of the Top Festival from 2012–13 and Polsat Sopot Festival in 2014) is an annual international song contest held in Sopot, Poland. It is the biggest Polish music festival altogether with the National Festival of Polish Song in Opole, and one of the biggest song contests in Europe. Over the years, Elton John, Gloria Gaynor, Demis Roussos, Alla Pugacheva, Scorpions, Anastacia, Maryla Rodowicz, In-Grid and other popular performers from around the world performed at the festival.
The contest was organised and transmitted live by the public Polish Television (TVP) between 1994 and 2004. The following year, the concert was broadcast by the private media station TVN for the first time and remained on TVN until 2009. From 2012 to 2014, the concert was broadcast and organised by Polsat. It was later cancelled by the broadcaster. The 2015 festival was not televised, however it returned in 2017 on TVN.

## History

The first Sopot festival was initiated and organised in 1961 by Władysław Szpilman, assisted by Szymon Zakrzewski from Polish Artists Management (PAGART). The first three editions were held in the Gdansk Shipyard hall (1961–1963), after which the festival moved to the Forest Opera. The main prize has been Amber Nightingale through most of its history.
Between 1977 and 1980 it was replaced by the Intervision Song Contest, which was still held in Sopot. Unlike the Eurovision Song Contest, the Sopot International Music Festival often changed its formulas to pick a winner and offered many different contests for its participants. For example, at the 4th Intervision Song Festival (held in Sopot August 20–23, 1980) two competitions were effective: one for artists representing television companies, the other for those representing record companies. In the first the jury considered the artistic merits of the songs entered; while in the second, it judged the performers' interpretation."
The festival has always been open to non-European acts, and countries like Cuba, Dominican Republic, Mongolia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Peru, South Africa and many others have been represented in this event.
The contest lost popularity in Poland and abroad in the 1980s, declining further during the 1990s, and the rather unconvincing organisations by TVP made the authorities of Sopot give the organization of the 2005 Sopot International Song Festival to a private TV channel, TVN.
Since 1999, there was no contest. TVP chose to invite well-known artists instead, featuring the likes of Whitney Houston, Tina Turner, The Corrs, Lionel Richie, UB40, Ricky Martin and Simply Red to perform. In 2005, TVN brought the international competition back, taking over from TVP, and in 2006 invited Elton John and Katie Melua. The Sopot International Song Festival is usually considered bigger than the Benidorm International Song Festival because of its ability to attract star performers.
In 2010 and 2011, the festival did not take place due to renovation of the Forest Opera. Since 2012, it is called Sopot Top Of The Top Festival and is broadcast annually by Polsat. In 2014, the name was changed to Polsat Sopot Festival. In 2015, Polsat decided not to organize the festival. However, the city authorities decided to organize a one-day festival in Sopot this year, but without a television broadcast.
In 2016, the concert did not take place due to the lack of a television partner, which initially was to be TVP. After a year of break, the decision was made to restore the festival. Since 2017, it has been organized and broadcast by TVN again.
The festival also provided opportunity to listen to international stars. In the past, it featured Charles Aznavour, Demis Roussos, Boney M, Gloria Gaynor, Petula Clark, Johnny Cash, Chuck Berry, Shirley Bassey, Village People, Kool and the Gang, Vanessa Mae, Sabrina, C.C.Catch, Annie Lennox, Paul Young, Marillion, Scorpions, Alphaville, Kim Wilde, Bonnie Tyler, Jimmy Somerville, Erasure, Belinda Carlisle, Vaya Con Dios, Chris Rea, Bryan Adams, Tanita Tikaram, La Toya Jackson, Rick Astley, Shakin’ Stevens, Londonbeat, Bad Boys Blue, Technotronic. Kajagoogoo, Limahl, Goran Bregovic, Norah Jones, Anastacia, Maryla Rodowicz, Ricky Martin, In-Grid, Alla Pugacheva and many others.

