Terminal 3.... The Eurovision Blog

According to the Oikotimes Svante Stockeselius has announced that the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest will be held at the Olimpski Arena in Moscow. The arena was built for the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games and was where the Basketball and Boxing events were held. It has a total capacity of 80,000 people but for the purposes of the Eurovision Song Contest will probably be capable of seating up to 20,000.

Already the 2009 season has started to be announced with the Finnish broadcaster YLE today announcing details about their national selection for next year. 12 artists will be invited to take part, just as previous years. Three semifinals will be held january 9, 16 and 23. In each semi four songs participate, two get a ticket to the final, another two will later get a new chance to reach the final. All together Saturday 31st of January 2009 we will see 8 songs compete in the grand final. Wow its not even a month since Belgrade and the National final season for 2009 is being announced.

One question that is being asked by myself at the moment already is who will be in Russia and who won't be:- Ok well we already know that Sweden have started their quest for Melodifestivalen 2009, Germany have stated they will be there but with changes to their selection, United Kingdom will be there (but will Terry Wogan?), Malta have said yes (with a new format for MaltaSong). The following countries have also confirmed their attendance in Russia - Azerbaijan, Belgium, Belarus, Cyprus, Finland, Greece, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Russia (obviously!!), Serbia, Spain, and Turkey. Austria, San Marino and now Andorra have said final decisions will be made in the Autumn as to whether they will be attending. Slovakia have also shown an interest in returning for the first time since 1998. Luxembourg have said definately "NO and NEVER AGAIN" Kosovo have approached the EBU with an application to join which could make them eligible to enter in 2009, but, the question is! If

And I for one will be extremely disappointed if they are not there!!!! The reason apparently is that the Andorran TV Station RTVA will not make a definate decision following another non qualification from the semi final this year in Belgrade. Andorra are one of the few who have never qualified from the semi final to the final of Eurovision, but came very close in Helsinki when they scored their highest placing of 12th. Andorra have been in Eurovision since 2004 when the semi finals were first introduced and after a not very auspicious start seemed to be making headway and sending better songs. 2004 Marta Roure - Jugarem A Estimar-Nos 18th place with 12pts 2005 Marian van de Wal - La Mirada Interior 23rd place with 27pts 2006 Jenny - Sense Tu 23rd place with 8pts 2007 Anonymous - Salvem el món 12th place with 80pts 2008 Gisela - Casanova 16th place (semi final 2) with 22pts I do so hope that RTVA stay po

Well Dima Bilan won the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest and I would like to wish the entire Russian Delegation a hearty congratulations. I said right at the start that he would win and give the Russians their first Eurovision victory. I am not personally a big fan of the song and still don't understand the performance for the song...but I suppose we should be greatful that he didn't sit on the ladder and sing. The thing that suprised me about the Russian Victory was that he didnt get more 12 points, however 7 sets of 12 were not too bad even though 6 were from former Soviet states - Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Belarus and Armenia. So after 13 attempts and 2 second places and 2 third places they now have that elusive victory.

I am already looking forward to Moscow or St Petersburg or wherever the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest will be held. So after 5 costume changes during performances, at least 6 pairs of silver stilettos, 5 gimmick acts, 17 solo female performances, 10 solo male performances and 16 groups and duos the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest is over and the countdown has started for many of us for next year. Suprises this year or what???????!!! ......... Where did Croatia and Albania come from in Semi Final 2? How did Netherlands and Belgium not qualify? How come Sweden sent a fab song which ended up being saved by the jury? I am not sure we will ever know the real answers, but one is for sure the TV viewers obviously saw something on the television that I never saw in the arena!!!!!!!!