Eurovision 2023: Jury Rehearsal of the 2nd Semi Final – Live Commentary! (Updated Live)

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The “jury” rehearsal of the Eurovision 2023 Second Semi Final has just started and the the Liverpool Arena is filled with eurofans! Even though the Semi-Final results wil be determined 100% by the televote, national juries will watch and score today’s rehearsals and their votes will count in case a country’s televote fails to produce a valid result. Earlier today we saw the First Dress Rehearsal and you can read our commentary here.

Tonight, in addition to the 16 participating countries of the Second Semi-Final, we will also see the United Kingdom, Spain and last year’s winner Ukraine perform their entries.

This article gets updated in real-time, all you need to do is hit the refresh button on your browser!

So stay tuned to this article as we update it with all details, preparing you for what you will see in the Semi-Final tomorrow May 11th, at 21:00 CEST.

The Show

A spoken word piece opens the Second Semi-Final talking through the history of the Eurovision Song Contest.

The hosts, Alesha Dixon, Hannah Waddingham and Julia Sanina welcome us and remind us that the competition is taking place in the UK because of the war in Ukraine. We see the 16 competing artists in the led wall behind the presenters and the voting numbers appear.

The Competing Countries – LIVE COMMENTARY

Denmark – Breaking My Heart

Reiley, the TikTok star from the Faroe Islands, is dressed in pink, inside an elaborate pink prop that looks like a house and rotates to reveal different rooms. Later, Reiley walks to the second stage and the led wall becomes blue and then green. Sadly, it is vocally weak and rather annoying, something that will probably prevent him from reaching the Grand Final.

Armenia – Future Lover

Brunette delivers one of the most impressive performances visually, standing on a curved platform with pink projections on her, and later intense black and white lights. The added dance break is definetely eye-catching and Brunette is a great performer, that will undoubtedly qualify for Saturday’s final and is aiming high.

Romania – D.G.T.(On and Off)

Theodor is a good vocalist but sadly the entire performance and staging, with distasteful led content and awkward choreography from Theodor and his dancer, seems very amateurish. Romania will be lucky if they avoid the absolute last place of this Semi-Final.

Estonia – Bridges

Alika, the talented singer from Estonia, brings a slightly elevated version of her Eesti Laul performance with pretty blue leds and her characteristic piano that plays by itself. It’s an act that will suffer due to the absence of juries from the Semi-Finals, as the televoters could easily find it dull and forget it. It’s qualification feels very uncertain.

Belgium – Because Of You

Gustaph gives the show some much needed energy, with his 90s themed song. The staging is very similar to the one from Belgium’s national final, with an added staircase, a dancer and loads of voguing. Vocally great as always, but will it be enough for Gustaph to make it through? I’m leaning towards yes but I’m not certain.

First Break

Cyprus – Break a Broken Heart

The Australian born Greek-Cypriot singer Andrew Lambrou delivers a great live of his power ballad. The staging is a bit static, with repeated shots of a waterfall but nevertheless professional. The final minute of the song is filled with huge fire jets. A very decent performance that doesn’t scream winner but will easily earn its place in the Grand Final.

Iceland – Power

Next up, we have the energetic Dilja from Iceland. She is very good vocally but the performance feels completely all over the place, with the young singer doing unnecessary acrobatics and coming off rather aggresive. The camera shots aren’t great, making the viewer feel dizzy and overall quite bored, if not annoyed. Iceland’s journey in Eurovision 2023 ends tomorrow.

Greece – What They Say

16-year old Victor from Greece has visibly improved vocally, compared to his previous rehearsals. The beginning of the performance, with him laying on the floor is very interesting visually but the rest of the staging feels quite messy. Victor’s bouncing a lot and looks nervous, but maybe he could get just enough points to sneak into the Final.

Poland – Solo

Coming next, the big surprise of the rehearsals, Blanka from Poland. From certain non-qualifier, Poland now has a guaranteed spot in the Grand Final, thanks to the visually extremely entertaining show and the much improved vocals of Blanka, who looks stunning. Maybe too many effects, but obviously too much is never enough for the iconic “Bejba”.

Slovenia – Carpe Diem

Joker Out, the charismatic Slovenian band, transfer us to their concert, as they own the stage, delivering tons of energy and fun. The lead singer is vocally great and the tone of his voice elevates the song a lot. After 3 years, Slovenia is returning to the Final of the Eurovision Song Contest.

