A few time ago, TRM, the public broadcaster of Moldova, commenced the submission period for their national final, Etapa Națională, through which they will select their representative for Eurovision 2024 in Malmö. Read more
It has already been two months since the 67th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool. 37 performers stepped on the stage of the M&S Bank Arena giving it all and representing their countries in the biggest song competition in the world, after months of intense preparations.
The impressive stage performances that they pulled off were first tried on the Eurovision stage a few days before their arrival through simulations, known as stand in rehearsals. Stand in rehearsals are usually executed by local artists and performers so all participants can know in advance the television result of the performances. On a later stage, they have the opportunity to ask for changes during the technical rehearsals executed by the representatives themselves.
A few days ago the stand-in rehearsals of Switzerland, Israel, Serbia, Portugal, Italy, Finland and Cyprus were leaked, as well as that of Austria.
A little while ago two more rehearsals were released and they are none other than those of Czechia and Moldova.
@eurovisionalert #foryou #eurovision #rehearsal ♬ originalljud – euroalert
@eurovisionalert #foryou #eurovision #rehearsal ♬ originalljud – euroalert
What do you think of the two stand-in rehearsals? Did you see any difference between this and the final performance?
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TRM, the national broadcaster of Moldova, has confirmed county’s participation in the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest in Sweden!
The confirmation of Moldova’s participation came through Daria Capatina, the head of the country’s delegation in the competition.
For the time being, no information has been given on how to choose to participate in Eurovision 2024. Traditionally, the country prefers the process of a national TV selection show.
This year Moldova was represented at Liverpool for the second time by Pasha Parfeni and the song “Soarele și luna” who ended up in the 18th place with 96 points at the Grand Final.
https://youtu.be/SABOfYgGk8M
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Source: ESCplus
As we informed you, Press Poll 2023 has begun. After all countries have had all technical rehearsals, it is now time for the accredited to vote for the country that believes she will be the winner of the 67th Eurovision Song Contest.
In the vote for the winner, Finland leads, Sweden is second, and Spain is third!
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With just under ten hours to go until the Eurovision 2023 Grand Final, your favourite column will present for one last time the betting odds for the 67th Eurovision Song Contest taking place in Liverpool.
Your favourite column will bring you everything that has changed since last night’s Jury Show, both in terms of the winning case and the countries within the Top 10.
We seem to be heading towards a deafening victory for Sweden, as the odds for a victory for the Scandinavian country have reached an all-time low during this year’s Eurovision season. The performance in the first semi-final has given Loreen a ‘winning edge’, with the Swedish victory being played at as low as 1.36 at some firms, with the maximum available odds being 1.53.
In second place, with a clear downward trend in some companies, is Finland. Käärijä and “Cha Cha Cha” are Loreen‘s rival in this year’s competition, with Finland‘s win odds now ranging between 3 and 3.75. The Finnish entry has bounced back in recent days, with its odds dropping, effectively becoming the only country that can threaten Sweden from its historic seventh win.
Alone in third place is Ukraine, whose maximum win odds have risen to 15. Israel has moved up to fourth with an odds of 34, now being the highest position it has been in betting-wise during this year’s Eurovision season. The top five is completed by Spain, together with France. Both Big 5 countries are both being played at a maximum odds of 41, having lost ground in recent days after.
In seventh place is Norway, which is offered at odds of 67. Significantly, Norway‘s win odds show a huge discrepancy, with the lowest at 12 and the highest at 67. In eighth place is the United Kingdom at the same odds as ninth place Italy, with their win options offered at odds of 101. Finally, Austria completes the top ten at 126 odds.
Of particular interest is one of the most popular markets for betting companies, that of entering the Top 10. Looking at the table below, it can be seen that bookers largely consider entry into the top 10 to be assured for a large proportion of the countries involved in the Grand Final.
Sweden and Finland are seen as the most certain to make the top 10, with bookers offering this particular option between 1.01 and 1.06. In other words, they consider a finish outside the top ten for the aforementioned countries to be an unrealistic scenario.
