Join us for the live report at 14.00 local. I would also be happy to answer your questions.
The word here is that Georgia had requested permission to use pink outfits (like on promo photos/CD) for the final today. I've heard the reason they used wigs and rest of preview outfits was that they were totally unhappy by the background set for them by director of the show (Daniel Jelinek), and they thought that may be those costumes will fit the background better. They seemingly didn't.
9 minutes late we start.
EBU and JESC 2011 idents, and opening video showcasing Armenia and it's people. All videos and postcards this year are devoted to Armenia, they are really nice, but more suitable for adult contest. No JESC participants in postcards this year.
The show is now opened by girl descending from Noah's ark on the stage and she together with the boy are bringing winners prize on stage. Prize really looks better in reality than on TV screen.
Then we have opening act with 55 tap dancers in pink and drummers on stage. Not really my taste, and tap has already been overused in JESC.
Participants enter the stage now. There are no changes in outfits from the previous dress rehearsals, Belarus aren't painted white for this morning (they were last night and will be tonight), and Georgia is in pink now.
Hosts are really nice, Avet is in white-black cap today. Introduction and World Vision video (It's all about children being children)
Russian postcard is about kids playing with small planes dreaming to become pilots and adult pilots in airport. All postcards are about dreams of Armenian kids and their realizations.
Confident performance from Russia and Katya is not looking that old, so it is fine, her singing is also OK, though you've all figured out the note she is always missing. She has really obvious sounding double track, so it is not looking good though gives her advantage.
Latvia on stage. Well, she had been missing notes in all runs, including jury rehearsal yesterday. This is not really eye catchy and with much stronger ballad of Belarus coming closer to the end this is destined to finish among the lower placed entries.
Postcard is about planting tree and growing peaches. Moldova is next on stage. She is still having problems with locating camera when watching into it.
The postcard is about playing chess against playing football. Armenia is next. Dalita is having very strong performance and they can only hope she can repeat it tonight. With good performance this is bound to do well and even win televoting.
Postcard is about cars and drivers. Bulgaria is on. Unusually, Ivan is out of breath even in early notes of the song, it sounds as if he had to run the whole way from entrance to the stage. He usually starts bored and gets in mood during the performance, so he ends it on the highest level.
The extracts of previews are on commercial break. Today Latvia and Lithuania are on place. The Ukrainian part has award handling and Belarus -announcement of the winner, so this part really makes no sense to me.
Hosts are back for couple of words. Postcard is about painting and architecture. Lithuania is next, I really dislike the make up of Paulina, she really looks much older and less cute on screen than we are used to. I wished also that there would be more shots of her team, which are doing great on stage, but camera focuses on Paulina's face most of the time. This is a first significant let down by the camera work.
Postcard is about fire brigade and girl with cute little dog. The postcards have no association with the country they are shown in front of. Kristall on stage. Confident performance by Kristall, but she isn't really camera friendly face, she is much better in real life than on screens. One of the best questions is who will top each other - Ukraine or the Netherlands.
Postcard is about astronomy. Macedonia is here. Dejana isn't yet having curly hair she had last night. Anyway, she is arguably the prettiest female performer on stage of this year's JESC and the stage work is great. Dorijan has only minor vocal problems now, so this can work for them.
Postcard is about Mother day. Rachel is here, the stage is too dark for her and the construction isn't really looking good on it. The act certainly lacks something, so I will be surprised to see it winning, but it is good enough to finish around 5th place.
Lida on stage for Belarus. Again, the stage is too dark, and I've heard delegation is really unhappy about it, and they have been requesting a change from the very beginning, but nothing was done. She is definitely saving her voice for the big night. Fairly, it should be on top.
Video about Euroweek activities. Hosts are in greenroom, which is located to the left of stage on screens.
Postcard about a girl dreaming to become singer. Erik is on stage. All week he looks really bored and like Dino last year his facial expression is more like - what I'm doing here. The act isn't really eye catchy but vocally it is good this time. See this just outside top 5 and he still should become best placed boy in the contest.
Postcard about a cook. Georgia is on with pink outfits. Vocally they are still perfect, as usual, and these outfits are much better, but whether it is the song to be liked by children around Europe is yet to be seen.
Little Femke is here, she is shy in interviews but very confident on stage, this is a good contender for victory, the stage act is brilliant.
Voting explanation from hosts - not more than 20 calls from 1 phone. Long recap.
Hosts are back in greenroom, and announce Molly Sanden. She is the only guest seemingly singing live. Molly is in all black now.
Another recap. Hosts. World Vision advert. Final countdown, again hosts aren't really in time with figures on screen behind them. Stop voting. Sirusho with Qele Qele is on now.
Hosts ask Sietse, he explains they are still counting (creating tension) and Vladimir Arzumanyan is on stage.
Australian kid opens the voting giving 12 points to every country.
Bzikebi are BZZing Eurovision song before Ukrainian vote.
Russia has won dummy voting just ahead of Moldova and the Netherlands.
