The 13th edition of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest will be held tonight. A total of 17 countries will go on the stage in Armeec Arena in Sofia, Bulgaria, and a mixture of televoting and jury in each country will decide who will win the contest.

THE SHOW

The contest is hosted in Bulgaria after last year’s winner, Italy, did not want to host this year’s contest. The offer went on to Bulgaria, the runner-up. This year’s theme is #Discover and the theme song, under the same title, is sung by Krisia Todorova who gave Bulgaria its second place in last year’s contest. The show will be hosed by Poli Genova, Bulgaria’s representative for Eurovision 2011.

Two countries have their debut in the competition this year: Ireland, represented by the Irish speaking broadcaster TG4, making it the first time that Irish is heard in a Eurovision event since 1972, and Australia, that was invited by the EBU to take part in the event.

HOW TO WATCH

The show will begin at 19:30 CET. Watching is available through the national broadcaster of each country or via EBU’s official webstream on junioreurovision.tv

PARTICIPANTS

1. Serbia: Lena Stamenković – Lenina pesma
2. Georgia: The Virus – Gabede
3. Slovenia: Lina Kuduzović – Prva ljubezen
4. Italy: Chiara & Martina – Viva
5. The Netherlands: Shalisa – Million lights
6. Australia: Bella Paige – My girls
7. Ireland: Aimee Banks – Réalta na mara
8. Russia: Mikhail Smirnov – Mechta
9. F.Y.R. Macedonia: Ivana Petkovska & Magdalena Aleksovska – Pletenka (Braid of love)
10. Belarus: Ruslan Aslanov – Volshebstvo
11. Armenia: Mika – Love
12. Ukraine: Anna Trincher – Pochny z sebe
13. Bulgaria: Gabriela Yordanova & Ivan Stoyanov – Colour of hope
14. San Marino: Kamilla Ismailova – Mirror
15. Malta: Destiny Chukunyere – Not my soul
16. Albania: Mishela Rapo – Dambaje
17. Montenegro: Jana Mirković – Oluja

PHOTO GALLERY

Check out the gallery of all participants from the dress rehearsal held yesterday (photos by Gil Laufer/ESCToday):

Listen to this year’s theme song, Disover by Krisia Todorova: