It is your chance to vote in the final of the Eurovision Song Contest. It is time to make your choice of the 26 countries that have made it to the final of the 57th Eurovision Song Contest in Baku.

Will the favourites Sweden win? Or will neighbours Norway pip them to it? Can Jedward do it for Ireland or will Italy win bragging rights? Will the Russia grannies show they can do it like the youngsters? (That is enough name dropping – Ed.)

So you know the deal! Pick your top ten award them points 12, 10, and 8-1.

So vote here 

See the results here

See the animated scoreboard here

Related articles

• EBU Press Conference (escireland.com)
• Jedward through to Eurovision Finals (newstalk.ie)
• First Semi-Final concludes, we have ten finalists! (eurovision.tv)

The Second Semi Final of the 57th Eurovision Song Contest has ended in Baku, Azerbaijan. 10 countries qualified to join the automatic finalists (Big 5 and the host nation) and the 10 qualifiers from the First Semi Final on Tuesday night.

The automatic finalists are United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Azerbaijan.

Joining them are tonight’s qualifiers; Lithuania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia, Ukraine, Sweden, FYR Macedonia, Norway, Estonia, Malta and Turkey.

Source: Elke Roels, Thomas Hanses (EBU) First Semi-Final Winners Press Conference

Tonight saw the first Semi-Final of the 57th Eurovision Song Contest take place in Baku. In what was an agonising wait for Ireland fans we clinched the “Golden Ticket” and the last spot in the final. The other qualifiers were Romania, Moldova, Iceland, Hungary, Denmark, Albania, Cyprus, Greece and Russia.

Azerbaijan’s Eurovision Warmup – The Graham Norton Show – BBC Two

Hands up here who was surprised with the “Land of Fire” reference?

Since I last posted about the Countries taking part in the 57th Eurovision Song Contest, six countries have confirmed their participation in Baku next May.

Montenegro is back in competition having not taken part since 2009, while Monaco has confirmed it will not take part in next years contest. They last appeared in 2006. The Czech Republic will also not take part in this years contest. They have not taken part since 2009.

Image via Wikipedia

32 countries have so far confirmed their participation in the 57th Eurovision Song Contest in Baku, Azerbaijan. A number of countries have yet to confirm their participation and of course there is rumours about certain countries returning!

The following countries have confirmed:

• Albania
• Austria
• Belarus
• Belgium
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Bulgaria
• Cyprus
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Finland
• Georgia
• Hungary
• Iceland
• Ireland
• Israel
• Latvia
• Lithuania
• Malta
• Moldova
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Romania
• Serbia
• Slovenia
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Turkey
• Ukraine

If anyone needs more info on travelling to Azerbaijan from the UK or Ireland then you can contact the Azeri embassy in the UK.

UK Embassy (also accredited to Ireland )

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Mr. Fakhraddin Gurbanov
Address: London, 4 Kensington Court, W8 5DL
Tel: +44 (207) 938 34 12
Fax: +44 (207) 937 17 83
E-mail: london@mission.mfa.gov.az
WEB: www.azembassy.org.uk

Consular Section

Tel: +44 (0)20 7938 3412 (Ext.235 for Consular issues)
+44 (0)20 7938 5482 (Consular issues)
Fax: 020 7937 1783
E-mail (for consular issues): azeconsular@btconnect.com

In a recent interview with the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration’s socio-political department, Ali Hasanov, he has tried to belay several fears of fans, including those about journalists entering the country and the visas for entering Azerbaijan.

Mr Hasanov, the results of the last Eurovision Song Contest, conducted by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) are known. Azerbaijani contestants Nigar Jamal and Eldar Gasimov won the contest this year. According to the rules, the next competition is held in the winning country, Azerbaijan. Of course, a great influx of tourists is expected in Azerbaijan. Does Azerbaijan guarantee the security of its visitors?

First of all, I want to say that the Eurovision Song Contest is a prestigious international music contest, organized by the EBU.

For many years, this contest has been organized and conducted as a top class “brand” for the music community and visitors. We thank Germany’s public television channels NDR and ZDF, which hosted the contest, for holding an objective and transparent event. The winners of the contest, as you said, are two young Azerbaijanis. We are all proud that Nigar and Eldar represented Azerbaijan at the contest so well and won the award for Azerbaijan. We thank them.

Regarding your question, I unequivocally declare that Azerbaijan is the stablest and safest country of the former Soviet Union today. We hold numerous international sports, cultural, social, political and other events every year and thousands of participants, journalists and tourists from different countries visit Azerbaijan.

