If you're planning on tuning in this Saturday, here's a cheat sheet to get you up to speed

If you, like us, were bereft at the lack of a Eurovision last year, the good news is that the 2021 edition if the world's most famous song contest is within sight.

To tee us up, we've put together a little Eurovision factsheet to get you into the right frame of mind ahead the final this Saturday.

Here are 10 things to know about this year's Eurovision Song Contest.....

1. The contest will be held in the Rotterdam Ahoy arena in the Dutch city. Although it has a capacity of 16,000+, a maximum of 3,500 people will be permitted in the arena for the final – and tickets were only available to those who had tickets for 2020. Over 180 million people will be watching across the world, though.

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2. This year's Irish entry is 'Maps', sung by Lesley Roy – a native of Balbriggan in Dublin. Roy had a brush with fame in her late teens/early twenties when she signed a major recording deal with Jive Records (home to Britney Spears, N*Sync, etc.) and worked with uber-pop producer Max Martin on her debut album. When it failed to perform as expected, she turned to songwriting for other artists and has been doing that ever since. She was set to perform 'Story of My Life' for Ireland last year but wrote 'Maps' when the contest was pulled. She'll compete in Semi-Final 1 on Tuesday.

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3. The staging of any performance is crucial at Eurovision – and Roy is working with Swedish choreographer/Creative Director Fredrik 'Benka' Rydman on 'Maps'. Rydman previously choreographed Sweden's Mads Zelmerlow's 'Heroes', which won in 2015. The staging is top-secret, but Roy has said that it's “different for Ireland and it's different for the Eurovision”.

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4. There's already been some controversy about this year's contest; Belarus were officially disqualified in March, as their initial entry 'Ya nauchu tebya (I'll Teach You)" was ruled to not comply with the contest's entries for non-political songs. Their replacement song, 'Pesnya pro zaytsa (Song About Hares)' was also deemed ineligible.

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5. You're wondering about the interval acts, right? Well, don't get too excited – we all know that no one will ever top Riverdance. However, the Netherlands are putting on a spread that includes performances by DJ Afrojack and Dutch singers Glennis Grace and Wulf, with a symphony orchestra comprised of young musicians. They'll perform the specially-commissioned piece 'Music Binds Us'. Later, another interval will see six former Eurovision winners from various countries (including Lordi - remember them?) perform on various rooftops across Rotterdam.

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6. Iceland, who were favourites to win last year with 'Think About Things', are sending Daði Freyr back into the fray once again with his band Gagnamagnið. They'll be hoping to repeat the magic with their track '10 Years'.

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7. The UK's entry, meanwhile, will be James Newman – who was also set to perform in 2020. The younger brother of singer John Newman has co-written songs for the likes of Rudimental, Calvin Harris, Kesha and Toni Braxton. His entry this year is called 'Embers'.

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8. The youngest entrant amongst the 2021 competitors is 18-year-old Stefania Liberakakis, a Greek-Dutch singer who previously represented the Netherlands as part of the girl group Kisses in the Junior Eurovision in 2006. She'll be paying homage to the other half of her heritage when she flies the flag for Greece with 'Last Dance'.

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9. Norway's entry is Andreas Andresen Haukeland, aka TIX - a stage name derived from his Tourette's Syndrome. He was bullied as a child for the tics caused by the condition, but has turned it into a positive and become an advocate for mental health awareness in Norway. His song 'Fallen Angel' is about his struggle with depression.

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10. France is currently the bookies' favourite to win. Singer-songwriter Barbara Pravi already has form in the contest; she co-wrote the song 'J'imagine', which won last year's Junior Eurovision Song Contest (which went ahead in November). Pravi will be hoping to do the double with her song 'Voilà' in the main contest his year.