Georgia – Echo

Iru looks stunning in her white dress and sounds pitch perfect. The performance is pretty, with nice lighting and led content, but quite static and overall dated. This would’t be out of place in a 2011 Eurovision National Final. However, it would be a big surprise if Georgia didn’t make it through, as it’s definetely one of the stronger acts in a weak Semi-Final. Georgia will return to the Grand Final, after 7 years, but will struggle to escape the last places once it gets there.

Second Break

San Marino – Like An Animal

Probably the biggest underdogs of the competition, Piqued Jacks from San Marino, deliver a well crafted show, vocally and visually decent. However, the professional staging with black and red pop-art led content isn’t enough to elevate a very weak composition, musically and lyrically. The landlocked microstate won’t escape the bottom two of this Semi-Final.

Austria – Who the hell is Edgar?

Teya and Salena grace the Eurovision stage with one of the most clever and funny songs of the year. Their stage show is very polished but perheps not fun enough. The red, black and white leds with the dancers are nice but quite repetitive, and it feels like the act doesn’t have a clear purpose and lacks energy. Vocally decent, with some weak moments, the female duo from Austria will obviously qualify but I’m not so sure that they can win the Semi Final. Once they get to the Final, I expect them to significantly underperform.

Albania – Duje

The very likable family from Albania give us a stereotypical Albanian act, full of powerful vocals, red, black and orange visuals and lots of fire. This definetely stands out as the only ethnic song and is performed professionaly but perhaps has a very limited audience. The noticable absence of countries with Albanian diaspora from this Semi-Final means Albania’s qualification is far from certain.

Lithuania – Stay

Monika Linkyte delivers a vocally powerful and visually pleasing, warm performance, accompanied by her backing vocalists. They manage to create a beautiful atmosphere that the audience seems to enjoy. This song really shines near the end of the Second Semi Final, making Lithuania’s qualification a certainty.

Australia – Promise

Voyager, the progressive metal band from Australia, are obviously very experienced performers and close the show with a bang. Excellent staging with 80s vaporwave vibes and a car on stage. The arena loves them, as they deliver an excellent performance, full of energy, that is guaranteed to qualify tomorrow night.

Certain Qualifiers

Armenia

Australia

Austria

Slovenia

Poland

Cyprus

Lithuania

Georgia

Borderline Qualifiers

Belgium

Greece

Albania

Estonia

Non Qualifiers

Denmark

Iceland

Romania

San Marino

Interval Acts

Ukrainian singers Mariya Yaremchuk, Otoy and Zlata Dziunka perform a medley of Ukrainian songs. Then we watch another recap and get ready for lines to close.

Three drag queens take the place of the presenters and perform “Be Who You Wanna Be”.

Mans Zelmerlow and Filomena return with the “game” of guessing which countries they have or have not qualified in the past.

Big 5 and Ukraine

Spain

Blanca Paloma transferred her Benidorm performance to the Liverpool stage, with minor improvements. Vocally impeccable and visually captivating, this entry will be greatly appreciated by jurors but maybe also by the European audience. There is quite nothing like it in the competition and viewers will certainly not forget it.

Ukraine

Ukrainians show once again that they are the masters of staging at Eurovision. TVORVHI probably have the most sleek, stylish and modern performance of the year. It starts a bit low energy but that is quickly fixed, when pyro jets join the show. Great act but the song is probably a bit forgettable. Of course, Ukraine’s result is maybe the biggest mystery of the year, as we don’t know how the sympathy and diaspora votes will impact their score.

United Kingdom

Mae Muller will close Saturday’s Grand Final with a fun and upbeat number, staged cleverly with colorful pop art vibes. Her vocals however are perhaps the worst in this year’s contest and completely destroy the act. She’s struggling to hit the notes and looks uncomfortable, which means United Kingdom could be returning to the bottom of the scoreboard.

The Results

Martin Osterdahl executive producer of Eurovision Song Contest 2022, declares that he is happy to see that we now have a valid result!

The ten countries that (virtually) qualified for the purposes of the rehearsal were the following:

San Marino, Lithuania, Belgium, Armenia, Cyprus, Estonia, Romania, Austria, Poland, Slovenia

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Eurovision 2023: Dress Rehearsal of the 2nd Semi Final – Live Commentary! (Updated Live)

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After the First Semi Final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, the contestants of the Second one are ready for their Dress Rehearsal. It is the very first time that journalists have the chance to watch the full show of the remaining countries.

EurovisionFun will be watching all the 16 countries competing and will serve you feedback and opinions of the show. Also, the journalists have the chance to fully watch the rehearsals of United Kingdom, Spain and the winner of last year’s edition, Ukraine.

This article gets updated in real-time, all you need to do is hit the refresh button on your browser!

