Eurovision fever has taken hold in Tel Aviv, as the city prepares to host tens of thousands of tourists, artists and journalists.
An international audience of around 200,000 million people is expected to tune into the 64th edition of the competition, which gets underway this week.
The prospect of having so many eyeballs fixed on the two semi-finals and Saturday's Grand Final was one fueling the team coordinating proceedings at the venue set to host the event - Expo Tel Aviv.
The venue includes a 7300-seat congress and convention centre called Bitan 2, or Pavilion 2, while the fairground has ten halls and pavilions, plus a large outdoor space.
Expo Tel Aviv Director of Marketing Iris Mazel tells SBS Hebrew that the painstaking task of building the stage in the main centre began in March.
"They have arrived with over 250 trucks of equipment, audio equipment, light equipment. At the peak, the people working at expo Tel Aviv, we had 3000 people working 24/7 to have it ready," she says.
"There are 41 delegations...there are 1500 journalists and bloggers. and there are all the volunteers of Tel Aviv to assist the tourists.
"Everyone is working for Eurovision, it’s the highlight of the month."
Tel Aviv was announced as the host city of the event in September, beating out rival bids from Jerusalem and Eilat in southern Israel.
Stage workers build the stage of the Eurovision Song Contest at the Tel Aviv Expo Center in Tel Aviv, Israel, 15 April 2019. Source: AAP
Ms Mazel says decisions regarding the hosting of the event are made by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).
“It starts with the EBU, once they’ve chosen the venue, they are working with the local broadcast company which is Kan (Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation) and with the city that has been chosen. As far as the venue is concerned, they come in a see the venue, they’re checking all the pavilions, they’re telling us exactly what they need and we’re preparing the setup," she says.
“Our venue is ideal for Eurovision, together with Pavilion Two where the show will be held, Pavilion One for the green room and Pavilion 11 for the press."
She said the city is "flagged" with Eurovision.
Tourists walk by an Eurovision banner near the Eurovision Village in Tel Aviv, Israel, 12 May 2019. Between 10,000 and 20,000 tourists will make the journey. Source: AAP
"The moment you land at Ben Gurion Airport, you’re welcomed by a wish to dreamers. There’s a booth there welcoming the tourists, explaining to them exactly what is happening in the city, how they can reach the city, the shuttles the taxis," she says.
"Everybody is here for Eurovision; even some of the taxi drivers have shirts with the Eurovision logo. In the hotels, everyone is ready to greet the tourists.
"Tel Aviv is an international city that is used to hosting mega-events welcoming musicians from all over the world. And of course the beach of Tel Aviv."
In regard to potential challenges of hosting such a large event, Ms Mazel says the bar must be set at attaining perfection.
Australian singer Kate Miller-Heidke is set to represent the country in Tel Aviv. Source: AAP
"It’s always a challenge when you such a mega event with the aim of broadcasting to 200 million people. Everything has to be perfect," she says.
"The biggest challenge is for Kan for the broadcasting... to set up the cables, the lights, the camera, to be ready for any problems which may arise during the broadcasting."
Primetime evening broadcasts
Semi Final 1 – Thursday 16 May 8.30 pm, SBS ***FEATURING KATE MILLER-HEIDKE
Semi Final 2 – Friday 17 May, 8.30 pm, SBS
Grand Final – Sunday 19 May, 8.30pm, SBS
LIVE early morning broadcasts
Semi Final 1 – Wednesday 15 May, 5 am (AEST) SBS with LIVE streaming via SBS On Demand ***FEATURING KATE MILLER-HEIDKE
Semi Final 2 – Friday 17 May, 5 am (AEST) SBS with LIVE streaming via SBS On Demand
Grand Final – Sunday 19 May, 5 am (AEST) SBS with LIVE streaming via SBS On Demand
