Facts and figures

The 56th Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) saw competitors from 43 countries take the stage under the motto "Feel Your Heart Beat!" Italy provided a big surprise with its reentry into the competition after a 14 year absence, while Austria closed out a four year break, and Hungary is back again after two years.

The logo is right in keeping with the motto and the host in 2011: a pulsating heart bearing the colors of the German flag. A British designer created it, inspired by last year's winner, singer Lena Meyer-Landrut, after she formed a heart with her fingers on stage to thank her fans.

2011 represents the third edition of Eurovision to take place in Germany, but it's the first since German unification. In 1956, the European Broadcasting Union created the show's concept, and the second Eurovision contest - then known as the Grand Prix - was held in Frankfurt in 1957.

Now, the previous year's winner hosts the contest each year - a rule instated in 1975. Thanks to Nicole Siebert's win with "Ein bisschen Frieden" ("A Little Peace") in 1983, Germany hosted the competition a second time in Munich.

No empty seats

The third edition of the finale on May 14 in Dusseldorf has long been sold out. Ticket prices ranged from 89 to 189 euros ($127 to 269).

In mid-January, the Eurovision team saw a shift in personnel. Norwegian Jon Ola Sand took the helm, becoming the show's head of production. It's not his first experience as a producer; the TV executive was also responsible for producing the live broadcast of the Nobel Prize ceremony in 2011.

When it comes to the on-screen moderators at this year's Eurovision, there weren't too many surprises. German actress Anke Engelke was born in Montreal, Canada and speaks French, which fulfils the official requirement for ESC moderators. She's joined by Lena's guru, the German TV producer and entertainer, Stefan Raab.

Raab is on the Eurovision stage for the fifth time. In 1998 and 2004, he was the songwriter, and he's even been a competitor himself, most recently in 2000. Finally, Raab can take credit for the casting show concept that discovered Lena in 2010. This year, a modified version of the show was used to select which song she would perform in 2011.

Free to choose

March was the deadline for participating countries to submit the bands and singers that would represent them, but it's up to each country how they select their Eurovision talent. Some countries simply announce who will compete in a given year, like Turkey, Armenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, while others like Sweden or Croatia go the traditional route and organize competitive music festivals.



Interest in the contest grows every year. In Lithuania, for instance, 43 artists competed for the honor of representing their country in Dusseldorf this year. Germany, however, didn't host a contest. Stefan Raab and a panel of TV executives agreed that Lena should have the chance to defend her title in 2011. It's a practice reflected more in the early years of the competition when previous winners would regularly return to the stage a year after their wins, including the first ESC winner, Lys Assia from Switzerland.

Early in 2011, Lena performed 12 new songs on national television in Germany, and viewers were invited to vote for their favorite. The choice went to "Taken by a Stranger." A rather unconventional pick, the tune's subdued sound will be a contrast to the usually the poppy, boisterous Eurovision.

It seems unlikely, though, that Lena will come away with a second win back to back. In 1972 and 1973, Luxemburg won twice in a row, followed by Israel in 1978 and 1979. But Ireland is the Eurovision king with a record seven total wins, three of which were back to back from 1992 to 1994.

Back to the 'big four'

Since 2000, Eurovision uses a system which guarantees a spot to the "big four" - England, Spain, France and Germany. Those are the countries that bear the vast majority of costs for Europe's favorite music competition.

Until the competition in Oslo in 2010, it had been 13 years since one of the big four countries had won. The current voting system allows a jury of music experts and fans from across Europe equal say in who goes to the final round as well as who ultimately wins. Viewers can vote by sending text messages or calling in during the show.

Estimates expect around 10 million votes. This year, they will be tallied up in Cologne, Germany, where 200 telecommunications providers will be on hand to count votes from across the continent.

But many more than 10 million will be in front of the TV for the finale on May 14. An estimated 120 million viewers will take in the broadcast - about as big of an audience as the Oscars and the American Superbowl draw in combined.

Author: Jakov Leon / gsw
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