Less than three weeks are left until the Eurovision Song Contest final takes place in Helsinki�s Hartwall Arena. Preparations are now well underway inside the arena and a total of 23 trucks have already carried approximately 100 tones of lighting materials and video screens into the venue.
250 workers are trying hard to finish the stage on time. The main truss construction was completed and everybody is working full speed both inside the hall as well as outside of the arena where an equally massive operation is going on.

The company responsible for the construction of the stage is the same UK firm that created last year’s OAKA stage in Athens with everyone hoping to see an amazing construction like last year’s or even better.

The stage was created from design students who firstly had the idea and proposed it to YLE, The Finnish broadcaster. The concept is based on a pike’s jaw, which once used to make the traditional music instrument called kantele. The hight of the stage is 1.2 meters and has an elliptic central area of 9.2 by 10.5 meters.

Meanwhile, the Helsinki Fair Centre, where the press centre will be situated hosting almost 1500 journalists, is also getting ready by technicians.The building will house the press working area and the press conferences as well as catering facilities for journalists and a common room to relax in and watch rehearsals via video link from the Hartwall Arena.