Imaani took part in technical rehearsals at the venue on 5 and 7 May 1998, followed by dress rehearsals on 8 and 9 May. Ahead of the contest, the UK were considered one of the favourites among bookmakers to win the contest for a second time, featuring alongside the entries from , , and the . The contest was hosted by Wogan and Jonsson and was broadcast in the UK on television and radio, with Wogan also providing commentary for BBC One and Bruce doing likewise on BBC Radio 2. Imaani performed alongside the BBC Concert Orchestra, which was conducted by James McMillan for her performance.