Belgrade calling…shhhh!

As almost anybody who isn’t living under a rock will know the first Semi Final of Eurovision took place yesterday at Beogradska Arena.

I’m certainly not about to reveal any of the winners or losers, even though they have been written about in mainstream press already. Suffice to say that to catch some of the more outlandish moments of EV you will need to see both semi finals, all the good stuff seems to be making it to the big night, changing what we love Eurovision for.

Having watched the Semi Final I can safely tell you I’m giving it the big thumbs up. The staging by the Serbians is outstanding, as good as any EV. The stage is so versatile with lighting and effects that it is a constantly changing feast for the eye. As for the ear…. well, it’s a mixed bag there! But you’ll hear die-hard pop, zany comedy, earnest ballads.

Look out for a number of props including a teddy bear, laundry, picture of a turnip and ice skates.

And the hosts don’t let us down, either. I loved their accents -think Marg “can hardly wait for that one” Downey.

There are many rows of empty seats at the Semi Final, apparently caused by organisers insisting on package deals. To secure a seat at the Final patrons had to buy all three nights.

If you want to watch without any spoilers, a reminder to avoid all radio, press, tv and internet from Sunday morning onwards!

David Knox is an occasional blogger for SBS.