Eurovision's 69th Contest

Eurovision Song Contest begins tomorrow in Basel, Switzerland—the first time the country is hosting since 1989, one year after Celine Dion's win for the country. The competition is the world's largest annual televised music event, reaching an audience of roughly 160 million people. Thirty-seven acts are slated to perform, with several from beyond the European Union, such as Australia, Israel, and Ukraine. See all acts here.

The format includes two semifinals followed by the grand final. Twenty-six finalists, selected through a combination of a public voting and expert picks, include 10 winners from each semifinal, the previous year’s winner, and five prequalified countries known as the "Big Five": France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK. The winner will be selected Saturday. See how voting works here.

This year, as with last year, there have been protests over Israel's participation amid the ongoing war in Gaza. Israel has warned tourists not to wear Israeli or Jewish symbols in public places amid concern over potential attacks.