Why Eurovision stays unpredictable after 70 years of copycats and rule changes

The Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) has been attracting millions of fans every year since it was launched back in 1956. At the same time, it represents a unique opportunity for research. Almost no other major cultural event has been so well documented over such an extended period of time. Data on songs, voting and rule changes is freely accessible, making Eurovision an ideal example for computer-assisted social sciences of a data-based culture system.