Stage construction has begun in Lisbon, with the rehearsals for the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 now just four weeks away.
The Altice Arena has been turned over to the Eurovision Song Contest, as construction gets underway for the 63rd edition of the contest next month in Lisbon, Portugal. Today is the first day that RTP, the Portuguese national broadcaster takes control of the venue and begins three weeks of intensive preparations ahead of the stand-in rehearsals and then the full rehearsals at the end of this month.
A total of 43 countries will take part in the 2018 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. This includes Russia, as they return to the contest after a year break. The 43 participating countries are:
- Albania
- Armenia
- Australia
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- FYR Macedonia
- Germany
- Georgia
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Malta
- Moldova
- Montenegro
- The Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Russia
- San Marino
- Serbia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Ukraine
- United Kingdom
The official slogan for this year’s contest is “All Aboard!”, and was chosen to represent a celebration of Europe and music. The slogan was inspired by Lisbon’s longstanding history as an important global seaport and the importance of the ocean in Portugal’s history. The ocean has connected Portugal to the rest of the world for centuries, and this connectivity is intended to invite people from across the world to come together to celebrate music and Eurovision.
Source: ESC Portugal
Yay! 😀