London (CNN) -- With the recent headlines emerging from Azerbaijan, you could be forgiven for assuming something more dramatic than a singing competition was about to descend on the country. In recent weeks, the Eurovision Song Contest finals, which take place Saturday, have inspired clashes on the streets of the capital, Baku, between Azerbaijani police and opposition activists, and accusations by state-controlled media in Azerbaijan that a German "conspiracy" was waging an "information war" against the hosts. That followed a boycott of the contest announced by neighboring Armenia in March, after the shooting of a soldier on their shared border.
@highlight
Organizers insist it is apolitical, but Eurovision has always been a political stage, say experts
@highlight
They say its competitive nature and vast audience make it a forum for tensions to manifest
@highlight
Armenia's boycott of host Azerbaijan is far from the first politically motivated withdrawal
@highlight
The success of "New Europe" has led to allegations of tactical voting ruining Eurovision
He said the reason the @placeholder countries tended to fare less successfully was because, from the viewing public through to the organizers, they treated the contest "as a bit of a joke."