The first semi finals of Eurovision 2008 were completed successfully on Tuesday night with a record-number of 43 participant countries.

20 cameras covered the event under the observance of Sven Stoyanovich who had also directed Eurovision 2005 in Kiev.

The show opened with the angelic voices of a children’s choir and musicians dressed up in white played sounds from the Balkans.  

Dancers with the national colors of Serbia danced on stage while on the background, big colorful flowers appeared. The countries that qualified for the final are: Romania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Finland, Russia, Israel, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Poland, Greece and Norway.