The event also provides this year's participants with a potential stop-over on their increasingly intensive promotion tours. The venue is London’s 1,200 capacity Scala nightclub, fittingly located just a few steps away from London’s newly opened Kings Cross St Pancras International rail hub that connects London to the European mainland.

The party is intended not only to give the thousands of UK Eurovision Song Contest fans an opportunity to come together and celebrate the contest but also to provide UK media a unique opportunity to preview, meet and interview some of this year’s hotly-tipped entrants. "The UK Eurovision Preview Party is here to bring the joys of the Eurovision Song Contest back to the UK. This will be the biggest Eurovision Song Contest related event in London since the city hosted the contest way back in 1977," a press release of the organizers says.

"Whilst most competing countries in the Eurovision Song Contest regularly embark on European promotional tours and welcome other entrants for promotion, the UK has in recent years been notably absent from these activities despite the Contest’s growing popularity. This party aims to reverse this trend," says one of the organizers.

Ani Lorak (Ukraine), Euroband (Iceland), Isis Gee (Poland), Morena (Malta) and Paul Oscar, Iceland's 1997 Eurovision Song Contest representative and writer of this year's Icelandic entry are already confirmed to perform at the event. Paddy O’Connell, the BBC's Semi-Final commentator, and DJ Dave Simmons are also listed to attend the event. For the occasion, the VIP bar at the venue will be transformed into a special Green Room. All media will have access to participating artists and will be able to enjoy the night and watch the show from the glass walled room above the crowd.

For more information and online ticket sales, visit the website of the event.

Note from the editor: The UK Eurovision Preview Party is a private initiative, not related to the EBU or its Members.