Lars-Ola Melzig, the Swedish technical manager of the show who was on duty past Tuesday, gave an impression of the technical preparations for the Eurovision Song Contest.

On Tuesday evening, the technical preparation of the Saku Suurhall for the most complicated TV broadcast in the history of Estonia was already in full swing. Melzig�s work desk is located directly in the middle of the floor of the Suurhall, surrounded by the myriad of spotlights, pieces of the stage, floor snippets, with Iir Hermeliin�s famous fibre sails waiting for installation at the wall.

�I have never seen such an amount of technology as will be put under the ceilings here”, admits the local technical co-ordinator Kalle Kingsepp, who had earlier been responsible for the technology in the hall. For example, the lighting unit actually comprises six different switchboards. There are the maximum of two switchboards used during the usual big concerts, for instance the one by the Rolling Stones.

Catalyst spotlights, showing the moving pictures, are the newest technology standard. Lighting and video cooperating are – if we may believe the designers – at an unexpectedly high level.

Iinstalling the technology will last until Sunday. After that, it will be programmed. The last corrections will be made an hour before the beginning of the show.