The 2009 Eurovision Song Contest has officially opened in Moscow.
Moscow won the right to host the event for the first time after Russian pop singer Dima Bilan took first place in last year’s Eurovision, held in Belgrade, with his song “Believe.”
The venue of the competition, Olympiyski Indoor Arena, built for the 1980 Olympic Games, has an impressive record of hosting major TV events in recent years, including the all-European tennis and basketball finals. For the Eurovision, it has been transformed into a giant concert hall.
Representatives of 41 European countries plus Israel will take part in the competition.
Over 8,500 police and security officers will be on duty at the event.
More Eurovision coverage: http://alindenauer.wordpress.com/category/eurovision/
