Millions to watch song contest
2007-05-12 16:18
Helsinki - Some 100 million Europeans are expected to be glued to their televisions on Saturday as the Eurovision song contest reaches its dizzy climax, with Serbia, Ukraine and Belarus hot favourites.
Acts from 24 countries will strut their stuff at the Hartwall Areena in front of 12 000 spectators, vying for their votes in the kitsch glamour contest created in 1956.
A record 15 acts come from "new Europe", countries that emerged after the collapse of the Soviet Union and former Yugoslavia, including Armenia, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Bulgaria, Georgia, Hungary, Romania and Russia.
Nine of the 10 countries that qualified in Thursday's semi-finals are from central and eastern Europe, with Turkey as the 10th country.
Georgia is participating for the first time, with the "ethnopop" song "Visionary Dream" that could easily have come off of Icelandic star Bjork's latest album.
Among the countries that failed to qualify on Thursday were Switzerland, Norway and Israel. The latter's song, Push The Button by The Teapacks, had sparked controversy with its anti-nuclear message that some interpreted as targeting Iran.
Serbia's entry, the ballad Molitva by 23-year-old Marija Serifovic, topped British bookmakers' lists ahead of Thursday's semi-final.
But on Friday the odds had changed and Ukraine and Belarus had knocked her into third place, followed by Russia and Sweden.
Saturday's final will feature the four founding countries - Germany, Spain, France and Britain - plus the top 10 finishers
from 2006 and the top 10 countries from Thursday's semi-final.
Last year the contest was won by Finnish monster rock group Lordi with their song Hard Rock Hallelujah.
Ireland is the most successful nation since the contest began in 1956, winning it seven times. France, Luxemburg and Britain have won five times each.