In February 2009, Norwegian media reported that the song is about Rybak's ex-girlfriend Ingrid Berg Mehus whom he got to know through the Barratt Due Institute of Music in Oslo.

At a press conference in May 2009 he revealed that the song's inspiration came from the Hulder, a beautiful female creature from Scandinavian folklore, who lures young men to her, and then may curse them for all time.

The song won the competition in the biggest landslide of the contest's history,[5] becoming the Norwegian entrant –and Rybak the performer– for Eurovision.

[6][7] "Fairytale" won with a combined televote and jury score of 747,888, in the biggest victory of the Melodi Grand Prix's history.

The most recent video was of Rybak playing the violin and singing with his backing dancers behind him, where the background occasionally changes from white to black.

On 14 May 2009, the second semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest was held in the Olimpiysky Arena in Moscow hosted by Channel One (C1R) and broadcast live throughout the continent.

Rybak performed "Fairytale" sixth on the evening, following Poland's "I Don't Wanna Leave" by Lidia Kopania and preceding Cyprus's "Firefly" by Christina Metaxa.

Rybak performed again "Fairytale" twentieth on the evening, following Albania's "Carry Me in Your Dreams" by Kejsi Tola and preceding Ukraine's "Be My Valentine!