The same is largely true for Israel and Norway, whose finish inside the Top 10 is offered slightly higher between 1.10 and 1.18.
Quite good chances for another result inside the top ten, continuing the streak of the last few years, seem to be offered by Ukraine and Italy. Both playing between 1.30 and 1.36. Next, Spain and France are seen as the seventh and eighth most likely to occupy a spot within the top 10, being hand in hand as in the win odds. The presence of Spain and France in the Top 10 is being played at 1.44.
Armenia are also among the big favourites to take a place within the Top 10. Brunette and “Future Lover” are the latest country to be offered at odds below double, with Armenia‘s entry into the Top 10 being played between 1.40 and 1.67. If the bookers are correct, it will be the country’s best result since 2016.
A big battle is expected for the final spot in the Top 10; with bookmakers believing that four countries have high enough odds to place within the top 10. Belgium, Austria, Croatia and the Czech Republic return just under 3 times the stake of anyone betting on their presence in the Top 10.
Particularly value for money for those who like high odds is also Slovenia, who made an impression in Thursday’s second semi-final. Slovenia‘s entry into the Top 10 quadruples the stakes.
We are only a few hours away from the big winner of Eurovision 2023 and the truth is that Sweden is considered by the bookers as the most likely to win. Throughout Eurovision 2023, the Swedes have taken the lead and they won’t let it go until the end, with Finland lurking until the last minute claiming their own chances of winning. It remains to be seen whether the predictions will be confirmed this year as well.
As for the rest of the countries, places 3-7 are very close, while for the last Top 10 places the odds keep changing. One thing is for sure, everything can change and the bets are nothing but a reflection of the players’ trends at the betting companies.
The moment that every Eurofan waited for is finally here! The 67th Eurovision Song Contest officially comes to an end tonight, as the Grand Final takes place tonight, live from Liverpool!
The twentysix remaining countries will take part in tonight’s show, but only one will be the winner of Eurovision 2023.
The hosts of this evening will be Julia Sanina from The Hardkiss, Hannah Waddingham, Alesha Dixon and Graham Norton.
The 26 finalists of this year’s Grand Final are:
1. 
Austria | Teya & Salena – Who The Hell Is Edgar?
2. 
Portugal | Mimicat – Ai Coração
3. 
Switzerland | Remo Forrer – Watergun
4. 
Poland | Blanka – Solo
5. 
Serbia | Luke Black – Samo Mi Se Spava
6. 
France: La Zarra – Évidemment
7. 
Cyprus | Andrew Lambrou – Break A Broken Heart
8. 
Spain: Blanca Paloma – Eaea
9. 
Sweden | Loreen – Tattoo
10. 
Albania | Albina & Familja Kelmendi – Duje
11. 
Italy | Marco Mengoni – Due Vite
12. 
Estonia | Alika – Bridges
13. 
Finland | Käärijä – Cha Cha Cha
14. 
Czechia | Vesna – My Sister’s Crown
15. 
Australia | Voyager – Promise
16. 
Belgium | Gustaph – Because Of You
17. 
Armenia | Brunette – Future Lover
18. 
Moldova | Pasha Parfeni – Soarele şi Luna
19. 
Ukraine | TVORCHI – Heart of Steel
20. 
Norway | Alessandra – Queen of Kings
21. 
Germany | Lord of the Lost – Blood & Glitter
22. 
Lithuania | Monika Linkytė – Stay
23. 
Israel | Noa Kirel – Unicorn
24. 
Slovenia | Joker Out – Carpe Diem
25. 
Croatia | Let 3 – Mama ŠČ!
26. 
United Kingdom | Mae Muller – I Wrote A Song
Apart from the 26 countries taking part, some non-participating countries around the world can vote, as there is a new category that can vote, in the Rest Of The World.
The Grand Final will be broadcasted on 21:00 CET and you can watch it live from your country’s public broadcaster, or from the livestream on the official Eurovision YouTube channel:
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After the Semi-Finals of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, the contestants that got the golden ticket are ready for the Grand Final tomorrow at 21.00 CET. 50% of the Grand Final result will be determined tonight, in the Final Jury Rehearsal that has just started and will be evaluated by the national juries of the 38 participating countries.
