Liverpool's Eurovision Village has given the seal of approval to one particular entry.
Finland's Kaarija performed Cha Cha Cha wearing a illuminous green bolero-style jacket with spikes around the neck, now a signature look. He began the performance in a wooden crate which he broke his way out of and climbed on top of before being joined by backing dancers in bright pink.
The artist is vying with Sweden as favourite in the contest. But in the EuroVillage at the Pier Head fans erupted when he came on stage.
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Dancing and singing along to the catchy Cha Cha Cha, the atmosphere was electric and there was even a lookalike in the crowd. Speaking to the ECHO ahead of the contest Kaarija said it had been amazing.
He told the ECHO: "Yeah, it’s amazing, it feels great that people around the world like Käärijä. It feels really absurd and weird that something like this can happen when you make music in Finnish, but apparently, anything is possible."
Twenty-six acts performed at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool to an expected global audience of 160 million viewers, according to the BBC. The city is hosting on behalf of war-torn Ukraine, who won last year's contest but are unable to host due to the Russian invasion.
Graham Norton opened the show alongside co-hosts Alesha Dixon, Hannah Waddingham and Ukrainian singer Julia Sanina. Waddingham said the UK was "so very proud" to be "taking the reins" and hosting on behalf of Ukraine, while Sanina thanked the British public.
Norton added: "United we are, well out here. But backstage the competition is fierce." Former Eurovision champion Loreen took to the stage before Kaarija in a bid to secure her second win at the contest.
Representing Sweden, the vocalist, who previously triumphed in 2012, performed her anthemic dance-pop song Tattoo for the international voting public, singing from an illuminated enclosed space on the stage. The 39-year-old could become the first woman - and only the second person - to claim the coveted glass microphone trophy twice.
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