The night sky over Brighton on the night ABBA won Eurovision
On 6 April 1974, the Eurovision Song Contest took place at the Brighton Dome on the south coast of England. Sweden's entry was 'Waterloo', sung by a Swedish group that few people outside Sweden knew: ABBA.
ABBA won the contest, the first Eurovision win for Sweden. Within months, 'Waterloo' was a hit across Europe and beyond, and the band went on to become one of the best-selling acts in pop history.
The sky above Brighton, England on 6 April 1974
The sky was almost fully dark, with a trace of twilight left. There was a full Moon in the sky, 100% lit. It stood 13° above the horizon in the south-east, in the constellation Virgo. Mars and Saturn were above the horizon and could be seen without a telescope.
The sky is almost fully dark, but a trace of twilight still hides the faintest stars.
- Local time
- 21:30
- Time in UTC
- 6 April 1974 at 20:30 UTC
- Sun
- Astronomical twilight
- Sun position
- 17° below the horizon
- Moon phase
- full Moon
- Moon lit
- 100%
- Moon position
- 13° above the horizon in the south-east
| Planet | Visible | Direction | Altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercury | No | north-west | -37° |
| Venus | No | north | -49° |
| Mars | Yes | west | 37° |
| Jupiter | No | north-west | -47° |
| Saturn | Yes | west | 41° |
| Uranus | With a telescope | south-east | 9° |
| Neptune | No | east | -25° |
| Star | Constellation | Direction | Altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sirius | Canis Major | south-west | 14° |
| Arcturus | Boötes | east | 26° |
| Capella | Auriga | west | 49° |
| Procyon | Canis Minor | south-west | 39° |
| Betelgeuse | Orion | south-west | 28° |
| Aldebaran | Taurus | west | 23° |
| Pollux | Gemini | south-west | 60° |
| Regulus | Leo | south | 51° |
| Castor | Gemini | south-west | 62° |
| Bellatrix | Orion | west | 23° |
38 constellations are above the horizon. Highest in the sky: Lynx, Ursa Major, Leo Minor, Cancer, Leo, Canes Venatici, Gemini, Camelopardalis, Ursa Minor, Auriga, Coma Berenices and Canis Minor.
What happened that night
ABBA sang in English and wore bright, glittering stage clothes. Their conductor, Sven-Olof Walldoff, came out dressed as Napoleon.
The United Kingdom's entry was 'Long Live Love', sung by Olivia Newton-John. When the votes were counted, 'Waterloo' was clearly in front.
Why people remember it
For many fans, this night is where the ABBA story begins. It also showed that Eurovision could launch a band onto the world stage.
A star map of this night suits an ABBA fan, a Eurovision fan, or a couple whose song is one of theirs.
Questions about this night
It shows 9:30pm British Summer Time on 6 April 1974, when the contest went on the air from the Brighton Dome. ABBA's win came at the end of the voting, later that night.
At the Brighton Dome in Brighton, England, on 6 April 1974.
They sang 'Waterloo'. It was the first Eurovision winner from Sweden.