Rock meets fantasy in the final while the semi final is more Finnish. Hard rock, cellos, circus, dancers, accordion tangos and latest TV and show technology in the mouth of a fish. Yes, the stage is inspired by the jaw bone of �hauki� (pike) � and that is the first clue to the Finnish epic Kalevala and Väinämöinen in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007.

Apocalyptica will provide the interval act in the final as our partner site eurovision-croatia reported earlier this week. The theme for the final comes very clear from the very beginning when last year’s winner Lordi will rock the Arena with their show. It will be all fantasy and rock. The interval act number is written and directed by Minna Vainikainen and hard rock will meet with dance, circus and even tenderness. Apocalyptica will perform a mix of their old and new songs. Those who don’t know them yet get ready for heavy rock played with three cellos!

The semi final is more Finnish. The opening act is written and directed by Tiina Puumalainen and the choreography is by well known dancers Sirpa Suutari-Jääskä and Jukka Haapalainen who also dance in it. Music is composed by Johanna Juhola, an accordion player and ground breaking artist. Semi final’s interval act is by Tsuumi, a dance group that will perform traditional and new folk dances choreographed and directed by Matti Paloniemi. He has written the interval act together with Tiina Puumalainen. Music in it is composed and directed by Hannu Kella.

The red line that combines all these four acts is Finland and Finnishness and the contracts between people, nature and culture. All dresses have been designed by Erika Turunen, who is the wardrobe designer for the Finnish national opera. The latest TV and show technology will be used for these acts as well as for all the 42 participating countries to give them the best possible staging. “For example real time slow motion will be used, which is not very common in live TV broadcasting. Now that is where reality and fantasy really meet!” says YLE’s Timo Suomi, “our target is to give each and every participant as unique staging as possible taking full advantage of the technology and the stage’s form and its elements.”

The stage design came out from an open competition held last autumn and was won by a team of young art students Kalle Ahonen, Samuli Laine, Kristian Schmidt and Jenni Viitanen. YLE’s stage designer Riikka Kytänen has developed the idea further with them over the past months and the oval shaped stage with ramps and a catwalk will feature a big screen behind in the shape of the jaw bone of a fish, pike, common in the Finnish lakes. How it all looks like will change a lot thanks to LED video screens and lightning. Mikki Kunttu is responsible for the lightning and screen. “This is a very stimulating job as the video screens are almost more important feature than the stage itself. For me as a light designer it’s very creative” he comments.