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"Big Five" meet to take a trip down the Rhine

14 May 2011 at 17:10 CEST

Last year the "Big Four" nations and the then host country Norway organised a boat trip around Oslo Fjord, which was a big success. 

This year with Italy returning and Germany hosting the competition we now have the "Big Five" alongside France, Spain and the United Kingdom. These nations automatically qualify for final and again used this title to organise another boat trip, this time on the River Rhine in Düsseldorf. 

The party took place on the the Rhein Fantasie, a river boat with a large stage in the middle and a huge sun deck, perfect for such an event. 

Performing on a nautical stage

The boat set sail from the Theodore-Heuss Brücke in Düsseldorf at 12:00 and set a leisurely course along the river, returning approximately two hours later. 

During these two hours all five acts performed, starting with Lena and her song Taken By A Stranger for Germany, followed by Italy's Raphael Gualazzi's Madness Of Love, Blue from the United Kingdom with an acoustic version of I Can, France's Amaury Vasilli with Sognu and finally Lucía Pérez and Que Me Quiten Lo Bailao. 

After the acts had performed, the invited press reassembled on the sun deck for a luxurious buffet and the opportunity to interview and take photos of the artists. 

A good old fashioned sing-along

As the boat was approaching its berth at the Theodore-Heuss Brücke in Düsseldorf, all the artists surprised the press by coming together to perform Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life. With so many different signing styles, it was an interesting and enjoyable experience. 

Video from the French performance:

Video from the United Kingdom performance:

Video from the German performance:

Video from the Spanish performance:

Video from Italian performance:

Picture gallery from the boat trip:

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