So stay tuned to this article as we update it with all details, preparing you for what you will see in the Semi-Final tomorrow May 9th, at 21:00 CEST.

The Show

The three female presenters are one stage and welcome everyone on the show again! The explain the voting system, the united vibe between Ukraine and United Kingdom and within the first five minutes the show begins!

The Competing Countries – LIVE COMMENTARY

Denmark- Break My heart

In the begging, Reiley is inside a shadow of a heart and then we see him in his cute colourful box. We also see him laying on the floor with some pink LED. The lights change from pink to blue and end up green. At the end of the perfomance we see the singer on the small stage in front.Vocally Reiley is not at his best, maybe still keep his power for tomorrow’s show!

Armenia- Future Lover

That was s shock! Brunnete starts at her purple and pink screen and looking amazing. In the rap parts the screen is totally white while the lights are making shadows. The main colours are now black and white. WE HAVE A REVAMP! Brunnete has a dance break with ethnic instruments and she is dancing and laying on the floor! A very cool show.

Romania- D.G.T.(On and Off)

Theodor’s vocals are on point as always but the show is not at the same level. Everything is red while his costume is pink and at the end we see a girl dancing with him. Romania will probably not be in the final of Eurovision 2023.

Estonia- Bridges

Another killer vocals! Alika is in her blue dress playing in the piano, then leave but the keys are still being played magically. The whole stage is blue while she is walking and  moving around. No suprises here, a simple but effective perfomance!

Belgium- Because of you

Gustaph is on the top of a platform with some stairs and his backing singers are down singing with him. The LED are like the videoclip, some shadows dancing on the rhythm of the song and also him on the outfit of the video clip. In the final chorus, we see a dancer in a pink and white outfit dancing around with Gustaph. A very energetic perfomance!

Cyprus- Break a Broker Heart

Andew is alone on stage in a blue scene. The show starts with him hitting the high note and he is looking good in black. In the first chorus we see a waterfall behind him and towards the end it becomes a huge flame. The whole scene is full of fire and Andrew is good vocally. A safe qualifier!

Iceland- Power

Dilja is alone on stage on her silver suit. The staging is quite dark with blue and purple lights and a few green LED like a tree. Towards the end we see some beautiful flowers behind her and in the final chorus she shows all of her vocals, which are impressive! A strong perfomance that will give a fight for a ticket to the frand final.

Greece- What They Say

Victor starts on the floor with some LED greek letters and he sounds good. At the first chorus we see him in the LED behind him and in the end his is in the front small stage with some smoke. He seemed tired towards the end.

Poland- Solo

The first verse starts with a different type of camera len. A lot of fire visual throught the song and not only on the dance break and Blanka is serving looks. The dance break is nice and she seems confident. A good rehearsal!

Slovenia- Carpe Diem

A very concert like perfomance from Joker Out. The seem confident and cool with their 80s style of clothing. The singer is vocally just like the recorded version and the whole lights are red. In the end, the members of the group, bowed towards the crowd and we see a huge “Joker Out” in the LED. A safe qualifer!

Georgia- Echo

Iru is in a small plarform with a white dress and gold jewelleries. Vocally she is on point, the LED behind her are dark and in the end everything become brighter. A wind machine is helping her to serve a very dramatic look. A great perfomance, with no suprises thoughout the show.

San Marino- Like An Animal

The show starts with a huge mouth in the LED. The whole show is full of red lights and red lips on the background. Vocally the singer is on point, his high notes are very strong but the song is not doing enough to qualify.

Austria- Who the hell is Edgar?

The big favourite of the semifinal is on stage and their serving vocals and look. The show starts a typewriter and the face of Edgar Allan Poe and some dancers on the background. The LED next is full of dancers giving the feeling that they are on stage. Both of them are very good vocally and the perfomance is fun! A safe qualifier for the Grand Final!

Albania- Duje

An amazing dramatic start for Albania. The vocals are strong, the aura of the balkan culture is there and the stage is all red. This may be the most impactful and strong perfomance of the semi. I would dare to say a safe qualifier for the Grand Final also!

Lithuania- Stay

Lithuania has a third option for her dress, in my opinion the best one, and it is still orange and short, as it should! Vocally she is on point and the perfomance is very similar to the national final’s one. A very good rehearsal for Monika.

Australia- Promise

A very strong rock perfomance from Voyager! The singer starts inside a car and then he gives a strong perfomance in front of the crowd. Also a safe qualifer if you ask me!

