Eurovision Song Contest 2011
eurovision song contest th edition eurovision song contest took place düsseldorf germany following country victory contest song satellite lena organised european broadcasting union ebu host broadcaster arbeitsgemeinschaft rundfunkanstalten deutschland ard norddeutscher rundfunk ndr contest held düsseldorf arena consisted two semifinal may final may three live show presented german comedian anke engelke stefan raab television presenter judith rakers fortythree country participated contest equalling record edition four country returned contest year austria returned last participation hungary returned last participation san marino returned first participation italy also returned contest last participation fourteen year earlier winner azerbaijan song running scared performed ell nikki written stefan örn sandra bjurman iain james farquharson azerbaijan first victory contest year participation also first malefemale duo win contest since azerbaijan televote combined vote italy jury vote came second overall sweden ukraine denmark rounded top five apart italy big five country make top host nation germany finishing tenth united kingdom followed closely behind finishing eleventh first time since jury reintroduced alongside televoting winner place first jury voting italy jury winner azerbaijan televote winner georgia finishing ninth equalled best result broadcast final rose dor award best live event contest took place düsseldorf seventhlargest city germany first contest take place outside host nation capital city since contest istanbul also first eurovision song contest held germany since german reunification west germany previously hosted contest germany also first member big five host contest since implementation rule permit five largest contributor ebu – germany france united kingdom spain italy – qualify automatically grand final alongside previous year winner düsseldorf arena multifunctional football stadium hosted contest stadium acquired rental period six week order allow construction dismantling work relation contest carried arena accommodated spectator contest düsseldorf offered hotel bed additional bed düsseldorf surroundings ship river rhine twentythree city submit official bid german broadcaster norddeutscher rundfunk ndr order host city contest eight city continued show interest hosting event including berlin hamburg hanover gelsenkirchen düsseldorf cologne frankfurt munich ndr announced august four city officially applied host contest berlin hamburg hanover düsseldorf october hamburger abendblatt newspaper announced hamburg would unable host song contest city could longer fulfil required financial condition concern raised berlin bid concept consisted inflatable tent built tempelhofs hangar area decision maker ndr reportedly doubted venue ability provide advantageous acoustic condition berlin speaker richard meng neither confirmed denied stated secrecy bid concept promised ndr september announced fortuna düsseldorf football club applied deutsche fußball liga permission move home match pauljanesstadion düsseldorf arena awarded song contest message indicated talk düsseldorf host song contest esprit arena already advanced stage club later announced october obtained permission move game necessary neue ruhr zeitung newspaper reported december fortuna düsseldorf moved pauljanesstadion due contest fortuna düsseldorfs training venue next düsseldorf arena would equipped mobile stand swiss event construction specialist nussli group creating extra seat decision made arena sportpark düsseldorf hold better logistic qualification october german broadcaster ndr announced düsseldorf arena chosen host venue eurovision song contest key † host venue december confirmed country would compete contest edition saw return austria last participated italy last participated san marino taken part hungary last participated montenegro applied take part contest december decided participation withdrew december two day december nostringsattached deadline slovakia announced withdrawal contest due financial reason despite holding public poll slovenská televízia stv website eurovision participation received positive vote stv announced planned return contest however slovakia application remained provisional list leading slovakia continued participation contest stv announced january slovakia would yet withdraw contest citing financial reason organisational change however country listed ebu one semifinalist country semifinal allocation draw january stv later confirmed would continue participation avoid fine late withdrawal meeting belgrade august ebu decided country choose artist song march march draw running order took place host city semifinal allocation draw took place january düsseldorf several artist made return eurovision song contest including dino merlin represented bosnia herzegovina gunnar ólason part sjonnis friend iceland last appeared part two tricky moldova entrant zdob și zdub also returned twiins slovakia also return backing vocalist czech republic sophio toroshelidze lead singer eldrine georgia backing singer sofia nizharadze georgia entry along artist two previous eurovision winner also returned contest dana international israel lena germany brought contest düsseldorf stefan raab represented germany appeared conductor backing artist german entry hosted contest first time since second time history contest two former winner returned year four country part big four along host contest automatically qualify place grand final since germany big four country host contest vacant spot grand final reference group meeting belgrade decided existing rule would remain place number participant grand final would simply lowered twentyfive twentyfour december official participation list published ebu stipulated return italy contest nation would become member newly expanded big five change permitted italy automatic qualification grand final alongside france spain united kingdom host nation germany restoring number participant grand final twentyfive nation august announced svante stockselius executive supervisor eurovision song contest would leaving position december november ebu announced jon ola sand would succeed stockselius executive supervisor draw determine semifinal running order held january participating country excluding automatic finalist split six pot based voting history country previous year pot half close half possible competed first semifinal may half particular pot competed second semifinal may draw doubled approximate running order order delegation country know rehearsal commenced draw also determined semifinal