Eurovision Song Contest Istanbul 2004 Opening
- 14 yıl önce
Istanbul, Turkey - The year 2009 marks the end of the first decade of the 21st century. The last ten days of this year, Eurovision.tv looks back at the remarkable transition that the Eurovision Song Contest went through. We are also inviting you to share your memories with us, right here on the website as well as on Facebook. Today, we're looking back at the fifth Eurovision Song Contest of this decade: Istanbul 2004.
Sertab Erener took victory by surprise at the 2003 contest, bringing the Eurovision Song Contest to Turkey for the first time. For a short time, there was doubt between hosting the contest in the Turkish capital of Ankara, or to chose for symbolic Istanbul, the only city on two continents. Turkish public broadcaster TRT first picked Mydonose Showland as venue, but moved to the larger Abdi İpekçi Arena as the contest came closer. TRT was given another challenge; for the first time in the history of the Eurovision Song Contest, a televised Semi-Final on Wednesday would precede the Final, traditionally held on Saturday. The two broadcasts respectively took place on the 12th and 15th of May, 2004.
For the third consecutive year, the Eurovision Song Contest had a theme: Under The Same Sky. The EBU introduced the new, generic logo of the Eurovision Song Contest, giving the competition a more lasting visual identity.
The shows
For the second time, Sven Stojanovic directed the shows, while TRT appointed Bullent Osma as Executive Producer. During the Semi-Final, a new ABBA video was shown, briefly outlining how ABBA started and what the response was of the first record company they approached. It featured small puppets of the band performing snippets of their songs (the voices being the ones of the band).
The Final was opened by Sertab Erener, who entered the arena in a virtual helicopter that looked surprisingly real! The dance ensemble Fire of Anatolia performed as interval act.
Sertab Erener took victory by surprise at the 2003 contest, bringing the Eurovision Song Contest to Turkey for the first time. For a short time, there was doubt between hosting the contest in the Turkish capital of Ankara, or to chose for symbolic Istanbul, the only city on two continents. Turkish public broadcaster TRT first picked Mydonose Showland as venue, but moved to the larger Abdi İpekçi Arena as the contest came closer. TRT was given another challenge; for the first time in the history of the Eurovision Song Contest, a televised Semi-Final on Wednesday would precede the Final, traditionally held on Saturday. The two broadcasts respectively took place on the 12th and 15th of May, 2004.
For the third consecutive year, the Eurovision Song Contest had a theme: Under The Same Sky. The EBU introduced the new, generic logo of the Eurovision Song Contest, giving the competition a more lasting visual identity.
The shows
For the second time, Sven Stojanovic directed the shows, while TRT appointed Bullent Osma as Executive Producer. During the Semi-Final, a new ABBA video was shown, briefly outlining how ABBA started and what the response was of the first record company they approached. It featured small puppets of the band performing snippets of their songs (the voices being the ones of the band).
The Final was opened by Sertab Erener, who entered the arena in a virtual helicopter that looked surprisingly real! The dance ensemble Fire of Anatolia performed as interval act.