Azerbaijan won the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 with the title “Running Scared”, sung by the duo Ell & Nikki. With a total of 221 points they left all the others behind, such as the surprise runner up Italy (189) and Sweden (185). The show was one of the most spectacular Eurovision finals we have ever witnessed, hosted by Judith Rakers, Stefan Raab and the fabulous Anke Engelke, who conquered the hearts and the laughs all over Europe.

The Eurovision Song Contest 2012 is expected to be held in Azerbaijan.

This is also the last normal post that I’m writing from Düsseldorf for #esc / esc-chat.com, tomorrow I’ll add the video of the EuroBoat tour that took place on friday night.

So what are my final thoughts on Düsseldorf 2011?

The show: 10/10
It was an amazing show in the hall, with an incredible amount of fireworks, glitter, fog and fire. The stage was awesome and you could see it well from most of the parts in the hall. Finally, the scoreboard was readable from any seat, which should be an example for all upcoming venues. Also on TV, the Eurovision Song Contest was an excellent production. On this place, big congratulations to NDR for doing a great job!

The hosts: 8/10
Much better than I was fearing. Stefan was less annoying than expected, Judith was just as expected, and Anke rocked the house. Danke!

The songs: 5/10
It was a mediocre year, songwise, with only a few common top favourites, which totally didn’t match with the final outcome. Kati Wolf finished very low, Getter Jaani even came 2nd last, another lesson for us fanboys. However, Azerbaijan seems to be accepted as a deserved winner by most people.

The postcards: 8/10
I myself loved the postcards a lot. They reminded me a bit of the ones in 2000, but this time they were much more charming and lovely. Well done!

Euroclub: 7/10
Absolutely the perfect size. Friendly staff, fair prices, nice areas. The DJs weren’t always good, and it was sad that the stars hardly mingled with the fans this year, unlike last year.

The host city: 3/10
Düsseldorf didn’t make it for me. The city is a mess, and not in a charming way. The only big exception (and that made me give 3 points at last) is the gorgeous riverside promenade. The locals weren’t really welcoming Eurovision, there was no real ESC-vibe in town. There was a lack of the “Share The Moment”-feeling that Oslo had. Though any other german city – unfortunately – couldn’t provide that, what NDR needed for the legendary show we have seen.

And for now, we want to say congratulations to Azerbaijan for winning the 56th Eurovision Song Contest!