As the last of the thirty-seven participating countries weighed in (Israel, the Netherlands, Iceland, Slovenia), a dark-horse winner emerged: Conchita Wurst. A glamorous drag queen, the Austrian candidate was decked out in a long, glittering dress and sported a full beard.  “It’s a firm and clear rebuke against Putin’s anti-L.G.B.T. legislation and people who support it,” William Lee Adams, the editor-in-chief of WiwiBloggs.com, the Internet’s most-read Eurovision Web site, said. 

The crowd of roughly 10,000 fans cheered, and the lights glowed electric blue as a woman in a bright white gown introduced the next act in the giant auditorium here. “Please give it up now for Albania!” she shouted.

TONIGHT, 125 million viewers will tune in to see Azerbaijan host the live final of the Eurovision Song Contest, complete with its rainbow following. This will surely make the former Soviet country the most repressive regime ever to actively encourage gay men to come and party

As well as a huge exercise in soft power — Eurovision is by far the biggest nonsporting live television event in the world — the competition also gives countries a chance to touch on issues of global importance in their songs, while carefully sticking to the rules, which ban specific political messages.

Last year Azeri representatives won the Eurovision song contest and according to the rules this year the Eurovision 2012 will be held in Baku. Despite tense relations the Armenian side made an official application in line with its policy of supporting people contacts and public diplomacy.

The song contest could also contribute to the public diplomacy of Azerbaijan and Armenia and promote the convergence of the parties in resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict which has been recently mentioned. However, pseudo patriots are in power in Armenia leaving all efforts to promote a dialogue remaining futile.

Azerbaijan is set to host next year's Eurovision Song Contest... But will the expressed willingness of Azerbaijan to let its arch-enemy Armenia take part in the 2012 competition produce a breakthrough, where international negotiators and military threats have failed? Will "pop music diplomacy" postpone a war, thanks to an Armenian singer named Lucia Moon?

Watched annually by more than 100 million people, Eurovision is the world's most-watched non-sporting event. Although viewership in Britain and Ireland has declined for several years, the backlash against Eurovision may finally be changing on the British Isles.