Azerbaijan, Baku, Jan. 21 / Trend I.Isabalayeva/
Several key events leading up to the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 will be held in Baku on January 25, the working group of the contest said.
Namely, the traditional Host City Insignia Exchange ceremony and the Semi-Final allocation draw will be held together with the introduction of the slogan and theme art for this year's contest at Buta Palace.
One of the main events of the contest is to hand over the symbolic key. During the Host City Insignia Exchange ceremony the mayor of last year's Host City of Düsseldorf Dirk Elbers will hand over the symbolic key to the Eurovision Song Contest to the mayor of this year's Host City Hajibala Abutalibov.
After the ceremony at the Buta Palace, the Semi-Final allocation draw will be held there as well where all the 37 Semi-Finalists will be drawn into two Semi-Finals. It will also be determined which Semi-Final the 'Big Five' (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom) as well as last year's winning country of Azerbaijan will have to broadcast.
Semifinal rounds of the contest will be held in Baku on May 22 and May 24, Final will be held on May 26.
The sequence of the participating countries' performing will be known in March as a result of a draw during a meeting of heads of delegations.
The concept of the contest will be presented. Eurovision logo and slogan will be announced.