automatic finalist would able cast vote israeli broadcaster iba requested compete second semifinal rather first semifinal pulled draw due israel memorial day coinciding first semifinal german broadcaster ndr also requested allowed vote second semifinal scheduling reason design contest built around slogan feel heart beat logo onscreen graphic designed turquoise branding postcard introducing performance included logo colour performing country eg united kingdom red white blue german place shown toylike view using tiltshift photography story happened whose main character people either living germany tourist country contest motto feel heart beat shown said country national native language example first postcard shown poland boyfriend drop piece paper camera pan paper show polish phrase poczuj bicie serca handwritten second postcard shown norway mountain climber norway climb top mountain yell norwegian phrase kjenn ditt hjerte slå heart appeared stage crowd could seen heartbeat sound pink light pulsating rhythm heartbeat performance started main colour letterboxes black pink scoreboard showed spokesperson country giving vote right showing table result left large point highlighted pink whilst lower point – purple scoreboard design used following year minor change large point appearing progressively larger size compared lower point highlighted colour changed match theme light fire ard european broadcasting union member broadcast eurovision song contest germany joint organisation germany regional publicservice broadcaster ard member venue consideration located area three different member berlin located within rundfunk berlinbrandenburg rbb member area hamburg hanover within norddeutscher rundfunk ndr area düsseldorf within westdeutscher rundfunk wdr broadcasting area ndr responsible transmission eurovision song contest recent year final took place country financial scope three broadcaster seemed become decisive factor application procedure eurovision song contest tagesspiegel reported october cost hosting event resulted tense discussion necessary saving programme content made three broadcaster december ndr announced anke engelke judith rakers stefan raab presenter contest third time three people would host contest previous contest raab known german representative wadde hadde dudde da whereas engelke actress comedian rakers journalist television presenter october thomas schreiber coordinator ard outlined detail düsseldorfs event concept esprit arena split two part separated one side stadium stage would installed side would function background dressing room artist delegation athletics arena next esprit arena would serve press centre event esprit arena offered comfortable seat relatively near stage created indoor event arena atmosphere rather footballstadium ambiance plan allow public chance attend dress rehearsal altogether ticket sold seven show grand final two semifinal four dress rehearsal also said interview ticket event likely go sale within next four week midnovember ndr already opened preregistration emailnewsletter website people interested ticket event ticket sale started december cet website wwwdticketde authorised seller however ticket page opened sale approximately two hour earlier originally advertised announcement made email newsletter sent preregistered buyer minute opening giving slight benefit acquiring ticket grand final ticket put sale december sold less six hour camera position determined thousand extra ticket put sale ticket semifinal put sale midjanuary known country would take part semifinal first semifinal took place esprit arena düsseldorf may ten country semifinal highest scoring point according combination televotes jury vote voting country qualified grand final spain united kingdom voted semifinal second semifinal took place esprit arena düsseldorf may ten country semifinal highest scoring point according combination televotes jury vote voting country qualified grand final france germany italy voted semifinal final took place may big five country automatically qualified grand final two semifinal may twenty country qualified grand final total twentyfive country competed grand final voting system used contest combination televotes jury vote selecting winner viewer able vote performance voting window ended minute conclusion song background music show included wonderful gary go spokesperson unlike previous year voting order drawn order presentation song rather voting order calculated event reduce likelihood outright winner start country revealed vote following order split jurytelevoting result announced ebu final split total received country given full breakdown point summary maximum point country awarded another first semifinal point summary maximum point country awarded another second semifinal point summary maximum point country awarded another grand final record number country received least one set point grand final country receive full mark estonia russia switzerland germany serbia country sent commentator düsseldorf commentated country order add insight participant necessary provision voting information first semifinal many broadcaster lost contact commentator due technical glitch dropout multichannel sound connection cause fault corrected second backup system put place tested extensively second semifinal commentator called country broadcaster phone get sound tv radio broadcast first semifinal addition main winner trophy marcel bezençon award barbara dex award contested eurovision song contest ogae general organisation eurovision fan voting poll also took place contest marcel bezençon award organised since sweden thenhead delegation representative christer björkman winner richard herrey honour song contest final award divided three category artistic award composer award press award ogae organisation forty eurovision song contest fan club across europe beyond conduct annual voting poll first held marcel bezençon fan award vote cast topranked entry poll hungary dream performed kati wolf top five result shown barbara dex award humorous fan award given worst dressed artist year named belgium representative came last contest wearing selfdesigned dress award handed fansite house eurovision carried fansite songfestivalbe since eurovision song contest düsseldorf official compilation album contest put together european broadcasting union released emi record cmc international april album featured song entered contest including semifinalist failed qualify grand final eurovision young dancer junior eurovision song contest medium related eurovision song contest wikimedia common eurovision official website