Eurovision 2019 kicks off in Tel Aviv

Contestants from 41 countries walked an orange carpet in Tel Aviv's "Culture Square" on Sunday for the opening ceremony of Eurovision 2019.

The 64th Eurovision Song Contest holds semi-finals in Tel Aviv on May 14 and May 16 ahead of the grand final on May 18.

Instead of the traditional red carpet, an orange carpet, matching the logo of a company sponsoring the international song fest, was rolled out at the Tel Aviv square that houses Israel's Habima national theatre and the Israel Philharmonic. 

As the ceremony began, more than a dozen local and international activists held a solidarity protest with Palestinian prisoners. They were removed by police, who relocated the protestors to a different section, where the protest was allowed to continue, Haaretz reported.