BBC News Europe

Last night, juries all across Europe (and Australia) watched the second dress rehearsal of the contest to decide how they would distribute points tonight.

Comprised of musicians, songwriters and music experts, the juries look at the calibre of songwriting, as well as the performances, to come to a decision – and they were thought to be Sam Ryder’s best hope of getting a high score.

Unfortunately, his performance wasn’t as strong as in earlier rehearsals, and there was a small moment where he fumbled with his microphone that could cost him points.

As a result, he dropped from second to third place in the bookmakers’ odds, with Sweden’s electropop banger Hold Me Closer, rising up the rankings.

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

Now for a very special moment, as Eurovision’s first ever Italian winner, Gigliola Cinquetti, returns to the competition.

She’s here to perform Non ho l’eta (per amarti), the song that earned her the crown in 1964, when she was just 16 years old.

In rehearsals, this has been utterly beguiling, and an emotional tribute to a Eurovision legend.

Fans of the contest will also know that Gigliola had a second attempt at winning the contest in Brighton in 1974. That year, she had to settle for second place, having come up against the unstoppable pop force of Abba.

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

It is well known that the UK has not had that much luck with Eurovision in recent years.

In 2021, British singer James Newman came in bottom place with his tune Embers, unfortunately with zero points.

And in 2019, Michael Rice was also came last with Bigger Than Us, gaining 11 points.

.Copyright: .

The results are a far cry from the UK's long-gone glories, winning Eurovision with the likes of Bucks Fizz (1981), Lulu (1969), Sandie Shaw (1967), Brotherhood of Man (1976) and Katrina and the Waves (1997).

So all eyes are now on Sam Ryder for the UK... no pressure!

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

I’m so sorry for what’s about to happen.

Moldova’s song, which describes a train ride between the capitals of Moldova and Romania, is totally loco.

It takes the “Hey ho, let’s go,” refrain of Blitzkreig Bop and grafts it onto something that sounds suspiciously like Cotton Eye Joe. It’s basically a Hoedown Ramones, as unlikely as that sounds.

That said, Zdob si Zdub’s brand of folk-punk has a proven track record at Eurovision. They’ve represented Moldova twice before - coming sixth in 2005 and 12th in 2011.

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

Brilliantly, Germany’s entry was inspired by the US version of The Office. More specifically, it’s based on a quote by Ed Helm’s character Andy Bernard: "I wish there was a way to know you’re in the Good Old Days – before you’ve actually left them."

“That moment was so intense for me,” says Harris. ”I immediately started crying and, after wiping away my tears, wrote this song."

The song is also reminiscent of Black Eyed Peas’ Where Is The Love, which you can sing over the top of Rockstars, thereby improving it 100%.

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

Flanked by two human car washes, Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra are the favourites to win… but you already knew that.

Their song was written as a tribute to frontman Oleh Psiuk’s mother, but it has been re-purposed as a rallying cry for Ukraine amidst the Russian invasion. Lyrics about broken roads and fields turning grey seem oddly prescient given the country’s devastation.

The band have been given special permission to leave the country to perform tonight – although one member remains at home, fighting on the front line.

Psiuk says their participation sends an important message. “For our country it is so important to have victories in all ways. So if we win, it will be another opportunity to show Ukraine to the world. To remind people about Ukraine. And to increase morale in the whole country.”

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

This year's Eurovision is surely the most political in a long time.

Russia has been banned. Ukraine is the runaway favourite to win, buoyed by a general sense of solidarity around the rest of the continent.

But, this year’s event is political for other reasons too. The Kalush Orchestra, the act which will represent Ukraine tonight, was not the country’s original choice.

That was Alina Pash, a 29-year-old rapper and former reality show contestant. But when it was alleged she had visited occupied Crimea, she was dropped amid public outcry.

That is when the Kalush Orchestra, a folk rap group from Western Ukraine, got their chance.

