Eurovision-2011 opens today

on the bank of the Rhine.

Mayor of Düsseldorf Dirk Elbers and Executive Supervisor of “Eurovision” Jon Ola Sand will open the last week of the contest and officially welcome the representatives of 43 delegations of the participating countries in Tonhalle, informs RIA “Novosti”.

The semi-finals and the final of “Eurovision -2011” will take place in the Arena stadium on May 10, 12 and 14.

Moreover, dress rehearsals will be organized before every show. Tickets are also required to attend them.

"Eurovision" will be held in Germany for the first time in the past 28 years thanks to German singer Lena Meyer who won the contest in Oslo last year.

German mass media report that from 23 to 25 million euro will be spent on “Eurovision-2011”. However, the contest’s chief PR agent - Christian Hupertz – thinks that the city will make 140 million euro on it.