Eurovision Song Contest 2012 - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Eurovision Song Contest 2012 will be the 57th annual Eurovision Song Contest

Eurovision Song Contest

The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...

. It will be held in Baku

Baku

Baku , sometimes spelled as Baki or Bakou, is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal...

, Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...

, following Azerbaijan's win in the 2011 Contest

Eurovision Song Contest 2011

The Eurovision Song Contest 2011 was the 56th annual Eurovision Song Contest and was won by Eldar & Nigar performing "Running Scared" for Azerbaijan. The event took place in the Esprit Arena in Düsseldorf, Germany, following Germany's win in the previous year...

with Ell & Nikki

Ell & Nikki

Ell & Nikki is an Azerbaijani pop duo consisting of singers Eldar Gasimov and Nigar Jamal. On May 14, 2011, they won the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 for Azerbaijan with their entry "Running Scared". It was the country's first ever win at the contest...

's song "Running Scared". The two semi-finals will be held on 22 May and 24 May 2012, with the final on 26 May 2012, in Azerbaijan. Thirty-eight countries have, so far, announced their participation in the contest, with Montenegro

Montenegro in the Eurovision Song Contest

Montenegro debuted at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2007. Previously it participated as part of Yugoslavia and Serbia and Montenegro .The 2005 entrants from Serbia and Montenegro, No Name, were from Montenegro, as were the 1983 and 1984 entrants...

planning to return, having last taken part in 2009

Eurovision Song Contest 2009

The Eurovision Song Contest 2009 was the 54th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest and was hosted by Russia after their win in 2008. It took place between 12 and 16 May 2009 at the Olympic Indoor Arena in Moscow, Russia....

Venue

On 16 May 2011, it was announced that a special concert complex with 23,000 seats for the 2012 Contest is to be built near National Flag Square

National Flag Square

National Flag Square is a large city square by Neftchiler Avenue in Bayil, Baku, Azerbaijan. Confirmed by the Guinness Book of Records, the flag flies on a pole 162 meters high and measures 70 by 35 meters which was the world's tallest flag, until it was overtaken by the 165 meter flagpole of...

in Baku. However on 19 May 2011, organisers announced that they may use the Tofiq Bahramov Stadium which contains 37,000 seats, or the Heydar Aliyev Sports and Exhibition Complex. On 4 August 2011, it was confirmed that the laying of foundations for the Baku Crystal Hall

Baku Crystal Hall

Baku Crystal Hall is a multi-functional indoor venue in Baku, Azerbaijan. On 8 September 2011, Azad TV International of Azerbaijan reported that Baku Crystal Hall will be the venue of Eurovision Song Contest 2012, although no formal confirmation by the organisers of the Eurovision Song Contest, the...

had started near the National Flag Square. The foundations were completed on 14 October 2011. Tofiq Bahramov Stadium, which is currently under repairs to host the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup

FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup

The FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup is an international association football tournament for female players under the age of 17. It is organized by Fédération Internationale de Football Association...

in September-October 2012, will be used as a back-up option.

Heydar Aliyev Sports and Exhibition Complex}}

On 8 September 2011, Azad TV International of Azerbaijan

Azad Azerbaijan TV

Azad Azerbaijan TV is a private television station in Azerbaijan. It has been broadcasting since December 25, 2000. ATV began broadcasting through movies and music videos, but later news, shows and other programmes was added. In the last years ATV claim to be the most popular and the most...

reported that Baku Crystal Hall

Baku Crystal Hall

will be the venue of Eurovision Song Contest 2012, although no formal confirmation by the organisers of the Eurovision Song Contest, the European Broadcasting Union

European Broadcasting Union

The European Broadcasting Union is a confederation of 74 broadcasting organisations from 56 countries, and 49 associate broadcasters from a further 25...

(EBU), has yet been made to clarify this statement. On 31 October 2011, Mr. Ismayil Omarov, the director general of Azerbaijani national broadcaster İctimai Television announced that a decision on the venue choice will be taken by the steering committee in January 2012.

