Contest year
- Host City
- Riga, Latvia
- Venue
- Skonto Olympic Hall
- Final Date
- January 1, 2003
- Entries
- 26
- The 2003 contest set a new participation record with 26 countries, including Ukraine’s debut, while last-minute relegation-rule changes blocked planned first appearances by Serbia and Montenegro, Albania and Belarus.
- The EBU also shifted the song-release deadline to 1 October 2002 and altered the tie-break to favour entries supported by more countries.
- Russia’s t.A.T.u.
- generated major controversy and prompted the EBU to consider a standby recording.
- Voting was disrupted when Ireland’s delayed televote forced use of a backup jury.
- Turkey achieved its first win, as the UK finished last with nul points.
- via Wikipedia