## Winners by year

This list includes only winners of the most prestigious contests within the Sopot Music Festival. Sometimes one contest has overshadowed another with time. Grand Prix de disque was the most prestigious award between 1974 and 1976 and the Intervision Song Contest during 1977–80. Since the 1980s, the main prize of the festival is the Amber Nightingale award.
The festival has also given prizes for Best Interpretation in the 1960s, and Winner Of The Polish Day on and off from the 1960s to the 1980s.
| Year | Date | Country | Performer | Song(s) |
| 1961–1973: Price for the Masterpiece |||||
| 1961 | 25–27 August | Switzerland | Jo Rolland | "Nous Deux" |
| 1962 | 6–8 July | Greece | Jeanne Yovanna | "Ti Krima" |
| 1963 | 15–18 August | Soviet Union | Tamara Miansarova | "Пусть всегда будет солнце!" (ex-aequo) |
| 1963 | 15–18 August | France | Simone Langlois | "Toi et ton sourire" (ex-aequo) |
| 1964 | 6–12 August | Greece | Nadia Constantopoulou | "S'efharisto kardia mou" |
| 1965 | 5–8 August | Canada | Monique Leyrac | "Mon pays" |
| 1966 | 25–28 August | United States | Lana Cantrell | "I'm all smiles" |
| 1967 | 17–20 August | Poland | Dana Lerska | "Po prostu jestem" |
| 1968 | 22–25 August | Poland | Urszula Sipińska | "Po ten kwiat czerwony" |
| 1969 | 21–24 August | Switzerland | Henri Dès | "Maria Consuelo" |
| 1970 | 27–30 August | Canada | Robert Charlebois | "Ordinaire" |
| 1971 | 26–29 August | United Kingdom | Samantha Jones | "He Moves Me" |
| 1972 | 23–26 August | Soviet Union | Lev Leschchenko | "Я не был с ним знаком" (ex-aequo) |
| 1972 | 23–26 August | Poland | Andrzej Dąbrowski | "Do zakochania jeden krok" (ex-aequo) |
| 1973 | 21–25 August | United Kingdom | Tony Craig | "Can You Feel It" and "Song of Skaldowie" |
| 1974–1976: Grand Prix de disque |||||
| 1974 | 21–24 August | Finland | Marion Rung | "Uskon lauluun" |
| 1975 | 20–23 August | United Kingdom | Glen Weston | "I Still Love You" |
| 1976 | 24–29 August | Soviet Union | Irina Ponarovskaya | "Мольба" |
| 1977–1980: Intervision Song Contest |||||
| 1977 | 24–27 August | Czechoslovakia | Helena Vondráčková | "Malovaný džbánku" |
| 1978 | 23–26 August | Soviet Union | Alla Pugacheva | "Всё могут короли" |
| 1979 | 22–25 August | Poland | Czesław Niemen | "Nim przyjdzie wiosna" |
| 1980 | 20–23 August | Finland | Marion Rung | "Hyvästi yö" |
| No festival held 1981–1983 due to martial law |||||
| 1984–1987: Sopot Music Festival Grand Prix |||||
| 1984 | 15–18 August | Poland | Krystyna Giżowska | "Blue Box" |
| 1985 | 21–24 August | Sweden | Herreys | "Summer Party" |
| 1986 | 20–23 August | United States | Mara Getz | "Hero Of My Heart" |
| 1987 | 19–22 August | West Germany | Double Take | "Rockola" |
| 1988–1990: Golden Disc |||||
| 1988 | 20–23 August | United States | Kenny James | "The Magic In You" |
| 1989 | 16–19 August | Norway | Dance with a Stranger | "By" |
| 1990 | 15–18 August | Poland | Lora Szafran | "Zły chłopak" and "Trust Me At Once" |
| 1991–1993: Sopot Music Festival Grand Prix |||||
| 1991 | 22–25 August | Latvia | New Moon | "Ice" |
| 1992 | 27–30 August | Austria | Sisqó | Un­known |
| 1993 | 26–28 August | Lithuania | Arina | "Rain Is Coming Down" |