Certain Qualifiers

Armenia

Cyprus

Poland

Slovenia

Austria

Albania

Lithuania

Australia

Borderline Qualifiers

Georgia

Estonia

Belgium

Greece

Non Qualifiers

Denmark

Romania

Iceland

San Marino

Big 5 and Ukraine

Spain

A very similar to the national selection perfomance with Blanca serving vocals once again. During her perfomance we see a light hitting her hand and the backing vocals screaming her name. An impacful perfomance that will probably do well on Saturday night!

Ukraine

Just like the national final, the LED small screens are still here but even better.  More specific, the singer sometimes transform into a steel type of machine with a human body and during the second verse two dancers help him out and also play with those screens. In the LED we see some blue mountains and sometimes the sun appearing. During the chorus, both the back LED screen and the little screen have the future of robots made of still. A very fun perfomance that will probably do well on Saturday!

United Kingdom

Zero make up for Mae Muller and still looking amazing! The visuals are on point with Mae inside her head and dancing around with her female dancers. On the second verse she leaves the platform and goes to the main stage. The staging is fresh and modern, like a VMA perfomance, but the vocals were not there unfortunatelly. She did not sound bad but it felt weak.

Announcement

The hosts after talking to Blanca Paloma, TVORCI and Mae Muller are ready to announce the ten qualifiers. In the rehearsal, those ten countries are:

San Marino, Albania, Iceland, Greece, Georgia, Estonia, Austria, Denmark , Poland and Australia

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Iceland: France and Italy win Alla leið 2023 Show Five!

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Just two days shy of the first semi-final of this year’s Eurovision, Italy and France were crowned the winners of the fifth show of the Icelandic preview show Alla leið.

The four-member jury ranked this year’s Big Five entries with the highest points being awarded to France and Italy.

The results of show four are:

  1. France – La Zarra – “Évidemment” – 12+12+10+8 – 42 points
  2. Italy – Marco Mengoni – “Due vite” – 12+12+8+10 – 42 points
  3. Ukraine – TVORCHI – “Heart of Steel” – 12+10+7+8 – 37 points
  4. Spain – Blanca Paloma – “Eaea” – 8+7+8+10 – 33 points
  5. United Kingdom – Mae Muller – “I Wrote a Song” – 8+6+10+8 – 32 points
  6. Germany – Lord of the Lost – “Blood and Glitter” – 4+7+8+6 – 25 points

The overall ranking of this year’s Alla leið looks like this:

  1. Iceland – Diljá – “Power” – 12+12+12+12 – 48 points
  2. France – La Zarra – “Évidemment” – 12+12+10+8 – 42 points
  3. Italy – Marco Mengoni – “Due vite” – 12+12+8+10 – 42 points
  4. Croatia – Let 3 – “Mama ŠČ!” – 12+8+12+10 – 42 points
  5. Switzerland – Remo Forrer – “Watergun” – 12+8+12+8 – 40 points
  6. Ukraine – TVORCHI – “Heart of Steel” – 12+10+7+8 – 37 points
  7. Czechia – Vesna – “My Sister’s Crown” – 10+6+10+10 – 36 points
  8. Belgium – Gustaph – “Because of You” – 10+10+5+10 – 35 points
  9. Australia – Voyager – “Promise” – 6+12+12+4 – 34 points
  10. Sweden – Loreen – “Tattoo” – 10+8+12+4 – 34 points
  11. Denmark – Reiley – “Breaking My Heart” – 6+10+10+8 – 34 points
  12. Finland – Käärijä – “Cha Cha Cha” – 12+8+12+1 – 33 points
  13. Armenia – Brunette – “Future Lover” – 7+6+8+12 – 33 points
  14. Spain – Blanca Paloma – “Eaea” – 8+7+8+10 – 33 points
  15. Austria – Teya & Salena – “Who The Hell is Edgar?” – 12+6+6+8 – 32 points
  16. United Kingdom – Mae Muller – “I Wrote a Song” – 8+6+10+8 – 32 points
  17. Moldova – Pasha Parfeni – “Soarele și luna” – 12+7+7+5 – 31 points
  18. Portugal – Mimicat – “Ai coração” – 8+7+6+8 – 31 points
  19. Cyprus – Andrew Lambrou – “Break a Broken Heart” – 3+8+12+5 – 28 points
  20. Azerbaijan – TuralTuranX – “Tell Me More” – 10+6+10+2 – 28 points
  21. Georgia – Iru – “Echo” – 6+5+7+10 – 28 points
  22. Norway – Alessandra – Queen of the Kings – 6+7+6+8 – 27 points
  23. Latvia – Sudden Lights – “Aijā” – 2+12+8+4 – 26 points
  24. Greece – Victor Vernicos – “What They Say” – 5+2+12+7 – 26 points
  25. Slovenia – Joker Out – “Carpe Diem” – 5+12+4+5 – 26 points
  26. Albania – Albina & Familija Kelmendi – “Duje” – 3+6+6+10 – 25 points
  27. Germany – Lord of the Lost – “Blood and Glitter” – 4+7+8+6 – 25 points
  28. Estonia – Alika – “Bridges” – 6+7+2+7 – 22 points
  29. Ireland – Wild Youth – “We Are One” – 6+4+5+7 – 22 points
  30. Malta – The Busker – “Dance (Our Own Party)” – 3+6+5+7 – 21 points
  31. Serbia – Luke Black – “Samo mi se spava” – 7+5+6+3 – 21 points
  32. Lithuania – Monika Linkyte – “Stay” – 5+4+6+4 – 19 points
  33. Poland – Blanka – “Solo” – 2+4+4+7 – 17 points
  34. Netherlands – Mia Nicolai & DIon Cooper – “Burning Daylight” – 7+3+5+1 – 16 points
  35. Israel – Noa Kirel – “Unicorn” – 7+1+1+3 – 12 points
  36. Romania – Theodor Andrei – “D.G.T (Off and On)” – 1+4+1+2 – 8 points
  37. San Marino – Piqued Jacks – “Like an Animal” – 1+2+1+1 – 5 points

