Countdown to Baku - Kyiv 2005

As you may have noticed we are mad about Europe's favourite TV show and the excitement is growing as we steam towards next May when artists, fans and the press from all over Europe (and the world!) will decend on Azerbaijan's capital for the greatest show on Earth.. Yes, that's right, the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest!

We recently brought you some exclusive high-quality videos from the 2004 edition of Europe's favourite TV show and continue that theme by taking the short journey from Istanbul in Turkey to Kyiv in Ukraine. Come and join us on our journey!

2005 Eurovision Song Contest - Kyiv

The 2005 contest was held in the Palace of Sports in Kyiv, Ukraine on the 19th and 21st of May 2005. Elena Paparizou went home with the trophy with her unique dance moves and upbeat number, My Number One. 

The format of the 2005 contest was very similar to 2004, where the semi-final format made its first appearance and was a complete success. It allowed more nations to participate in the competition and notched up the competitiveness for a place in the grand final. The new generic logo of the Eurovision Song Contest was once again used in Kyiv but the broadcaster NTU could choose their own theme which this time was entitled Awakening, a provocative theme symbolising the awakening of Kyiv and Ukraine in Europe. 

Ruslana and her song Wild Dances were the reason the contest came to Ukraine after winning the previous year and she played a very important role in the 2005 contest, not only performing as the opening act but also lending her support throughout the show. 

In all 39 countries entered the competition, with 24 appearing in the final. The top 10 countries from 2004 and the "Big 4" qualified directly to the final whilst the top 10 acts from the 2005 semi-final made up the other places. 

Now that you have some background information from the contest, take a peek at our recap of all 24 entries from the final. We are sure the memories will come flooding back!

Did you know that in the final the "Big 4" countries occupied the bottom 4 places of the scoreboard with Spain, United Kingdom, France and Germany coming 21st, 22nd, 23rd and 24th respectively?

Top 3

Do you remember Greece, Malta and Romania? They took the top 3 spots in the final and we have all three videos in top quality for your enjoyment!

1. Greece

Elena Paparizou - My Number One 

2. Malta

Chiara - Angel

3. Romania

Luminita Anghel - Let Me Try

We hope you enjoy the high quality videos we have provided and remember to stay tuned at Eurovision.tv, the official site of the Eurovision Song Contest for more exciting features... Oh and next time we will be off over the Black Sea from Kyiv to Athens for the 2006 contest so keep an eye out for that too!