Event concept and ticket sale

On 10 August 2011, Gudrat Aliyev, coordinator at CAT Brain Entertainment, stated tickets for the event were likely to go on sale in November 2011.

Role of the national host broadcaster

İctimai Television, which is the EBU member that broadcasts the Eurovision Song Contest in Azerbaijan, is one of country's public-service broadcasters. Deputy Minister of Communication and Information Technology of Azerbaijan, Iltimas Mammadov, stated that telecom networks are ready to host this event. Azerbaijan's largest telecommunications operator, Azercell

Azercell

The Azercell is a mobile telecommunications company, located in Baku, Azerbaijan.-Company background:“Azercell Telecom” LLC was established on January 19, 1996. Founders were Turkcell İletişim Hizmetleri A. S...

, has been chosen as the presenting partner for the contest.

Format

In a meeting of the Eurovision Reference Group on 29 June 2011, it was decided that the televoting system would revert back to the format used before the 2010 Contest in which the phone and SMS lines will open after all songs have been performed instead of opening before the show starts. The results format of each show will remain the same with each country's votes being decided on a 50:50 split between televoting and a national jury.

Under the official rules released on 24 November 2011, the number of participants in the final will be raised to 26, including the host nation, the "Big Five", and the ten qualifiers from each semi-final. This will be the second time in the Eurovision Song Contest that 26 countries will be in the final, the first being the 2003 Contest

Eurovision Song Contest 2003

The Eurovision Song Contest 2003 was the forty-eighth Eurovision Song Contest, held at the Skonto Hall in Riga, Latvia on 24 May 2003. The hosts were Marie N and Renārs Kaupers. Sertab Erener, the Turkish entrant, won the contest with "Everyway That I Can", scoring 167 points. The winning...

Participating countries

Thirty-eight countries have confirmed their participation in the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest. Montenegro

Montenegro in the Eurovision Song Contest

's broadcaster Radio Televizija Crna Gora

RTCG

Radio Television of Montenegro is the public broadcasting organization of Montenegro...

(RTCG) has reported that they are "likely" to return to the contest in 2012, which last participated in 2009

Eurovision Song Contest 2009

.

On 19 October 2011, Andorra

Andorra in the Eurovision Song Contest

Andorra has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest six times, debuting in the 2004 contest. Interest in the contest had been great for a long time, despite the local Andorran broadcaster, Ràdio i Televisió d'Andorra , not showing the contest until recent years...

announced that there are no plans for the country to participate in 2012 due to financial difficulties; the country also has plans to withdraw from the EBU entirely. On 24 November 2011, it was reported that the Czech Republic

Czech Republic in the Eurovision Song Contest

The Czech Republic has competed at the Eurovision Song Contest three times, first taking part in 2007. On all three attempts the country failed to qualify to the final from the semi-finals, placing in the bottom two in all attempts...

would not compete in the 2012 Contest, following the release of a television schedule by Česká televize

Ceská televize

Česká televize is the public television broadcaster in the Czech Republic, broadcasting four channels.- Czechoslovak Television :Television in Czechoslovakia started to take its first steps before World War II. However, before visible results could be achieved, all activities were interrupted by...

(ČT).

Semi-finalists

Language	Artist	Song
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	TBD January 2012	TBD January 2012
	Iris Iris (singer) Laura van den Bruel, known as Iris or Airis is a Belgian female singer.- Eurovision :On 18 November 2011, it was announced by Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie , that Iris will represent Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012.- External links:...	TBD February 2012
	TBD January 2012
	TBD February 2012	TBD February 2012

	Ivi Adamou Ivi Adamou Ivi Adamou is a Cypriot singer who rose to recognition in Greece and Cyprus following her participation in the second season of the Greek version of The X Factor, where she was under the mentorship of Giorgos Theofanous. Adamou secured a recording contract with Sony Music Greece and released her...	TBD
	TBD	TBD
	TBD	TBD
	TBD	TBD


	TBD	TBD
	TBD	TBD

	TBD	TBD

English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...	TBD	TBD
Macedonian Macedonian language Macedonian is a South Slavic language spoken as a first language by approximately 2–3 million people principally in the region of Macedonia but also in the Macedonian diaspora...	Kaliopi Kaliopi Kaliopi Bukle , more simply known as Kaliopi, is a popular Macedonian singer and song-writer. Kaliopi will represent Macedonia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 in Baku, Azerbaijan.-Early life and education:...


