The opening ceremony for the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest is held at the moment. You can follow the show by webstream.

• Watch the show here.
• View our gallery of pictures from the event at this link.

The programme opened with the performance of children impersonating former winners we have already seen in the Russian national final and during the draw of the running order. The hosts are Andre Malakov and Alsou. After an official opening welcome ceremony, we can now listen to a traditional balalaika performance.

Philip Kirkorov, Russian entrant in 1995 and composer of the Belarusian entry in 2007 and the Ukrainian entry in 2008, now performs the Kylie Minogue song Your disco needs you. Another songs follows before a snippet of the video for Mamo, the Russian entry this year, is shown.

Lys Assia is now on stage and performs a new version of Refrain, her winning song of the very first Eurovision Song Contest in 1956. She also represented Switzerlandwith a second song in 1956 and would return in 1957 and 1958.

Alsou now performs her 2000 entry Solo. She finished second in Stockholm, Russia's best result to that date. She is followed by the group Dschinghis Khan which represented Germany in 1979 and finished fourth. Their eponymous entry was a number one hit in Germany. The other song they perform is Moscow,which wasequally successful despite not reaching the top of the charts. However, the English version of this song was a number one hit in Australia.

Three-time Eurovision Song Contest representative from Sweden, Carola, is now performing live her 2006 entry Invincible. She is followed by Ruslana, who won the Eurovision Song Contest for Ukraine in 2004 with Wild dances. t.A.T.u. now perform their 2003 Russian entry Ne ver, ne boisja. Dutch group Teach-In, who won the 1975 contest, now perform Ding-a-dong.

Marija Šerifovic is now on stage performing her 2007 winning song for Serbia, Molitva. She is followed by Dima Bilan, winner of 2008. He starts with his 2006 entry Never let you go. Of course, his 2008 winning song Believe follows right after. Anastasiya Pridhodko, Russian entrant this year, is up next with Mamo.

Now the countdown to the official opening of the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest.

Tht concludes the show.