Iceland is the show’s winner with France,Italy and Croatia all tying in the second place.

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Iceland: Diljá has filmed her postcard for Eurovision 2023!

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Diljá with the song “Power” will represent Iceland at Eurovision 2023, after winning Söngvakeppnin 2023, the country’s Eurovision national final.

The 21-year-old  singer completed the shooting of her Eurovision postcard. In Eurovision, the term postcard refers to the short introduction video that is shown before each live performance. This year’s concept of postcards is artists doing activities in their home countries. Iceland’s unique geography and natural wonders provided a breathtaking backdrop for Dilja’s Eurovision postcard shooting. You can see some backstage moments below:

The following countries have confirmed they completed the shooting of their postcards:

Albania – Albina & Familija Kelmendi
Armenia – Brunette
Australia – Voyager
Austria – Teya & Salena
Azerbaijan – TuralTuranX
Croatia – Let 3
Cyprus – Andrew Lambrou
Denmark – Reiley
Estonia – Alika
Finland – Käärijä
France – La Zarra
Georgia – Iru
Germany – Lord of the Lost
Greece – Victor Vernicos
Ireland – Wild Youth
Israel – Noa Kirel
Italy – Marco Mengoni
Latvia – Sudden Lights
Lithuania – Monika Linkytė
Malta – The Busker
Moldova – Pasha Parfeni
Netherlands – Mia Nicolai & Dion Cooper
Poland – Blanka
Portugal – Mimicat
Romania – Theodor Andrei
San Marino – Piqued Jacks
Serbia – Luke Black
Slovenia – Joker Out
Sweden – Loreen
Switzerland – Remo Forrer

Iceland will compete at the Second Semi-Final of Eurovision 2023, performing 7th. Below you can watch our reaction to the national final performance of “Power”.

Eurovision 2023: Turquoise Carpet takes place today!

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The time is here! This afternoon at 16:00 the Opening Ceremony of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, will take place in Liverpool!

Just a day after the completion of the rehearsals, the 37 delegations that take part in the 67th Eurovision Song Contest, are going to attend the opening ceremony of this year’s contest. The Turquoise Carpet will take place in Saint George’s Hall right in the middle of Liverpool!

The Turquoise Carpet will be hosted by the Ukrainian commentator Timur Miroshnychenko and Sam Quek.

The contestants of this year’s Eurovision will commence their walk from the Walker Art Gallery and head towards Saint George’s Hall, where the official Opening Ceremony of the contest will take place.

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Eurovision 2023: The bets after the rehearsals of the two semi-finals!

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The favourite column of many of you is back, as the betting analysis for the 67th Eurovision Song Contest is back again.

With one week to go until the Eurovision 2023 Grand Final, we take a look at the betting companies’ odds regarding each country’s chances of qualifying in this year’s Grand Final.

1st Semifinal

We start with the first semi-final, where six countries are largely taken for granted to qualify for next Saturday’s grand final. Sweden, Finland, Norway and Israel are all priced at 1.01, giving no profit at all to those betting on their qualification, while the Czech Republic and Moldova are offered at odds of under 1.10.

Beyond that, Serbia seem to be in a league of their own, seen as the seventh favourite to qualify for the grand final on May 13. Luke Black’s qualification is being offered at odds of around 1.30, with a clear distance from both the leading and trailing countries.

