Time for some Eurovision eurotrash

Tomorrow is Eurovision and it's taking place right here in the Rhine city of Düsseldorf. If you're from anywhere outside of continental Europe you probably didn't even realize. But in Germany the annual kitsch-fest is celebrated with Eurovision parties and an abundance of airplay for the German entry. Here's some Eurovision facts to get you in the mood:

If Germany's Lena Meyer-Landrut wins on Saturday she will become the first ever Eurovision Song Contest winner to defend her title successfully.

A television audience of 125 million from the Atlantic Ocean to the Caspian Sea is expected to watch the 56th annual pop music competition. 2,500 journalists are covering the Eurovision in Germany.

Germany's Lena Meyer-Landrut, who won last year's contest in Oslo with a British-style pop song "Satellite", will be up against performers from 24 countries in Saturday's final after a field of 43 nations was reduced in two semi-finals.

Swedish pop group Abba became famous after winning in 1974 with "Waterloo" and Canada's Celine Dion took top honours in 1988 with "Ne partez pas sans moi" while competing for Switzerland.

A singer named Ruslana won for Ukraine in 2004 and was later rewarded with a seat in parliament.

Predictions on potential winners are notoriously wrong in many years because the outcome is determined - partly - by viewers from around Europe who call in their votes which are then awarded to the various acts on a scale of 12 to 0.

One of the most talked-about performers ahead of this year's contest, Stella Mwangi from Norway, was already eliminated in Tuesday's first semi-final round. Oddsmakers have identified Ireland's pop-rap duo Jedward, identical 19-year-old twins, as a hot favourite.

France's opera singer Amaury Vassili, a tenor, and Britain's boy band Blue are also tipped as favourites by bookmakers. As the main financiers of the contest, France, Britain, Spain, Italy and Germany get automatic spots in the final.

Lena, a fresh-faced 19-year-old, said she hopes for at least a spot in the top 10. She became an instant national hero a year ago for ending Germany's three-decade Eurovision drought that made many Germans anguish over why Europe so disliked them

Some other famous participants in past contests include Julio Iglesias, Olivia Newton-John, Secret Garden, t.A.T.u., Lordi and Patricia Kaas. Riverdance was created in 1994 when Ireland hosted the contest.

See Germany's entry here
See the bookies fave here 
See the Rhine online fave here 
Visit our friend at Rhinebuzz (Düsseldorf blog) to see what they're doing for Eurovision
Source: Independent