Earlier today we saw the Dress Rehearsal and you can read our commentary here.
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 Grand Final tomorrow May 13th.
The contest begins with an introductory video featuring the Kalush Orchestra singing the winning song “Stefania” in the Kyiv subway, while Sam Ryder is featured playing guitar. We actually listen to a remix of “Stefania” with lyrics in English as well. Then we move to the M&S Bank Arena stage where the Kalush Orchestra are now singing live.
Next comes the flag parade, during which Go_A (Ukraine 2020-2021), Jamala (Ukraine 2016), Tina Karol (Ukraine 2006) and Verka Serduchka (Ukraine 2007) perform.
After the flag parade, the 4 presenters present themselves and welcome us. A very interesting addition is the display of the ranking of the countries with the most wins in the competition and the show begins!
The Eurovision party starts with a fun and sleek performance from the Austrian female duo. Teya and Salena give one of their best performances, in terms of vocals and energy, that could be appreciated by juries. A great opening act but maybe performing so soon will reduce their chances for a top-10 result.
Mimicat was lucky to qualify, but unlucky to take the 2nd spot in the running order. Nevertheless, she manages to fill the stage with her great vocals, tamperament and sassy choreography. A decent entry that will probably struggle to avoid the last places of the scoreboard.
Remo Forrer sings his contemporary ballad “Watergun” as good as always. Perhaps he doesn’t give all the energy he could tonight, but his pitch perfect vocals and professional staging will surely boost his jury score a lot. However, I doubt the televoters will remember this performance once the show is over, so his televote could be very low.
The big surprise of this year’s contest, Blanka from Poland, that earned her place in the Grand Final, delivers a decent performance of her summer bop, that the tv audience will surely enjoy tomorrow. The juries on the other hand, could rank it much lower, due to the singer’s limited vocal abilities and to the fact that “Solo” is a very repetitive song.
Luke Black is yet another singer with limited charisma and vocal abilities that could struggle to gather votes from the juries. However, Serbia has managed to hide the performer’s disadvantages, creating a memorable energetic show with clever graphics and camera cuts. Luke doesn’t have the best spot in the running order but could get a decent televote score tomorrow.
La Zarra is the first of the big favourites to appear in the Grand Final with a performance that oozes French class. Vocally she’s good but certainly not great, with the backing vocals sometimes overpowering her. She manages to hit the high note! An entry that will probably do well enough with both juries and televoters, but hasn’t reached its full potential and could miss out on the top spots.
Andrew delivers a very good performance of his power ballad “Break A Broken Heart”. It wasn’t his best time vocally and the backing vocals overpowered him at times but overall a great “package”, that could sadly underperform due to it’s unfavorable spot in the running order, between many favorites.
Up next, one of the most artistic and engaging acts of the entire show by Blanca Paloma. Vocally and visually stunning, the juries should reward Blanca with many points. The televote result, on the other hand, remains a big mystery, especially as Spain appears right before the absolute favorite of Eurovision 2023.
First Break
It’s time for the big favorite, Loreen from Sweden, performing her hit-single Tattoo, that is already charting all over Europe. The camera angles, lighting and colors have been perfected, making the act as impressive as it was in Melodifestivalen. Loreen’s vocals are amazing and she owns the stage more than ever. The shot with the “tattoos” on the led screen during the bridge is finally caught by the camera! It will be a big surprise if Sweden doesn’t win the jury vote in a landslide and the contest overall.
The Albanian family defined all odds and qualified to the Grand Final! A big success already, no matter what place they reach in the Final, Albanians can be proud as this is a very professional act. Tonight we see some different camera work in the beginning, improving the show even further.
Marco Mengoni is back in his sparkly silver top and leather pants. His vocals are very strong, as always, and we can see more shots of the dancers in the background. It would help if Marco connected with the camera a bit more, but Italy will surely get a great result, continuing their top 10 streak.