	TBD	TBD
	TBD	TBD
	TBD	TBD


	Željko Joksimović Željko Joksimovic Željko Joksimović or often credited Zeljko Joksimovic is a popular Serbian singer, songwriter and producer. He is also well known in Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, Croatia, Slovenia, Greece, Germany, Austria and other European countries...
	TBD January 2012	TBD January 2012
	TBD	TBD
	TBD	TBD
	TBD
	TBD	TBD

Finalists

Country	Artist	Song
(host)
	Anggun Anggun Anggun Cipta Sasmi is an Indonesian singer-songwriter. She has released 12 studio albums and one soundtrack album , and her songs have also been included on various compilation albums. Her musical career began in childhood, and she achieved commercial success in Indonesia when she was 12 years old...
	TBD 16 February 2012	TBD 16 February 2012

Possible returns

– It has been reported that the return of Monaco to the contest in 2012 was under consideration at an European Broadcasting Union

European Broadcasting Union

The European Broadcasting Union is a confederation of 74 broadcasting organisations from 56 countries, and 49 associate broadcasters from a further 25...

(EBU) meeting in Geneva

Geneva

Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...

.
– In an interview with the French delegation it was revealed that Morocco were "likely to return" to the Eurovision Song Contest in 2012. Reports about the proposed return of Morocco to the contest, after an absence of 30 years, were further enhanced at an EBU meeting in Geneva.

Possible withdrawals

– Participation remains uncertain as the special security required by the Armenian delegation has not yet been guaranteed by the EBU. – Although Italy is mentioned as a participant in the official 2012 rules, due to poor viewing figures in the 2011 Contest

Eurovision Song Contest 2011

, and the ongoing European sovereign debt crisis, Italy may yet not participate in 2012. – Due to a run of poor results, Poland may not be present in the 2012 Contest. The Polish delegation is expected to make a decision about participation in November 2011. - On 16 November 2011 it was announced by Rozhlas a televízia Slovenska

Radio and Television Slovakia

Radio and Television of Slovakia is a Slovakia's state owned public television and radio broadcaster. It is a merger of Slovenská televízia and Slovenský rozhlas. The broadcaster was founded in 2011...

(RTVS) that Miro Šmajda had been selected internally to represent Slovakia at the 2012 Contest in Baku, funding his own participation at the event. However by 18 November the Slovak participation was in doubt after a "misunderstanding" between RTVS and Šmajda's management, with some terms of the contract still needing to be discussed.

Returning artists

Artist	Country	Previous year(s)
Kaliopi Kaliopi Kaliopi Bukle , more simply known as Kaliopi, is a popular Macedonian singer and song-writer. Kaliopi will represent Macedonia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 in Baku, Azerbaijan.-Early life and education:...		1996 Eurovision Song Contest 1996 The Eurovision Song Contest 1996 was the 41st Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 18 May 1996 in Oslo Spektrum in Oslo, Norway. The presenters were Ingvild Bryn and Morten Harket. Harket, lead singer of a-ha, opened the show with a performance of his single "Heaven's Not For Saints". Eimear... (Pre-qualifying round)
Željko Joksimović Željko Joksimovic Željko Joksimović or often credited Zeljko Joksimovic is a popular Serbian singer, songwriter and producer. He is also well known in Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, Croatia, Slovenia, Greece, Germany, Austria and other European countries...		2004 Eurovision Song Contest 2004 The Eurovision Song Contest 2004, was the 49th Contest and it was held in the Abdi İpekçi Arena in Istanbul, Turkey. This was the first occasion in which the contest was held in Turkey after they had won the competition in 2003 with Sertab Erener singing "Everyway That I Can"... (for )

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