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Eurovision Song Contest 2008
Host
Venue	Belgrade Arena, Belgrade, Serbia
Presenter(s)	TBA
Host broadcaster	RTS
Website	eurovision.tv/event/belgrade-2008
Participants
Number of entries	TBA
Debuting countries	TBA
Returning countries	TBA
Non-returning countries	TBA
Participation map
Vote
Voting system	Each country votes by tele-vote or SMS. The country's 10 favourites are awarded 12, 10, then 8 through 1 points based on votes. All participating countries present their awarded points, totalling to determine a winner.
Winning song	TBD

The Eurovision Song Contest 2008 is the 53rd edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, which will be hosted by Serbia, with the semi-final being held on 22 May 2008 and the final on 24 May in the Serbian capital, Belgrade, in the Belgrade Arena, which is among the largest indoor arenas in Europe, with total capacity of more than 20,000 seats. Serbia gained the rights to host the contest after Marija Šerifović's 2007 victory in Helsinki, Finland. The responsible broadcaster will be Radio Television of Serbia.

Svante Stockselius, head of the European Broadcasting Union has announced that the competition semi-final format may change for the 2009 Eurovision to two semi-finals, but might change to 2008. However, on July 31, 2007, the EBU, after feedback from fans, raised the question again. Whether there will be two semi-finals or not, will be decided on September 28. If there will be two semi finals, both will probably be held on May 22, the first semifinal at 19.30, and the second semifinal a bit later. It is known that the broadcasters are not obliged to broadcast the semifinal in which they do not participate.

Cosmetics supplier Wella will become Official Partner of the Eurovision Song Contest in 2008.

Pre-Contest

RTS, the host broadcaster for the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest in Belgrade has announced that it will be running a competition that will lead to the creation of the next Eurovision Song Contest's branding and logo, the stage, and most surprisingly, the hosts of the event.

The logo will graph and symbolize the pictorial identity of the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest.

The stage is to:

• To represent an association with Belgrade and Serbia
• To represent native identities, history and modern themes, symbols and universal recognised messages.
• To ensure that the stage can be seen from all angles of hall and subordinated for TV broadcast
• To have settings of all new electronical possibilities including some movable parts of stage.

Entries can be sent in until August 31.

2008 Entries

Countries will start to pick their entries into the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest towards the end of December 2007 and beginning of January 2008. The last songs will be picked at the beginning of March 2008. Most countries will hold national selection shows, where the viewers can decide which song will represent their country.

Participants

In the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest, there could be a maximum of 48 participants, below being a list of possible entrants. Confirmed participants in bold, host in italics

Participants automatically qualified to final

The following are countries who will be in final presuming 1 semi final:

20 more countries will enter the Final through the Semi-Final.

If in the case any of the countries who is in the Top 4 , withdraw from the contest, the next highest scoring participant from the 2007 contest will take their place. If this happens in the case of this year, Bulgaria, who finished 5th, is the first country in line.

Participants qualified to 2 semi-finals

This list will be updated if new countries announce their entering and when the official list is released in December 2007.

Possible new participants

•  Azerbaijan - Azerbaijan Public Television became an active member of the EBU and is very likely to join the contest in 2008.
•  San Marino - SMRTV confirmed interest in joining the contest in the near future, there is still unknown if they are going to join next year. An online petition has been created by concerned Eurovision Song Contest fans in order to put pressure on San Marino officials, so that the European microstate participates at the next Eurovision Song Contest. The creators wish to have the Italian language represented in the contest.

Possible returning participants

•  Italy - Alvrovanti tells that there are now new people at RAI and they are interested in returning to the Eurovision Song Contest.
•  Luxembourg - OGAE Luxemburg are organising a convention in the hope to raise enough interest for the local broadcaster to join the contest once again.
•  Monaco - Monaco has indicated that a return is possible for the 2008 contest.
•  Slovakia - STV is interested to return to the contest in 2008, depending on the budget.

Countries which will definitely not participate

•  Algeria - Algeria does not recognise the state of Israel.
•  Lebanon - Télé Liban, the only Lebanese member of the EBU, will be facing the third year of its ban from Eurovision in 2008 after withdrawing after the deadline in 2005. The first time they will be able to re-apply is 2009, and then they have to accept broadcasting the Israeli entry.
•  Libya - Libya does not recognise the state of Israel.
•  Morocco - The TV station 2M TV has shown interest in joining EBU in future years, but not yet in 2008.
•  Tunisia - Tunisian television ERTT has confirmed that due to governmental request they do not participate in the contest at the present time.
•  Vatican City - It seems that they will not participate in 2008 as their national television only broadcasts religious services.

Other EBU Members

•  Egypt - Have currently not confirmed nor denied any interest in participating.
•  Jordan - Have currently not confirmed nor denied any interest in participating.

Withdrawals

It has been rumoured that the following countries may withdraw from the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest

•  Andorra may withdraw from the contest in 2008, due to perceived bloc voting in 2007.
•  Moldova will decide on participation by October after entry fees for participating broadcasters will be calculated along with TRM budget.

Maps

Pre-contest

External links

• Official Eurovision Site
• Official Eurovision Shop
• Official site of the host broadcaster

References

1. Barry Viniker (2007-05-13). "The Beogradska Arena. The home of ESC 2008?". ESCToday.com. Retrieved 2007-05-14. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
2. Edward Montebello (2007-05-13). "Belgrade 2008?". ESCMalta.com. Retrieved 2007-05-14. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
3. ^ "Eurovision 2008 at Beogradska Arena in Belgrade". Belgovision. 2007-05-13. Retrieved 2007-05-14. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
4. "Two semi finals in 2008". ESCToday.com. 2007-07-31. Retrieved 2007-05-14. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
5. "Eurovision 2008:Two semi finals proposed". ESCtoday.com. 2007-07-31. Retrieved 2007-07-31. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
6. "Wella official partner 2008". Eurovision.tv. 2007-05-11. Retrieved 2007-05-14. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
7. "Serbia 2008: RTS fires the starting gun". esctoday.com. 2007-07-05. Retrieved 2007-07-05. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
8. "Azerbaijan: A new twist in the situation". ESCKaz.com. Retrieved 2007-07-09.
9. "San Marino: "A participation is possible"". ESCToday.com. Retrieved 2007-06-23.
10. "OGAE Luxembourg Eurovision convention". ESCToday.com. Retrieved 2007-07-08.
11. "Return for Monaco Possible""". ESCtoday.com. Retrieved 2007-08-04.
12. "New and returning countries: Slovakia""". ESCKaz.com. Retrieved 2007-06-20.
13. "Morocco to return in the next few years?". ESCToday.com. Retrieved 2007-07-12.
14. "Tunisia will not participate "in the foreseeable future"". ESCToday.com. Retrieved 2007-06-18.
15. Cite error: The named reference Malta was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
16. Barry Viniker (2007-05-14). "Ireland to follow Monaco out?". ESCToday.com. Retrieved 2007-05-14. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
17. "Malta slates Eurovision's voting". BBC News. 2007-05-14. Retrieved 2007-05-17. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

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