Eurovision Song Contest — Season 54
United by Music
About this season
For the second time in the history of the Eurovision Song Contest, two Semi-Finals were held to decide which 25 countries will be represented in the Final. The Final of the contest took place on the 16th of May in the Russian capital of Moscow.
Episodes (3)
1. Semi-Final 1
4.8Aired 12 May 2009 • 120 min
2. Semi-Final 2
4.8Aired 14 May 2009 • 120 min
3. Final
4.8Aired 16 May 2009 • 196 min
Channel One Russia hosted one of the biggest contests in the event's history. The stage was spectacular, using one-third of the world's available LED screens at the time. Then-Prime Minister Vladimir Putin even visited the Olympic Indoor Arena during preparations. A major rule change saw the re-introduction of national juries, which accounted for 50% of the result alongside televoting. Georgia's entry was deemed to have broken contest rules, leading the country to withdraw rather than submit a different song. Estonia achieved a credible sixth place with "Rändajad", the first song performed fully in Estonian since 1998. The United Kingdom scored its best placing since 2002; Jade Ewen's "My Time", written by Dianne Warren and composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, finished in fifth place.