Yes, that legendary event that unites a continent, the Eurovision Song Contest, is returning. It will soon be time to cheer, and occasionally giggle, as Europe picks its favourite original pop song once more.

This year Moscow is the host city, following the win by Dima Bilan with "Believe" in 2008. It is the first time the event has been staged in the city of the Red Square.

Once again SBS will be bringing two Semi-Finals and the Final, screening in mid-May. Start planning your Eurovision parties!

To help get you in the mood over the coming weeks we'll be looking at the music, performers, countries, politics, history, compositions, controversies, news and more.

And this year SBS also steps up its broadcasting coverage too.

RocKwiz's own Julia Zemiro, a self-confessed "veteran fan" of ESC, will present the event from Moscow, accompanied by broadcaster Sam Pang. Following on from the retirement of acerbic commentator Terry Wogan, the 2009 event will be the most comprehensive coverage ever by SBS, with a dedicated production team on the ground.

Viewers will be witness to the 25 songs in the Final, including 37 in the two Semi Finals, plus behind-the-scenes preparations from the city of Moscow. Julia and Sam will be sharing their first-hand experience with SBS viewers.

"It's the perfect show that embodies competition and art," says an excited Julia. "Of course, it's become a campy thing but quite honestly 20 years ago we were watching it quite seriously. ABBA wasn't camp when they first came out. Everyone took them at face value. And then it became this other thing.

"But I deeply, deeply love Eurovision and understand it. I'll be approaching it with a lot of love." Julia says her connection with ESC goes back to 1967 when her then-pregnant mother watched Sandie Shaw win with "Puppet on a String." Growing up in a French-Australian family, she says there was always international music in her household.

"So when SBS started showing Eurovision and the San Remo Music Festival, I just loved watching people singing in another language. It was completely natural to me. If I hear something in a foreign language I'm just drawn to it."

Together with her television experience hosting RocKwiz, and even a critically-acclaimed stint in the original Eurobeat stage musical, she promises to combine music appreciation and her own unique zest to the broadcast. Joining her is Sam Pang from RRR's Breakfasters.

“I cannot begin to express how lucky I feel to be going to Moscow for Eurovision 2009," says Sam. "It’s been a dream of mine to visit the city ever since seeing ‘Police Academy 7; Mission to Moscow’ way back in 1994."

Sam Pang will also host the upcoming history quiz AD/BC on SBS. "Sam is a great new talent and I think audiences will really enjoy his take on Moscow," says Producer Paul Clarke. "He's a music fanatic and should be the perfect foil to Julia because he's quieter and dryer."

Paul Clarke has produced music television events including both the Showgirl and X tours for Kylie Minogue plus Long Way to the Top, the Countdown Spectacular, and Swan Lake and Keating! The Musical for the ABC.

"The scale of Eurovision is really enormous and there are more eccentric characters than Zoolander. But I think it's great to have a foot on the ground with the event. In the same way that SBS covers the Tour de France with Australian presenters we'll be doing the same, except in a more entertaining way."

And in a post-Wogan era, the SBS broadcast plans a "less is more" approach, letting the music remain the key focus on the night.

With such a revered event, Julia and Sam will provide intermittent commentary over the Postcards, in line with other European broadcasters. And to help get a sense of Russian atmosphere there will be extra video packages too.

"We're going to set up a commentary box so we can cut back to Julia and Sam in between the acts," says Clarke. "It'll be over the Postcards, and that strikes me as being the place to go for it."

Says Julia, "We're not going to reinvent the wheel. There are people who know it very well and people who don't know it at all. So you have to tread that fine line.

"But I look at it through a long lens of time. 25 years of enjoying it."

So get the cheer squads ready. Send out the invitations and fire up the borsch. Who knows what's going to win Eurovision 2009?

As Julia reminds us, "It's bloody hard to write a great 3 minute pop song that just goes Ka-Bam!"

Eurovision First Semi Final airs 7:30pm Friday May 15th
Eurovision Second Semi Final airs 7:30pm Saturday May 16th
Eurovision Final 2009 airs 7:30pm Sunday May 17th