Eurovision 2005: Kyiv

The fiftieth contest went to Kyiv, a year after Ukraine won at only its second attempt. The organisers hoped it would improve the country’s image and bring tourists. Ukraine’s new government hoped for something bigger: a small push towards joining the European Union.

Getting ready, just

The venue was the Palace of Sports, and it had to be rebuilt to the EBU’s standard. Work started at the end of December 2004 and was due to finish by 20 April. It was done at the beginning of May.

Hotels were a worse problem. To make sure there were enough rooms for delegations and official tour packages, the organisers asked the government to block every booking they did not control. A great many people who had made their own arrangements had them cancelled.

Thirty-nine

It was another record field. Bulgaria and Moldova entered for the first time and Hungary came back after six years.

Two more countries had been on the list. The Czech Republic applied and then thought better of it.

Lebanon went further. It chose a singer, Aline Lahoud, and a song. Then, in March, its broadcaster discovered what the rules required: it would have to show every entry, the Israeli one included, and let its viewers vote for any of them. Lebanese law forbade any acknowledgement of Israel. Lebanon withdrew.

On screen

The slogan was “Awakening”. This was the first contest broadcast in widescreen.

Ruslana, the reigning winner, was supposed to be one of the presenters. She was dropped before the show, for several reasons, one of them her English. She sang in the interval and interviewed the contestants backstage instead.

The boxers Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko opened the phone lines. The president of Ukraine, Viktor Yushchenko, presented a special trophy.

A minimum number of votes

The EBU set a threshold, and did not say what it was. If fewer than that number of people voted in a country, the result there was thrown out and the stand-by jury’s used instead.

It happened three times in the semi-final, to Albania, Andorra and Monaco, and three times in the final, to Andorra, Moldova and Monaco.

The result

Greece had been entering since 1974 and had never won. Helena Paparizou, who had been third four years earlier as half of a duo, sang “My Number One” and finished on 230 points, 38 ahead of Malta.

Malta’s Chiara had now equalled her country’s best result. Romania, which had won the semi-final, was third in the final, its best ever. Moldova came sixth at the first time of asking.

The last four

The four countries that paid most towards the contest were guaranteed a place in the final. In Kyiv they filled the bottom of it.

Spain was twenty-first. The United Kingdom was twenty-second. France was twenty-third. Germany was last, with four points.