Yet another act that wasn’t a certain qualifier but managed to get through thanks to a professional performance. Alika is pitch perfect once again and sings her ballad beautifully but being squeezed between many favorites means she will probably finish in the last spots of the scoreboard.
The second favorite of this year’s contest, Kaarija from Finland, gives us a great fun performance, together with his “Cha Cha Cha” dancers. Kaarija doesn’t have the best vocals and sounds tired by the end of the act but the entire arena parties with him. He ends his crazy show saying his catchphrase “it’s crazy, it’s party” and he will definetely get a huge televote score tomorrow. His jury score however will probably be significantly lower.
Vesna, the Slavic “sisters”, proved that they are more than capable performers, crafting a great and meaningful show on the Eurovision stage. Maybe not perfect vocally but still strong, this remains one of the most unique songs of the contest. Performing right after a “televote magnet” however could hurt their chances.
Next up on stage, the progressive metal band from Australia, Voyager. Their lead singer is one of the most consistent and obviously experienced performers of the contest. It is no surprise that they deliver yet another excellent live vocally and staging wise. It remains to be seen how juries and televoters will react to this song.
Gustaph, considered as sure non-qualifier when first selected, managed to turn the table around and qualify to the Grand Final as a sure qualifier. The crowd goes grazy for his 90s inspired dance track, his impeccable vocals and voguing dancer. An act that surprisinly stands out and could manage to crack the top-15 tomorrow, gathering points from both juries and televoters!
Second Break
Brunette managed to define statistics and qualify from the 2nd spot of the Semi-Final, delivering one of, if not the best performance. Tonight she gave her best live so far! Beautiful vocals, clever staging and a captivating dance break that should give Armenia their best result since 2016, especially if juries respond to it.
Up next, an entry that stands out with its ethnic-techno vibes. A good performance by Pasha, made memorable by the clever staging with the flute-playing dwarf and backing dancers-singers. Moldova is hoping to receive a strong televote result, as usual, but the juries probably wont’t rank this very high.
Last year’s winning country returns with a modern and sleek entry. Tvorchi give a good performance, perhaps not their best vocally but overall this is a strong package that should be respected by juries and could get a very big televote.
Alessandra starts her act more confident than ever. However, it seems there is some audio issue as a strong echo can be heard. In the second verse she’s a bit off vocally. Thankfully, the talented performers overcomes the problems and finishes the performance with lots of energy and a succesfull, but maybe flat, whistle note. The televoters will surely love this but will the juries respond as much? It remains to be seen.
Lord of The Lost, the second rock band of this Eurovision edition, are also vocally on point and impress with their effortless energy that the Liverpool audience certainly enjoys. This should hopefully be enough for Germany to at least avoid last place for the first time after a few years.
Monika Linkyte and her backing singers give us yet another great performance. Even if she lost her breat once and asked the audience to sing, that was a very impressive live that should be rewared by juries and will definetely get televote points tomorrow, at least from the Lithuanian diaspora.
Noa Kirel, the Israeli superstar, commands the stage, looking and sounding better than ever. An amazing MTV-awards-level show that will surely impress both juries and tv viewers and land in a high spot tomorrow night.
Joker Out, the charismatic band from Slovenia that managed to bring their country back to the Grand Final, deliver yet another energetic concert-like show, that gets the crowd going. Performing late in the Final could give Slovenia their best result in years.
In the very favorable penultimate spot of the Grand Final, we see the most bizarre act of the year. You either love it or hate it but you can certainly not forget it. Could Croatia be the biggest surprise of the year getting a huge televote tomorrow night! I would’t be surprised!
Mae Muller has sadly proven that she is the weakest performer of the year. A colorful finish to the show, drowned in pre-recorded backing backing vocals and subpar singing from the British representative. This would definetely be more entertaining in mute, meaning the UK is returning to the bottom of the scoreboard.
The interval acts start with Sam Ryder. “Liverpool Song Book” follows.