Dressed in traditional outfits and drawing on the country’s long but repressed musical traditions, they are an implicit rebuke to the suggestion, oft repeated by Vladimir Putin, that Ukraine is not a real country but merely Little Rus, a region that needs reintegration.

But tonight, when the Kalush Orchestra take to the stage, they will be representing a nation that is increasingly confident in itself.

Usually, as anywhere, many Ukrainians would watch the event in public places such as bars and restaurants.

But with Ukrainian cities under various curfews, it's more likely that people will be watching from their homes.

Despite this, the mood here is still very positive. There is a lot of hope that Ukraine will win the competition and also put the situation here in the spotlight.

Support for the country's entry, performed by Kalush Orchestra, has swelled since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February.

Russia is banned from performing this year following the invasion.

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

S10 is the stage name of 21-year-old Stien den Hollander who, based on this song, spent a lot of lockdown listening to Taylor Swift’s folklore album.

Her gentle, effective ballad reflects on the mental health problems she had as a teenager, and how she put them behind her. “Everyone experiences difficult times in their lives,” she says. “That’s something we all have in common and I hope you will feel less alone when you listen to the song.”

Surprisingly, Stien is the first contestant from the Netherlands to perform in Dutch since 2010.

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

The UK might feel hard-done by at Eurovision, but poor old Spain hasn’t won since 1969.

Hoping to break that 52-year losing streak is Chanel, whose slinky pop song was originally written for Jennifer Lopez.

Watch out for one of the night’s most exacting, exhausting dance routines. Chanel even breaks out a crab bend at one point. Simply stunning.

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

Italy’s Mahmood is back for a second attempt at Eurovision glory, having come second in 2019 with the devilishly catchy Soldi (Money).

This time around, he’s teamed up with fellow Italian pop star Blanco for a big old ballad and, oh, the emotions run high in this one.

When they sing “I get chills, chills, chills,” I actually get chills. That’s good songwriting, folks.

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

Hailing from the small town of Vanadzor in northern Armenia, Rosa Linn wrote her deeply personal song about struggling with depression during the Covid lockdown.

She composed it in her childhood bedroom, scribbling lyrics onto post-it notes - a scene that’s recreated (in a more fantastical way) in her performance.

You won’t see this at home, but the set rotates as she sings so that the audience can always see her – even though the staging makes it seem like she only appears on stage at the end.

This song is bananas. B-A-N-A-N-A-S.

According to their official biography, Subwoolfer were formed 4.5 billion years ago on the moon. Inspired to come to Earth by a “prophet called Neil” who visited them in 1969, they have written a song about the protective benefits of the banana. Because why not?

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

BBCCopyright: BBC

This one could have been very different.

When electronic musician Alvan decided to record a song in Breton - a Celtic language that’s still spoken in western France - he initially asked his grandmother to record the vocals.

Later, he met folk trio Ahez in a bar (“I may have been drunk,” he admits) and persuaded them to take over singing duties.

Marine Lavigne (great name) rewrote the lyrics, basing them on an ancient Breton myth about a woman who emancipates herself from society’s expectations by dancing around a bonfire with the devil.

Which reminds me, I have somewhere to be at midnight.

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

Next up is Marius Bear, who’s had an unbelievably convoluted journey to Eurovision.

Originally an excavator repair man, he became an officer in the Swiss army during his compulsory military service in his 20s.

“Every morning I had to give out all the orders, and one soldier of mine came to me and he was like, ‘Bro, you’ve got an amazing voice, you should be a grunge singer’”. That inspired him to become a busker, travelling through Switzerland for eight months, before he was spotted by a producer and launched his music career.

His song encourages men to discuss their emotions. In an interview with Swiss broadcaster SRF, Bear said: “I learnt very early on that I don’t need to be ashamed of my feelings. I don’t want to wear emotional armour, I want to be who I am. And I want to encourage my audience to do the same.”