Four countries will battle it out for the last three ‘tickets’ to the Eurovision 2023 grand final, according to bookers. Switzerland, Portugal, Croatia and the Netherlands have their own very high chances of qualifying, with Switzerland being played between 1.33 and 1.44, Portugal and Croatia between 1.4 and 1.5 and the Netherlands between 1.57 and 1.67. The Netherlands are in a more difficult position compared to the other three, but their qualification odds are anything but a betting opportunity.

Malta, Latvia, Ireland and Azerbaijan are seen as underdogs for qualification, but in any case the odds on offer could be a lure for those who believe in the qualification of any of these countries.

Regarding the winner of the first semi-final, things are clear. The absolute favourite to win the first semi-final is Finland, which is offered at odds between 1.33 and 1.44. The dynamics of Käärijä and “Cha Cha Cha“, as well as the fact that the crowd decides this year in the two semi-finals are key reasons why the Finnish victory is offered at such low odds.

Second favourite is Sweden, played at odds between 3 and 4, making it a value for money choice, especially for those backing the heavy favourite for the 67th Eurovision Song Contest. Otherwise, all other countries are offered at much higher odds, with only Israel and Norway being hauntingly close to Finland and Sweden. Israel and Norway are being played at odds of under 20.

2nd Semifinal

The second semi-final is expected to be quite controversial, with 13 countries having a fairly significant chance of qualifying for the grand final on 13 May. Austria, Australia and Cyprus are seen by bookers as the firm favourites to qualify, with their presence in the final of this year’s contest largely assured. The maximum odds on offer for their qualification are under 1.10.

Armenia, Lithuania, Slovenia follow, with Armenia‘s qualification returning up to 1.14 times the stake, Lithuania 1.17 times and Slovenia 1.20 times. These are three countries that are considered highly unlikely to be eliminated next Thursday. The same more or less applies to seventh-placed Georgia, which is being played between 1.2 and 1.25.

Belgium and Poland seem to be in a fairly advantageous position, having created distance compared to the countries that – according to the betting companies – will fight for the tenth and last ticket. Belgium is offered at odds below 1.40, while odds slightly above 1.40 can be bet on Poland.

A big battle is expected for the tenth and final ticket of the second semi-final, with Denmark, Estonia, Greece and Albania battling it out. Denmark are said to have the edge at the moment, and are under immediate threat from Estonia. Denmark‘s qualification odds are rising, while Estonia‘s are falling. Denmark‘s qualification is offered at 1.73 and Estonia‘s at 1.83.

The situation is particularly discouraging in the case of Greece. The release of the 30-second snippet of “What They Say” has dropped Victor Vernicos to 12th place, with Greece on the brink of elimination, always according to the bookers. The country’s qualification odds have risen at several firms, with the possibility of qualification doubling the stakes. However, in many companies, Greece remains within the Top 10, with lower or similar odds to tenth placed Denmark.

13th Albania is trending upwards, confirming our last article in which we mentioned that it was the best value for money pick in the second semi-final. Albania’s qualification is showing a drop in all betting companies, “closing the gap” with the leading countries. Albanian qualification is being played at 2.5.

Finally, Iceland, Romania and San Marino have significantly less chance of qualifying after the first two rehearsals, with bookers largely taking it for granted that they will be eliminated from the continuation of the 67th Eurovision Song Contest.

The situation is wide open regarding the chances of winning the second semi-final, with Austria having the edge, although five countries are being played at odds of less than 10 for a win. Austria, Australia, Armenia, Slovenia and Cyprus are expected to battle it out to win the second semi-final, with Australia and Slovenia being the winners of the rehearsals, dropping their odds significantly. Maximum odds offered for Austria are 2.5, Australia 6, Armenia, Slovenia and Cyprus 11.

Which countries do you think will qualify for next Saturday’s grand final and “complete the puzzle” of the 26 finalists?

Eurovision 2023: Watch the exclusive rehearsal footage from the remaining Semi Final 2 acts’ second rehearsals!

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The preparations on Liverpool for the 67th Eurovision Song Contest are on fire and it’s now a wrap for the 6th day of the technical rehearsals. After their first technical rehearsals, the representatives of the 11 remaining acts participating in the 2nd Semifinal on May 11, took the stage of the M&S Bank Arena for their second rehearsals.

About the first 5 countries from SemiFinal 2 that had their second rehearsals yesterday:

Eurovision 2023: Watch the exclusive rehearsal footage from today’s second rehearsals!

The second rehearsals gave the opportunity to the delegations to fix any mistakes spotted on the first rehearsals and help the artists feel more safe and familiar with the Eurovision big stage.

