Eurovision Song Contest 2015, first ten qualifiers

The Eurovision Song Contest 2015 officially kicked-off with an entertaining semi-final on Tuesday night. The opening of the contest, which was broadcast on TVM live from Vienna, featured 16 acts battling it out for a place in the final on Saturday.

All the countries tried their best to win a place in the final, but only ten acts had their efforts rewarded as they advanced through to the next stage.

The acts we will be able to watch once again in the final are Russia, Estonia, Georgia, Albania, Armenia, Romania, Hungary, Greece, Serbia and Belgium.

The six countries that were unsuccessful in their bids to enter the final were Moldova, the Netherlands, Finland, Macedonia, Belarus and the fun Beatles inspired tune by Denmark.

Viewers of last night’s show enjoyed a spectacular show and many of the songs were also adorned with deeper meanings. Notably, the Hungarian entry Wars for Nothing which dealt with the futility of war, the Finnish entry Aina mun pitää, performed by a punk rock band of people with special needs, singing about the failures of healthcare systems, to name but a few.

Last night’s ten winners are the first acts to join the UK, Spain, Germany, Italy and France, who automatically qualify for the final each year.

The second semi-final is set to take place on Thursday when another ten contestants will be chosen to compete in the final.