Political music: Moscow getting ready for Eurovision

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Published: 08 May, 2009, 12:28

Thousands of people from around the world are flocking to Moscow for the 2009 Eurovision song contest which will rock the Russian capital on May 12,14 and 16. And it turns out to be an expensive party

Your dad is rich and your mum is good looking… no lyrics could better describe the 2009 Eurovision song contest.

And in this game, Russia's Channel One is the dad, having burned a hole in its pocket to the tune of 30 million dollars amid the global financial crisis.

And Moscow officials is the mum spending another 6 million dollars on making sure Moscow looks its best for the contest.

Altogether the country has taken a truly Olympic approach in the preparations for the contest.

”At the moment it has cost over 30 million dollars,” said Konstantin Ernst, general director of Channel One. “That includes for example, a mobile TV station the best in the world which was built for the Beijing Olympics.”

The contest will be held in the Olympic stadium in an arena that can fit 20,000 people at once. The acts have already arrived and started rehearsing, trying to come up with a performance to match the venue.

”This is the most impressive stage I have ever seen, to be honest,” said one of the Eurovision participants Malena Ernman. “This is fantastic! I think we did pretty good at our first rehearsal.”

But some say the event is anything but good music…

”Of course it is about politics and money,” said music critic Artemy Troitsky. “What I know for sure is that its not about music because the music quality of Eurovision song contest is appalling – its kitsch of course.”

However, the quality of music doesn't stop thousands from fleeing into Russia to look at the show. Official delegations alone make up to 6 thousand people.

Eurovision is considered to be one of the most watch able non-sport events around the world. Days before the beginning the tickets are already sold out.

Initially the prices ranged from 7 to 700 euros. But if you want to get one last minute the prices could be higher. Still, it is nothing like the price the organizers of the contest are paying.