The final of this year's Eurovision Song Contest may not be until next weekend but contestants have already been putting on the style for the event's official opening in Malmo.

Representatives of the 37 participating countries will be hoping to emulate Sweden's Loreen, last year's winner with her song Tattoo.

As many as 100,000 visitors are set to descend on the city in Sweden's south-west for the world's largest live music contest.

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Here are a selection of photographs from some of the Eurovision hopefuls who posed on the turquoise carpet at the Malmo Arena.