• Netta from Israel performs the song 'Toy' in Lisbon, Portugal, Friday, May 11, 2018 during a dress rehearsal for the Eurovision Song Contest. The Eurovision Song Contest grand final takes place in Lisbon on Saturday May 12, 2018. Photo: Armando Franca, AP / Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Photo: Armando Franca, AP
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Netta from Israel performs the song 'Toy' in Lisbon, Portugal, Friday, May 11, 2018 during a dress rehearsal for the Eurovision Song Contest. The Eurovision Song Contest grand final takes place in Lisbon on Saturday May 12, 2018. less
Netta from Israel performs the song 'Toy' in Lisbon, Portugal, Friday, May 11, 2018 during a dress rehearsal for the Eurovision Song Contest. The Eurovision Song Contest grand final takes place in Lisbon on ... more
Photo: Armando Franca, AP
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Elina Nechayeva from Estonia performs the song 'La Forza' in Lisbon, Portugal, Tuesday, May 8, 2018 during the first semi-final for the Eurovision Song Contest. The Eurovision Song Contest semi-finals take place in Lisbon on Tuesday, May 8 and Thursday, May 10 with the the grand final taking place on Saturday May 12, 2018. less
Elina Nechayeva from Estonia performs the song 'La Forza' in Lisbon, Portugal, Tuesday, May 8, 2018 during the first semi-final for the Eurovision Song Contest. The Eurovision Song Contest semi-finals take ... more
Photo: Armando Franca, AP
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Eleni Foureira from Cyprus performs the song 'Fuego' in Lisbon, Portugal, Tuesday, May 8, 2018 during the first semi-final for the Eurovision Song Contest. The Eurovision Song Contest semi-finals take place in Lisbon on Tuesday, May 8 and Thursday, May 10 with the the grand final taking place on Saturday May 12, 2018. less
Eleni Foureira from Cyprus performs the song 'Fuego' in Lisbon, Portugal, Tuesday, May 8, 2018 during the first semi-final for the Eurovision Song Contest. The Eurovision Song Contest semi-finals take place in ... more
Photo: Armando Franca, AP
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Madame Monsieur from France performs the song 'Mercy' in Lisbon, Portugal, Wednesday, May 9, 2018 during a dress rehearsal for the Eurovision Song Contest. The Eurovision Song Contest semifinals take place in Lisbon on Tuesday, May 8 and Thursday, May 10, the grand final on Saturday May 12, 2018. less
Madame Monsieur from France performs the song 'Mercy' in Lisbon, Portugal, Wednesday, May 9, 2018 during a dress rehearsal for the Eurovision Song Contest. The Eurovision Song Contest semifinals take place in ... more
Photo: Armando Franca, AP
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Mikolas Josef from the Czech Republic performs the song 'Lie To Me' in Lisbon, Portugal, Monday, May 7, 2018 during a dress rehearsal for the Eurovision Song Contest. The Eurovision Song Contest semifinals take place in Lisbon on Tuesday, May 8 and Thursday, May 10, the grand final on Saturday May 12, 2018. less
Mikolas Josef from the Czech Republic performs the song 'Lie To Me' in Lisbon, Portugal, Monday, May 7, 2018 during a dress rehearsal for the Eurovision Song Contest. The Eurovision Song Contest semifinals take ... more
Photo: Armando Franca, AP
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Saara Aalto from Finland performs the song 'Monsters' in Lisbon, Portugal, Tuesday, May 8, 2018 during the first semi-final for the Eurovision Song Contest. The Eurovision Song Contest semi-finals take place in Lisbon on Tuesday, May 8 and Thursday, May 10 with the the grand final taking place on Saturday May 12, 2018. less
Saara Aalto from Finland performs the song 'Monsters' in Lisbon, Portugal, Tuesday, May 8, 2018 during the first semi-final for the Eurovision Song Contest. The Eurovision Song Contest semi-finals take place in ... more
Photo: Armando Franca, AP
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Alexander Rybak from Norway performs the song 'That's How You Write A Song' in Lisbon, Portugal, Thursday, May 10, 2018 during the second semifinal of the Eurovision Song Contest. The Eurovision Song Contest grand final takes place in Lisbon on Saturday May 12, 2018. less
Alexander Rybak from Norway performs the song 'That's How You Write A Song' in Lisbon, Portugal, Thursday, May 10, 2018 during the second semifinal of the Eurovision Song Contest. The Eurovision Song Contest ... more
Photo: Armando Franca, AP
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Benjamin Ingrosso from Sweden performs the song 'Dance You Off' in Lisbon, Portugal, Thursday, May 10, 2018 during the second semifinal of the Eurovision Song Contest. The Eurovision Song Contest grand final takes place in Lisbon on Saturday May 12, 2018. less
Benjamin Ingrosso from Sweden performs the song 'Dance You Off' in Lisbon, Portugal, Thursday, May 10, 2018 during the second semifinal of the Eurovision Song Contest. The Eurovision Song Contest grand final ... more
Photo: Armando Franca, AP
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Michael Schulte from Germany performs the song 'You Let Me Walk Alone' in Lisbon, Portugal, Wednesday, May 9, 2018 during a dress rehearsal for the Eurovision Song Contest. The Eurovision Song Contest semifinals take place in Lisbon on Tuesday, May 8 and Thursday, May 10, the grand final on Saturday May 12, 2018. less
Michael Schulte from Germany performs the song 'You Let Me Walk Alone' in Lisbon, Portugal, Wednesday, May 9, 2018 during a dress rehearsal for the Eurovision Song Contest. The Eurovision Song Contest ... more
Photo: Armando Franca, AP
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LISBON, Portugal (AP) — The kitsch is conspicuously absent this year and the usual extravagant stage effects are nowhere to be seen. Could the Eurovision Song Contest finally be focusing on the music?

The annual Euro-pop fest has long been the glittery home of outlandish costumes, high-voltage stage effects, forgettable tunes and kitschy acts like last year's dancing gorilla.

But Portugal — which hosting this year's event because its entry, Salvador Sobral, won with a restrained solo ballad last year in Ukraine — is putting on a show with stylish, elegant performances by a strong field of competitors. And it's doing that with a $23.8 million budget that officials say is the most restrained since 2008.

That means the 63rd Eurovision Song Contest is heading to what many predict will be an exceptional year.