Backstage: First Eurovision-2017 Party In Kyiv

The first Eurovision-2017 party took place in Kyiv, Ukraine. It was free entry for the participants, but everyone else had to pay.

O. Torvald, Ukrainian representatives/ Photo credit: Oleksandr Popenko/HROMADSKE

Photo credit: Oleksandr Popenko/HROMADSKE

‘NAONI’ folk orchestra accompanying Ruslana for the song ‘Wild Dances’ /Photo credit: Oleksandr Popenko/HROMADSKE

There were representatives from Ukraine, Australia, Sweden, Italy among others.

Francesco Gabbani, Italian representative/Photo credit: Oleksandr Popenko/HROMADSKE

Performance from the band ‘Druha Rika’ / Photo credit: Oleksandr Popenko/HROMADSKE

The first lady of Ukraine, Maryna Poroshenko, and the winner of Eurovision 2016 Jamala also attended the informal party.

Jamala gave the opening speech /Photo credit: Oleksandr Popenko/HROMADSKE

Wife of President Poroshenko, Maryna Poroshenko (centre)/Photo credit: Oleksandr Popenko/HROMADSKE

Sunstroke Project, Moldovan representatives/Photo credit: Oleksandr Popenko/HROMADSKE

Belrusian representatives ‘NAVIBAND’ and Oleh Skrypka’s backing-vocalists/ Photo credit: Oleksandr Popenko/HROMADSKE

The Eurovision Song Contest 2017, which will take place at the International Exhibition Centre in Kyiv, Ukraine, following Ukraine's victory at the 2016 contest in Stockholm with the song '1944' by Jamala. Forty-two countries will participate in the contest. Portugal and Romania are to return to the contest after a year's absence, while Bosnia and Herzegovina have withdrawn for financial reasons. Russia planned to participate as well, but after their representative, Yulia Samoylova, was banned from entering Ukraine by virtue of illegally travelling directly from Russia to Crimea, a region that was annexed by Russia in 2014, they refused to perform. The first semi-final will take place on 9th May 2017, and the Grand Final will be on 13th May. As of March, Ukraine has spent $10.5 million on the event.