Because accredited journalists are not allowed to watch both the first and second rehearsals this year, we have very little information about what this year’s artists have prepared for the Eurovision stage. EBU has just uploaded through the official Eurovision channel in YouTube a recap of today’s rehearsals. More specifically, we will have the chance to watch exclusive TV footage of today’s rehearsals.

The countries that had their second rehearsals today were the following:

  1. Cyprus
  2. Iceland
  3. Greece
  4. Poland
  5. Slovenia
  6. Georgia
  7. San Marino
  8. Austria
  9. Albania
  10. Lithuania
  11. Australia

You can watch the recap of today’s rehearsals below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9AP5DSA9tc

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Eurovision 2023: Iceland’s Second Rehearsal!

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The second act rehearsing for today is Iceland, represented by Diljá and her song “Power”.

Who is Diljá?

Diljá Pétursdóttir, better known simply as Diljá, was born in 2002 in Kópavogur in the Capital Region of Iceland. She first gained attention after competing in the second series of Ísland Got Talent in 2015. Off-stage, Diljá is a physiotherapy student and a committed CrossFit athlete. A self-proclaimed ‘Eurovision nerd’, it’s always been Diljá’s dream to represent her nation at the Contest.

The rehearsal

Unfortunately this year, accredited journalists don’t get the chance to watch the first and second rehearsals, so we only get the information and content that the organizers officially release to the public.

Diljá has huge stage presence and an infectious energy, and the biggest power she has is in that extraordinary voice. She’s dressed in silver, in the second rehearsal, she changed her earings.

Iceland Second Rehearsal 2

Sarah Louise Bennett / EBU

As we know from the previous rehearsal, she’s moving around a lot, covering the whole stage with high kicks and gymnastic moves – it’s a really compelling combination of vocal and physical strength, that feels like nothing else at Eurovision this year. We also haven’t seen a lot of drum ‘n’ bass at Eurovision over the years, and now we’d like more please.

CHLOE HASHEMI / EBU

Below you can watch a small clip from the Icelandic second rehearsal, once it’s published on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/F9AP5DSA9tc

The Dress Rehearsal for Iceland and the rest of Semi Final 2 will be held on the 10th of May.

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Source: eurovision.tv

Eurovision 2023: The Sixth Date’s rehearsal schedule!

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The big moment for all Eurofans has arrived. The wait has come to an end, as we are now in the most important days before the live shows. Rehearsals officially begun on Sunday for the 67th Eurovision Song Contest to be held in Liverpool, United Kingdom.

The rehearsals are divided into two phases; the first phase lasted three days, from Sunday 30/04 until Tuesday 02/05 and included the first rehearsals of all the countries taking part in the two semi-finals of the competition. The second phase will last from Wednesday 03/05 until tomorrow, Saturday 06/05 and includes the second rehearsals of the countries of the two semi-finals as well as the rehearsals of the countries competing directly in the Final, namely the Big 5 and last year’s winner Ukraine.

Last year’s changes in the way rehearsals are covered continue this year, as the Press Center opens on Monday after the first and second rehearsals, which means that the information we will have for the first week of the competition will come exclusively from the material to be provided by the EBU to the accredited journalists.

Program

The last eleven countries from the second semi-final will make their second appearance on stage at the M&S Bank Arena. These countries are:

  • Cyprus 11.30 – 11.50
  • Iceland 11.55 – 12.15
  • Greece 12.20 – 12.40
  • Poland 12.45 – 13.05
  • Slovenia 13.10 – 13.30
  • Georgia 14.40 – 15.10
  • San Marino 15.20 – 15.50
  • Austria 16.00 – 16.30
  • Albania 16.40 – 17.10
  • Lithuania 17.20 – 17.50
  • Australia 18.00 – 18.30

For everything new regarding these rehearsals, you will instantly be informed by Eurovisionfun!

From Monday 8/5, the press center opens normally for accredited journalists, who will have the opportunity to watch the general rehearsals before the live shows as was the case in previous years.

Eurovisionfun will of course be there to inform you about everything that happens at the M&S Bank Arena!

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Eurovision 2023: The bets after the fourth day of rehearsals!

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The favourite column of many of you is back, as the betting analysis for the 67th Eurovision Song Contest is back again.

With one week to go until the Eurovision 2023 semi-finals, we take a look at the betting companies’ odds regarding each country’s chances of winning this year’s contest.

Top 5

Largely unchanged remains the situation at the top of the betting tables, with Loreen and Sweden seen as the heavy favourites to win the 67th Eurovision Song Contest. Despite the fact that the rehearsal clips of the Swedish entry were flawed, especially compared to their Melodifestivalen performance, Sweden are still being played at odds of under 2.

