European Song Contest in Estonia

Tallinn, Estonia (Eurosong) - It's the European pop music event of the year - a massive battle of the bands ranging from Russian rockers to a trio of Slovenian transvestites in red flight attendant uniforms.

The 47th annual Eurovision Song Contest is coming to Estonia on Saturday, bringing groups from 24 countries who will compete for the votes of up to 300 million television viewers in their quest to be named the tops in pop.

Mocked by European sophisticates, the annual contest has become must-see television for millions in Europe and beyond. This year, the show is being held in the 10,000-seat Saku Suurhall in Tallinn , the first time an ex-communist country has played host.

Estonia, a tiny Baltic Sea coast nation of 1.4 million, won the right to host the event when its entrant, Dave Benton and Tanel Padar, triumphed in Copenhagen last year - a surprise victory that sent Estonians streaming into the streets, waving national flags in a euphoric celebration.

While most Eurovision victors have faded into obscurity, Sweden's ABBA was propelled to international fame after it won with "Waterloo" in 1974. Other previous contestants include Celine Dion and Julio Iglesias .

This year, oddsmakers peg Corinna May, a blind singer competing for Germany, as one of the favorites, along with Britain's Jessica Garlick. But winners have been hard to predict in the past.

Other contestants include Slovenia's Sestre - the transvestite trio - a Cypriot boy band called One and Prime Minister, a four-man Russian group with a fondness for hefty gold rings and loose-fitting, hip-hop garb. "Lady ice, how can I melt you baby?" they sing in English.

Estonia, a cash-strapped former Soviet republic eager to establish its credentials as a mainstream European state, had to foot half the $7 million bill of staging the extravaganza, but leaders welcomed the chance to raise its profile and boost tourism.