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."Sopot Summer Capital", Polish Cultures 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, Tamara Gverdtsiteli, 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 Telewizja Polska (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.

Origins and history Foundation and early years

The first International Song Festival in Sopot was in 1961. The festival was organized by musician and composer Władysław Szpilman, then working as the head of Polish Radio's music department. Additional organizational support came from Szymon Zakrzewski from Polish Artists Management (PAGART). The first three festivals (1961–1963) were held at the Gdansk Shipyard hall after which the festival moved to the Forest Opera. Through most of its history, the main prize has been the Amber Nightingale trophy.

Replacement by Intervision 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 Telewizja Polska (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 Song Festival because of its ability to attract star performers.

Revival

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.

Competition overview and winners

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.

YearDateCountryPerformerSong(s)1961–1973: Price for the Masterpiece1961 25–27 August Jo Rolland "Nous Deux"1962 6–8 July Jeanne Yovanna "Ti Krima" 1963 15–18 August Tamara Miansarova "Пусть всегда будет солнце!" (ex-aequo) "Toi et ton sourire" (ex-aequo)1964 6–12 August Nadia Constantopoulou "S'efharisto kardia mou"1965 5–8 August Monique Leyrac "Mon pays"1966 25–28 August Lana Cantrell "I'm all smiles"1967 17–20 August "Po prostu jestem"1968 22–25 August Urszula Sipińska "Po ten kwiat czerwony"1969 21–24 August Henri Dès "Maria Consuelo"1970 27–30 August Robert Charlebois "Ordinaire"1971 26–29 August Samantha Jones "He Moves Me" 1972 23–26 August Lev Leschchenko "Я не был с ним знаком" (ex-aequo) "Do zakochania jeden krok" (ex-aequo)1973 21–25 August Tony Craig "Can You Feel It" and "Song of Skaldowie"1974–1976: Grand Prix de disque1974 21–24 August Marion Rung "Uskon lauluun"1975 20–23 August Glen Weston "I Still Love You"1976 24–29 August Irina Ponarovskaya "Мольба"1977–1980: Intervision Song Contest1977 24–27 August Helena Vondráčková "Malovaný džbánku"1978 23–26 August Alla Pugacheva "Всё могут короли"1979 22–25 August Czesław Niemen "Nim przyjdzie wiosna"1980 20–23 August Marion Rung "Hyvästi yö"Interviisut Punatähdet colspan="5" 1984–1987: Sopot Music Festival Grand Prix1984 15–18 August "Blue Box"1985 21–24 August Herreys "Summer Party"1986 20–23 August Mara Getz "Hero Of My Heart"1987 19–22 August Double Take "Rockola"1988–1990: Golden Disc1988 20–23 August Kenny James "The Magic In You"1989 16–19 August Dance with a Stranger "By"1990 15–18 August "Zły chłopak" and "Trust Me At Once"1991–1993: Sopot Music Festival Grand Prix1991 22–25 August New Moon "Ice"1992 27–30 August Mark Andrews 1993 26–28 August Arina "Rain Is Coming Down"1994–2004: Sopot Music Festival Grand Prix (with TVP)1994 26–27 August Varius Manx "Zanim zrozumiesz"1995 25–26 August Kasia Kowalska "Jak rzecz" and "A to co mam"1996 22–24 August colspan="3" 1997 22–23 August Total Touch "Somebody Else's Lover"1998 21–22 August Alex Baroni "Male che fa male"1999 20–22 August "Lawa"2000 18–19 August Helena Vondráčková "Veselé Vánoce a šťastný nový rok"2001 24–25 August Natacha Atlas "Ayeshteni"2002 23–24 August Irena Santor "Jeszcze kochasz mnie”2003 22–23 August Skaldowie "Hymn o miłości"2004 20–21 August colspan="3" 2005–2011: Sopot Music Festival Grand Prix (with TVN)2005 2–4 September Andrzej Piaseczny "Z głębi duszy" (all-Polish contest)2006 1–3 September Mattafix "Big City Life"2007 31 August – 2 September Feel "A gdy już jest ciemno"2008 23–24 August Oh Laura "Release Me"Międzynarodowy Festiwal Piosenki Polskiej- Sopot Festival «Песня года» site2009 22–23 August Gabriella Cilmi "Sweet About Me"Sopot Festival 2009 - porażka polskiej piosenki? Wirtualna Polska: Muzyka colspan="5" 2012–2013: Sopot Top Of The Top Festival (with Polsat)2012 24–25 August Eric Saade "Hotter Than Fire"2013 23–24 August Imany "You Will Never Know"2014: Polsat Sopot Festival2014 22–23 August Ewa Farna "Cicho"2015: Sopot Festival2015 21 August colspan="3" colspan="5" Since 2017: Top of the Top Sopot Festival (with TVN)2017 18–20 August colspan="3" 2018 14–16 August Mihail "Who You Are"2019 13–15 August Frans "If I Were Sorry" colspan="5" 2021 17–20 August Dawid Kwiatkowski "Bez Ciebie"2022 16–19 August Michał Szpak "24 na 7"2023 21–24 August Kwiat Jabłoni "Od nowa"2024 19–22 August ""

Winners by country WinsCountryYears181967, 1968, 1972*, 1979, 1984, 1990, 1994, 1995, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 41985, 2008, 2012, 20191971, 1973, 1975, 20061963*, 1972*, 1976, 197831966, 1986, 1988 21963*, 20131974, 19801965, 19701961, 19691962, 1964 1201820092001200019981997199319921991198919871977

*More than one winner at that year.

See also Eurovision Song Contest Golden Orpheus Intervision Song Contest National Festival of Polish Song in Opole Sanremo Music Festival Sopot Hit Festival

References

External links

Sopot Festival website The complete list of all participants and places till 2009