One of the world's most watched cultural events, the Eurovision Song Contest, is preparing for the final show under tight security and mounting political tension. Because of Israel's participation, five countries are boycotting this year's competition, which is taking place in Vienna. On Saturday, around three thousand pro-Palestine protesters are expected to march through the Austrian capital.

But anti-Israel protesters face fines of more than 5,000 dollars if they gather too close to the Eurovision venue.

"The Austrian government showed clearly they don't want to see protests happening, they want to cut protests out of the whole (Eurovision) area,' protester David Reisinger says. 'I think this is a huge step against the freedom of assembly,"

Hundreds of police officers and private security staff have turned Vienna's Eurovision venue into a fortress. Security measures are being compared to those at an international airport, with roads and parks surrounding the arena sealed off.

Austrian authorities have also asked the FBI for assistance in protecting against potential cyberattacks routed through U.S. internet providers.

"An event like the Eurovision Song Contest is a difficult operation for the police,' Paul Eidenberger, spokesperson for Austria's Ministry of the Interior, told CGTN. 'We have special units on site all the time... they are not visible for the general public and that's because we do not want anybody to actually see them,"

"A scenario is going to be blockades especially for the delegation of Israel and if that happens we will intervene of course immediately and decisively," he added.

Although Saturday's viewing numbers are expected to fall slightly below last year's 166 million due to the boycott, the Eurovision Song Contest is still expected to deliver a major image boost for Vienna, with tourism likely to benefit long after the contest ends.

"We are here from Portugal to support our team, our country," said Bia, a tourist from Portugal. "We just love Eurovision and we hope to have some fun here," added Stjepan, a Vienna resident.

Meanwhile, the Israeli contestant has received a formal warning for urging viewers to vote for him multiple times, following last year's controversy over government-linked social media accounts said to have influenced the vote.