Finland, who are one of the winners of the first days in Liverpool, have increased their chances of victory. Käärijä and “Cha Cha Cha” are steadily gaining ground, making them Loreen’s rival in this year’s contest. The lowest odds on the Finnish win are being played at 3.6, with most companies having dropped Finland’s odds below 3.

In third, fourth and fifth place the situation remains stable, with Ukraine, France and Spain rounding out the Top 5. As all three of them start their rehearsals at the Liverpool Arena today, we wait to see whether the view of the bookers who place them within the top five will change. Ukraine and France return up to 15 times the money of anyone who bets on them, while Spain return 17 times. In any case, the differences between them are infinitesimal.

Top 10

In the remaining five places in the top ten we find three countries that have already made their appearance on the stage of this year’s contest and two countries that are starting their rehearsals today ahead of the 67th Eurovision Song Contest.

In sixth place is Norway and in seventh place is Israel. Both are participating in the first semi-final, with their odds after yesterday’s release of the 30-second clip not particularly altering their odds of winning this year’s contest. Slightly worse odds for Norway who are now at 21, slightly better for Israel whose odds of victory for the explosive Noa Kirel have dropped to 26.

Stable remains Austria in eighth place, with their win odds having dropped at some companies, however Teya & Salina‘s win returns up to 41 times the stake at some companies. Ninth place goes to Italy and Marco Mengoni, with odds ranging between 26 and 51, while the top ten is completed by the UK at odds of 81.

First Semifinal

As part of this analysis, we will also take a first look at the odds of qualifying for the grand final. We start with the first semi-final, for which the participating countries have already finished their first two rehearsals on stage at the Liverpool Arena and will return on Monday for show rehearsals.

Six countries are considered a given to qualify, with Sweden, Finland, Norway, Israel, the Czech Republic and Moldova offered by bookers at odds of under 1.10. Significantly, the odds on the top four countries in particular return almost nothing to those who bet on them. For example, in the event that someone bets ten euros on their qualification, they will only make a profit of ten cents of a euro.

Serbia seems to be in a league of its own, being considered the seventh favourite to qualify for the grand final on 13 May. Luke Black’s qualification is offered at odds of around 1.30, with a clear distance between himself and both the leading and trailing countries.

A battle of four countries is expected for the remaining three spots leading to the grand final, according to betting companies. Croatia, Switzerland and Portugal appear to be in the best position, with the Netherlands currently seen as the eleventh favourite to qualify for the Eurovision 2023 grand final. Croatia is being played at 1.50, Switzerland at 1.53, Portugal at 1.57 and the Netherlands at 1.73. One understands that the differences between them are marginal and, therefore, qualification will be decided at the threshold.

The following countries, namely Malta, Latvia and Ireland, are considered less likely to qualify with their qualification odds being between 3 and 4, while Azerbaijan is by far in last place having the least chance of qualifying.

Second Semifinal

Regarding the second semi-final, things are even more difficult. Sixteen countries are participating in this semi-final, with twelve of them being played at odds of less than 2. It is understandable that bookers cannot easily come up with the top ten that will qualify for the final.

Austria, Australia, Cyprus and Armenia are seen by bookmakers as certain to qualify, with their qualification returning up to 1.1 times the stake. Largely similar is the case with Lithuania and Slovenia, who are being played at 1.20.

Seventh-placed Georgia is in a league of its own, with odds of between 1.25 and 1.29, with the possibility of qualification the most prevalent, while the same could be said for eighth-placed Belgium, which is being played at 1.35.

Rounding out the top ten are Poland and Denmark, who gained ground after the release of their first rehearsal snippet on TikTok. Both are being played at odds of less than 1.57.

Eleventh place Greece is being played at odds of between 1.40 and 1.83, though still within the top ten at some companies. Among the losers of the early rehearsals is Estonia, whose odds of qualifying for the grand final on 13 May have gone up. The maximum odds offered for qualification are the same as Greece’s, at 1.83.

Albania has a significant chance of qualifying, albeit less compared to the leading countries, and is one of the most Value for Money betting options for this semi-final. The only ethnic song in the semi-final is being played at odds between 2 and 2.63.

The bookies are also giving qualification odds to Iceland, which is being played at 3. On the other hand, the elimination of Romania and San Marino, whose qualification returns up to 8.5 times the stake, is almost taken for granted.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3vJfR81xO0

Do you think Loreen can make history in Liverpool in May, giving Sweden victory for the second time and equaling the historic record of the contest’s multiple winner, Ireland?