First up is Mahmood (Italy 2019 and 2022), who performs “Imagine” by John Lehnon, whose birthplace was Liverpool. Next is Netta (Israel 2018) singing “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)”. Then, Daði Freyr (Iceland 2020 and 2021) with “Whole Again” and Cornelia Jakobs (Sweden 2022) with “I Turn to You”. Last, Sonia (United Kingdom 1993) sings 30 years after her participation “Better the Devil You Know” and also Duncan Laurence (Netherlands 2019). In some moments we also see Ruslana from Ukraine. The common denominator of all these appearances is the city of Liverpool. Very moving interval act.
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After the Semi-Finals of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, the contestants that got the golden ticket to the Grand Final are ready for their Dress Rehearsal.
EurovisionFun will be watching all the 26 countries competing and will serve you feedback and opinions of the show.
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 Grand Final tomorrow May 13th, at 21:00 CEST.
The contest begins with an introductory video featuring the Kalush Orchestra singing the winning song “Stefania” in the Kyiv subway, while Sam Ryder is featured playing guitar. We actually listen to a remix of “Stefania” with lyrics in English as well. Then we move to the M&S Bank Arena stage where the Kalush Orchestra are now singing live.
Next comes the flag parade, during which Go_A (Ukraine 2020-2021), Jamala (Ukraine 2016), Tina Karol (Ukraine 2006) and Verka Serduchka (Ukraine 2007) perform.
We also had a second run of the flag parade due to Jamala’s unnatural appearance in the first run.
After the flag parade, the 4 presenters present themselves and welcome us. A very interesting addition is the display of the ranking of the countries with the most wins in the competition and the show begins!
First on stage are Teya & Salena. Overall a very good performance, without any change from what we saw yesterday. Personally, I find them a bit sloppy for this particular song. It’s undoubtedly a great opening entry for Saturday’s Grand Final, though, even if that reduces the chances of a very good placing in the voting and may be forgotten in the flow of the show.
Portugal is a country that made a surprise and got the ticket to the Grand Final. Mimicat’s weapons are her incredible temperament and vocal abilities. The order of appearance, however, certainly doesn’t help Mimicat and perhaps speaks to her narrowly missed Final. Portugal will probably be ranked very low tomorrow night!
Another vocally solid performance from Remo Forrer with a purely professional and contemporary approach to a dynamic ballad. However, it’s not the most interesting song in this year’s competition, and the order of appearance certainly doesn’t help. This in relation to the public vote, because the juries’ support for Switzerland’s participation is a given, due to the exceptional vocal abilities of the singer, as well as the jury-friendly genre of the song.
That’s how you turn a weakness to power! Despite all the hate she got, bejba managed to qualify to the Grand Final! Today’s performance was nothing different from what we have already seen, but being a rehearsal we had the opportunity to see Blanka without make-up! I don’t know what will be the fate of participating in the competition, but Blanka will definitely be one of our winners of Eurovision 2023.
Another very nice performance from Luke Black. The video game graphics add a very nice touch to the look. Doubtful, of course, his fate in the final situation!
Perhaps La Zarra’s best vocal appearance. With the air of a French diva, she marches into the final and everything suggests that France will be placed very high in the ranking table.
Very strong performance from Andrew Lambrou. Although it was a rehearsal, he was vocally perfect, while the LED graphics blend very well with the song and make the whole look impressive.
Blanca Paloma has powerful vocals. Powerful! Spain’s stage appearance is similar to that of Benidorm Fest. Red dominates and there is a lot of smoke. Juries will love it, televoting hardly.
This is followed by a break with a Junior Eurovision-related video.
It’s time for the odds’ favourite with more than 50% winning chance, Sweden. Loreen serves vocals, as always and the performance is the same to what we have seen. Great camera angles hiding the ”disadvantage” of having much smaller led screens than in national selection performance.
Albania was the outsider for qualification from semi-final 2, being 13th at the odds before the rehearsals. As in Poland, once again we get the chance to see the singers without make-up! Very powerful performance, showing in a great way the connection of the family.
Similar performance to Sanremo, but there is an addition of a staircase prop with 2 dancers. Marco Mengoni is vocally perfect and emotional. Juries will love this.
