In 2003, it was decided that a Semi-Final would be held in 2004 with only the so-called 'Big Four' (Germany, UK, France and Spain) plus the ten most successful countries from the 2003 ranking having a place in the Final. Ten remaining countries would qualify from the Semi-Final, which was held on the Wednesday prior to the Eurovision Song Contest Final night on Saturday. 22 countries decided to took part in the 2004 Semi-Final, all countries used telephone and SMS voting. Several new countries entered in 2004; Andorra, Albania and Belarus along with Serbia & Montenegro. Monaco returned to the contest after a 25-year absence.

Ten countries qualified from the Semi-Final: Serbia & Montenegro, Ukraine, Greece, Albania, Cyprus, the Netherlands, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Malta, Croatia and FYR Macedonia. Greece sent one of its biggest stars to Istanbul, Sakis Rouvas, who gave an energetic performance of his song Shake It. Similarly Serbia & Montenegro was represented by a singer who was big in the Balkans, Željko Joksimović.

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The 2005 contest was seen by many as an open competition with fans and pundits divided over which country would win. The 2005 contest saw many previous participants return to the stage. Helena Paparizou, who represented Greece as part of the group Antique, returned to the contest with the song My Number One. Chiara, who finished third for Malta in 1998, returned to the contest as did Constantinos Christoforou who represented Cyprus in 1996 and in 2002 as part of the group One. Annabel Conde, who represented Spain in 1995 was a backing singer for Andorra and Selma who finished second for Iceland in 1999, failed to qualify from the Semi-Final with her song If I Had Your Love.

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Carola, who won the Eurovision Song Contest for Sweden in 1991 and finished third in 1983, returned to the contest with her song Invincible, was widely tipped to do well. Another hotly tipped winner was Russian singer Dima Bilan with his song Never Let You Go. German group Texas Lightning did well in at the bookmakers with their refreshing pop-country song No No Never, but the song only managed a disappointing 14th place. Anna Vissi, the Greek pop queen who had already participated in the song contest in 1980 and 1982, had high hopes to win the competition with her dramatic performance of Everything.

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Host Broadcaster YLE adopted True Fantasy as the slogan for this year's contest. The high-tech stage was constructed in the shape of a kantele, a traditional Finnish instrument. The contest's Presenting Partner was TeliaSonera and the International Presenting Partners were Nobel Biocare and the European Year of Equal Opportunities for All. The Final opened with Lordi, the monster rock band that brought that contest to Finland. The UK entry was performed by pop group Scooch who dressed as flight attendants. Ukraine sent Verka Serduchka, a drag act, who performed the song Dancing Lasha Tumbai, which finished second. Verka has gone on to become an iconic figure in recent Eurovision history.

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For the first time in the history of the Eurovision Song Contest, two Semi-Finals were held to decide which 25 countries would be represented in the Final. The Final of the contest took place on the 24th of May, just like the first ever Eurovision Song Contest in 1956. Serbia hosted the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest in the Belgrade Arena. A record 43 countries participated including San Marino and Azerbaijan who made their respective debuts. Austria withdrew and did not return to the competition until 2011. France was represented by a major star, Sébastien Tellier, however he failed to impress the voters of Europe and finished in 19th place. Ukraine's Ani Lorak, who was in the running to represent her country in 2005, finished in second place with her song Shady Lady. Charlotte Perrelli (Nilsson), who won the contest in 1999 for Sweden returned to the competition but finished 18th in the Grand Final.

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Channel One Russia hosted one of the biggest contests in the event's history. The stage was spectacular, using one-third of the world's available LED screens at the time. Then-Prime Minister Vladimir Putin even visited the Olympic Indoor Arena during preparations. A major rule change saw the re-introduction of national juries, which accounted for 50% of the result alongside televoting. Georgia's entry was deemed to have broken contest rules, leading the country to withdraw rather than submit a different song. Estonia achieved a credible sixth place with "Rändajad", the first song performed fully in Estonian since 1998. The United Kingdom scored its best placing since 2002; Jade Ewen's "My Time", written by Dianne Warren and composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, finished in fifth place.

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Thirty-nine countries took part in the 2010 contest, which was produced under the slogan Share the Moment. Georgia returned after a one year absence whilst Andorra, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Montenegro all withdrew. Lithuania originally announced its withdrawal from the competition, but was later among the 39 participants confirmed by the EBU. The global financial crisis was affecting many participating broadcasters at the time and many withdrawals were due to budgetary constrains. The interval act involved a flashmob including participants from across Europe. The outdoor footage was intercut with webcam footage from individual private households - Europe really was sharing the moment.

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Germany hosted the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time since 1983, with Düsseldorf being chosen as the host city after an open selection process. A total of 43 countries participated. The biggest news was Italy's return after a ten-year absence. Italy joined France, Germany, Spain, and the UK, expanding the "Big Four" into the "Big Five," with all five nations automatically qualifying for the Grand Final. The return was triumphant, as Italy's Raphael Gualazzi took second place with "Madness Of Love". The event was hosted by comedienne Anke Engelke, TV anchor Judith Rakers, and entertainer Stefan Raab, who had been part of Germany's winning team in 2010.

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The 2012 Eurovision Song Contest was held in Baku, Azerbaijan. It is the furthest East that the contest had ever been held. Baku provided a unique setting for the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest. The slogan for the competition this year was Light Your Fire, which was fitting given that the event was being held in Azerbaijan, the Land of Fire. The United Kingdom sent its oldest ever participant, 76 year old Engelbert Humperdinck, whilst Russia was represented by the Buranovskiye Babushki who had a combined age of more than 500!

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