The fourteen Eurovision Song Contest finalists have faced a long day of rehearsals and press conferences in Athens today, and as evening falls members of the delegations and press now turn their attentions to the official opening event which is held in the centre of Athens.
Highlights and soundbites from the day include a "beautiful" Norwegian performance, wind machine fun for Germany, Romania's Mihai singing a very personalised version of Greece's entry Everything at his press conference, and of course the singer of that highly anticipated host entry, Anna Vissi, appearing on stage for the first time.
Emotional and heartfelt home performance
Anna took to a stage characterised by shimmering deep blues, in an at times violently emotional and heartfelt performance. Although she made it clear she is saving her voice for later in the week, she nonetheless managed several run-throughs, almost throwing herself to the floor with sheer emotion at points. The mass of fans who had gathered to witness the first rehearsalwere very enthusiastic about the visual performance, and look forward to more tomorrow.
For now, it is on to the opening ceremony, and a chance for participants to unwind and reflect before the second round begins tomorrow!