No unpleasant incidents have happened to people attending these events. Azerbaijan has sufficient experience in conducting international events. These issues are often found in the local and foreign press: is Azerbaijan ready to meet, accommodate, ensure security and resolve the visa issues of a large number of people?

This issue was recently discussed with President Aliyev. I unequivocally state that the Azerbaijani government is ready and able to organize the necessary conditions for the Eurovision Song Contest in accordance with the EBU requirements and to create safe, comfortable working conditions for everyone who attends the contest.

Some circles think that the current visa regime in Azerbaijan may create problems for the free arrival of a large number of people in Azerbaijan. What can you say about this?

I have already spoken about it. The president has given instructions to the relevant state bodies on all organizational issues. I do not think that there will be any problems with visas. An option for granting entry permission will be chosen before the contest in order to facilitate the issuing of visas for tens of thousands of people arriving in Azerbaijan.

Düsseldorf’s experience showed that 3,000 to 5,000 journalists cover the contest. What can you say about their activity, freedom of expression, the possibility of free broadcasting, etc?

Azerbaijan is a country with an open society and rule of pluralism. Special attention is paid to European values, freedom of thought, freedom of speech and press. Using all the existing opportunities, the Azerbaijani government will create the necessary conditions for journalists to operate at this contest at the highest level. There must not be any problem. We are mobilizing all the technical resources of our country to organize free broadcasting. The broad coverage of this process by international media directly meets Azerbaijan’s interests.

Mr Hasanov, another question that is often raised: will Azerbaijan be able to hold the next Eurovision Song Contest in accordance with international standards and requirements? Is there any coordination of all these forthcoming operations?

Every host country is keen for everything to be organized at the highest level and for greater results to be achieved at an international event held in its territory compared to previous ones. Of course, Azerbaijan is a small country compared to such countries as Germany, the UK or Russia and its opportunities are much less. But despite this, we will harness all our potential to hold a contest which does not lag behind previous contests, and even, perhaps surpasses them.

Of course, this is the EBU’s event. So, the EBU and its representative in Azerbaijan – the Independent Broadcasting Organization Ictimai TV – determine the organization, rules of conduct, conditions and rules of the Eurovision contest. Not interfering in the contest, the state organizes work within the country to hold the contest, to create the right conditions. I reiterate that it operates to ensure security, issue visas, accommodate guests, allocate venues for the event and ensure the free work of journalists and people of different categories.

The State Commission established by Mr President, the European Broadcasting Union and Ictimai TV will coordinate their work. On behalf of the Azerbaijani state, I once again declare that the Azerbaijani government is able to arrange all the necessary conditions for the Eurovision Song Contest within the EBU.

Mr Hasanov, I had not even thought to ask this question, but there is a need for an official position on this matter, as it is widely discussed in the press. Different people, including members of sexual minorities, are involved in the Eurovision Song Contest. Will they have any problems with free movement in our country?

At the beginning of the interview I said that Azerbaijan is an absolutely stable and secure country. It is an example of tolerance in the South Caucasus in all parameters.

We freely build places of worship, representing different currents and civilizations of the whole world. These are not museums, as can be seen in some countries. They actually operate as places of pilgrimage for existing religious communities and representatives of various religious beliefs.

Azerbaijan is also an international country. There are dozens of different peoples and nations. Ethnic groups live in peace and safety.

Until today, Azerbaijan has never had discriminatory actions on national or religious grounds, on the basis of different civilizations, orientations, etc. Everyone knows about our hospitality throughout the world.

We are not used to differentiate between guests on religious, ethnic, gender or other grounds. These people can entirely rely on Azerbaijan’s hospitality, tolerance and modernity. There will be no problem for a free, quiet stay in our country.

 

From News.az

They have barely come down from their trip to Düsseldorf and their is already speculation that Jedward are going to try and do better next year and represent us in Baku and maybe return Eurovision glory to Ireland.

According to thejournal.ie

The duo’s manager Louis Walsh said that he would strongly consider re-entering the twins into the 2012 Eurovision in Azerbaijan, the Irish Independent reports. “Ireland could definitely win Eurovision again and we might do it next year with Jedward. I think after what happened this year, Jedward would do incredibly well in Eurovision 2012,” Walsh told the newspaper.

The brothers, from Lucan in Dublin, came in 8th in the contest last Saturday. Despite not taking the crown, however, the reception to the pair has been good.

With Jedward hitting number one on itunes in Austria, Germany Sweden and Ireland and climbing in a number of other countries, maybe it wouldnt be a bad idea!

Related articles

• Eurovision 2012 – Baku (escireland.com)