Eurovision Song Contest: 43 hopefuls from Europe and beyond come to Lisbon

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Europe

02:09

Before "American Idol" and "The Voice", there was the Eurovision Song Contest. And after 63 years, it's still going strong today. Rehearsals for the televised music competition are now taking place in Lisbon. The annual event officially raised its curtain on Sunday. When it started back in 1956 there were only 7 participating countries. Today, there are 43.

The Eurovision Song Contest is the world's longest-running international television music competition. The 2018 contest is being hosted in Lisbon because Portugal's Salvador Sobral won in 2017 in Ukraine. Australia is a guest this year, but another guest, Israel, is a favorite to win.

NETTA ISRAELI PARTICIPANT "I'm trying to stay super focused. I have never been a favorite, ever in my life. But this is really, really nice to be one, especially for something so special, so unique, nothing like any other thing. To be a favorite, it's an honor."

Netta's considered a top contender because her song "Toy" has racked up more than 17 million views on Eurovision's YouTube channel.

France and Norway are also strong contenders, but it's still anyone's game.

This year's show is hosted by four Portuguese-speaking women.

DANIELA RUAH, HOSTESS EUROVISION SONG CONTEST "I get to spend time with my family and be a part of one of the biggest shows in the world, one of the longest running shows, one of the most viewed shows in the world and I get to represent my country as one of the hosts and welcome everybody here. So, it doesn't happen that often that I'm one of the presenters, so I'm really proud."

While the competition is famous for its glitter with a generous dollop of kitsch, the Portuguese organizers say they're keeping a tight lid on costs.

The semifinals are next Tuesday and Thursday, and the final on May 12th.