Last night the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 was officially opened with an opening party at the Tonhalle in Düsseldorf. 42 delegations appeared on the red carpet. Only the Belgian delegation was not present. Watch the official opening of the Eurovision 2011 welcome party below.

Slovenia, Romania, Estonia, Belarus and Latvia rehearse for the second time this morning. Watch the rehearsals and backstage images of Maja Keuc with Vanilija, Hotel FM with Change, Getter Jaani with Rockefeller Street, Anastasia Vinnikova with I Love Belarus and Musiqq with Angel In Disguise. Refresh for updates

Dutch broadcaster TROS organized a Dutch party on a boat in Düsseldorf last Friday. The 3JS presented their song to the press in the presence of some Dutch celebrities and several of their competitors in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 who also performed their Eurovision song on the boat.

Lucía Pérez from Spain was the very last one of fourty three participants who could take the stage in Düsseldorf for her first rehearsal. Joined by her dancers, Lucía tried out Que Me Quiten Lo Bailao. Watch the first Spanish rehearsal for the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 below.

Lena Meyer-Landrut, the winner of last year's Eurovision Song Contest in Oslo who'll degend her own title in Düsseldorf this year, rehearsed for the first time on the stage in the Düsseldorf Arena today. Watch the first rehearsal of Germany's Eurovision 2011 entry Taken By A Stranger below.

Blue rehearsed for the first time for the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2011. Duncan James, Antony Costa, Lee Ryan and Simon Webbe brought their two backings and four extra video walls on which video images of the four members of Blue are shown. Watch their first rehearsal below.

Italy returns to the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 after many years of absense. Raphael Gualazzi rehearsed his song Madness Of Love for the first time on the stage in the Düsseldorf Arena this afternoon. Watch the first Italian rehearsal and backstage images of Raphael Gualazzi below.

The first of five Big 5 countries rehearsing for the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 in the Düsseldorf Arena this afternoon was France. Amaury Vassili sings the song Sognu with his feet in the smoke against a background of thunder clouds. Watch the first French rehearsal below.

At the Belgian press conference at Eurovision 2011 Witloof Bay surprised tonight with three songs: Baby One More Time by Britney Spears, Waterloo by Abba and especially for the press from the host country Satellite by Lena. Watch the acapella performance of Waterloo and Satellite below. (Video: 3minutes.me)

This afternoon Belgium, Slovakia, Ukraine and Moldova rehearsed for the second time on the Eurovision stage. Watch the second rehearsal and backstage images of Witloof Bay with With Love Baby, TWiiNS with I'm Still Alive, Mika Newton with Angeli and Zdob si Zdub with So Lucky below. Refresh for updates