| 1994–2004: Sopot Music Festival Grand Prix (with TVP) |||||
| 1994 | 26–27 August | Poland | Varius Manx | "Zanim zrozumiesz" |
| 1995 | 25–26 August | Poland | Kasia Kowalska | "Jak rzecz" and "A to co mam" |
| 1996 | 22–24 August | No competition held | No competition held | No competition held |
| 1997 | 22–23 August | Netherlands | Total Touch | "Somebody Else's Lover" |
| 1998 | 21–22 August | Italy | Alex Baroni | "Male che fa male" |
| 1999 | 20–22 August | Poland | Małgorzata Ostrowska | "Lawa" |
| 2000 | 18–19 August | Czech Republic | Helena Vondráčková | "Veselé Vánoce a šťastný nový rok" |
| 2001 | 24–25 August | Belgium | Natacha Atlas | "Ayeshteni" |
| 2002 | 23–24 August | Poland | Irena Santor | "Jeszcze kochasz mnie” |
| 2003 | 22–23 August | Poland | Skaldowie | "Hymn o miłości" |
| 2004 | 20–21 August | No competition held | No competition held | No competition held |
| 2005–2011: Sopot Music Festival Grand Prix (with TVN) |||||
| 2005 | 2–4 September | Poland | Andrzej Piaseczny | "Z głębi duszy" (all-Polish contest) |
| 2006 | 1–3 September | United Kingdom | Mattafix | "Big City Life" |
| 2007 | 31 August – 2 September | Poland | Feel | "A gdy już jest ciemno" |
| 2008 | 23–24 August | Sweden | Oh Laura | "Release Me" |
| 2009 | 22–23 August | Australia | Gabriella Cilmi | "Sweet About Me" |
| No festival held 2010–2011 due to the sovereign debt crisis |||||
| 2012–2013: Sopot Top Of The Top Festival (with Polsat) |||||
| 2012 | 24–25 August | Sweden | Eric Saade | "Hotter Than Fire" |
| 2013 | 23–24 August | France | Imany | "You Will Never Know" |
| 2014: Polsat Sopot Festival |||||
| 2014 | 22–23 August | Poland | Ewa Farna | "Cicho" |
| 2015: Sopot Festival |||||
| 2015 | 21 August | No competition held | No competition held | No competition held |
| No festival held in 2016 due to lack of broadcaster |||||
| Since 2017: Top of the Top Sopot Festival (with TVN) |||||
| 2017 | 18–20 August | No competition held | No competition held | No competition held |
| 2018 | 14–16 August | Romania | Mihail | "Who You Are" |
| 2019 | 13–15 August | Sweden | Frans | "If I Were Sorry" |
| No festival held in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic |||||
| 2021 | 17–20 August | Poland | Dawid Kwiatkowski | "Bez Ciebie" |
| 2022 | 16–19 August | Poland | Michał Szpak | "24 na 7" |
| 2023 | 21–24 August | Poland | Kwiat Jabłoni | "Od nowa" |

## Winners by country

| Wins | Country | Years |
| 17 | Poland | 1967, 1968, 1972*, 1979, 1984, 1990, 1994, 1995, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014, 2021, 2022, 2023 |
| 4 | Sweden | 1985, 2008, 2012, 2019 |
| 4 | United Kingdom | 1971, 1973, 1975, 2006 |
| 4 | Soviet Union | 1963*, 1972*, 1976, 1978 |
| 3 | United States | 1966, 1986, 1988 |
| 2 | France | 1963*, 2013 |
| 2 | Finland | 1974, 1980 |
| 2 | Canada | 1965, 1970 |
| 2 | Switzerland | 1961, 1969 |
| 2 | Greece | 1962, 1964 |
| 1 | Romania | 2018 |
| 1 | Australia | 2009 |
| 1 | Belgium | 2001 |
| 1 | Czech Republic | 2000 |
| 1 | Italy | 1998 |
| 1 | Netherlands | 1997 |
| 1 | Lithuania | 1993 |
| 1 | Austria | 1992 |
| 1 | Latvia | 1991 |
| 1 | Norway | 1989 |
| 1 | West Germany | 1987 |
| 1 | Czechoslovakia | 1977 |
    *More than one winner at that year.