The Eurovision Song Contest 1999 was the forty-fourth edition of the contest, organised by IBA and held on 29 May 1999 at the International Convention Centre in Jerusalem, Israel. 23 countries took part in Israel's second contest as hosts, with Lithuania returning after a 5-year absence. It was the first contest not to feature an orchestra, which had become an optional requirement this year, a change which IBA had utilised in an effort to cut costs. This change, which proved controversial, meant that all entries would be accompanied by a backing track for the first time, a decision which former winner Johnny Logan claimed had turned the contest into "karaoke". The language rule was also relaxed once again, which allowed artists the option to perform in any language, with many now choosing to sing in English. The "Big Four" group of countries was formed at this contest, a rule which saw the contest's largest financial backers, Germany, France, Spain and the United Kingdom, now being exempt from relegation and able to participate every year. The contest became a close race between Sweden and Iceland, with Charlotte Nilsson earning Sweden's fourth contest win with "Take Me to Your Heaven". Following the winning reprise the broadcast was concluded by all participating artists assembling on-stage to perform "Hallelujah", the Israeli winning song from 1979, as a tribute to the victims of the then-ongoing war in the Balkans.