Alika suprisingly managed to reached to the Grand Final, even though her song is not that televote-friendly. She is rehearsing without make-up and she seems to holding strength for the juries tonight!
The only entry that can ”fight” Sweden for the win. An energetic performance, hoping to get as much as televoting support to reach the trophy. Not sure if the juries will appreciate this tonight.
A song with a strong message! The singers, without make-up, seem to be holding back and not giving their 100%. The juries tonight will appreciate this, but also the televote from the slavic countries will support this entry a lot! A top 10 performance.
Uplifting performance from Australia and Voyager. Not much differences from what we have already seen. A powerful and memorable performance, there is no way the audience won’t remember this after the show. Not sure how massive the televoting support will be, as Australia is usually not getting much support from the audience. Also, not sure if the juries will give this many points.
Gustaph, considered as sure non-qualifier when first selected, managed to turn the table around and qualify to the Grand Final as a sure qualifier. A rehearsal with improvisations to the singing and dancing. Potential Top 10 at televoting, and could also do very well at juries!
Brunette with the suprise dance-break is next on the stage. Could be better vocally, but Brunette undoubtedly has one of the best stagings this year. A big question mark how the televote and juries are going to react to this entry. Deserves a top 10, though
Definitely a memorable entry! Folk is greatly represented by the flute. The dwarf will help Moldova get many televoting points. Predicting a Top 10 at televoting, but don’t think that the juries will go for it.
Time for the co-host country to rehearse. This song with ”The Weeknd” vibe would get a great result, even if it was sung by another country. Great use of the LED screens and the singer seems to be holding back. There is no doubt Ukraine won’t get the Top 5 result, especially in the televoting.
The entry that got viral on Tik Tok and will likely get a massive televoting score. Alessandra is not vocally perfect and underwhelming, hoping to see her more energetic tomorrow. Predicting a low Top 10
A shock performance and not because of the staging or the song, but the lead singers’ clothes. He is not wearing the typical costume, but a black sleeveless, a pants with a cat over his black and white trousers and sunglasses.
Even though it is a rehearsal, Monika is vocally excellent. She is without make-up and seems to enjoying the rehearsal. Juries will love this song, but would not be surprised with a bottom 5 in televoting.
Noa Kirel is a goddess and could do the surprise at televoting tomorrow. Vocally, she is quite unstable, but she is definitely delivers a great show, that is going to be appreciated at the Grand Final tomorrow.
A performance full of energy! Joker Out know how to rouse the audience. The lead singer is vocally great and give an uplifting number. Could get a suprise result tomorrow.
Even though the lead singer was ill, it isn’t obvious in this performance. Not a flattering entry for Croatia, but will get the country’s best result in years. The juries won’t give it much points, but the televoting will go for it.
Last but not least, Mae Muller comes on stage for her rehearsal. The worst vocal performance today, but she gives a great and colourful show! Predicting below 20th place.
The interval acts start with Sam Ryder.
Later, “Liverpool Song Book” follows.
First up is Mahmood (Italy 2019 and 2022), who performs “Imagine” by John Lehnon, whose birthplace was Liverpool. Next is Netta (Israel 2018) singing “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)”. Then, Daði Freyr (Iceland 2020 and 2021) with “Whole Again” and Cornelia Jakobs (Sweden 2022) with “I Turn to You”. Last, Sonia (United Kingdom 1993) sings after 30 years her participation “Better the Devil You Know” and also Duncan Laurence (Netherlands 2019). In some moments we also see Ruslana from Ukraine. The common denominator of all these appearances is the city of Liverpool. Very moving interval act.
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The first semi-final has just finished, with the first ten finalists being Croatia, Moldova, Switzerland, Finland, Czechia, Israel, Portugal, Sweden, Serbia and Norway
Before the press conference that is currently taking place these ten countries chose the half in which they will appear in the Grand Final on Saturday.
This is the half each qualifier drew:
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The family show of the Eurovision 2023 First Semi Final has just started and the the Liverpool Arena is filled with eurofans! Like every year, the evening before each live show, a more financially convenient show for families, identical to the live one, takes place. EurovisionFun will be watching all the shows live both at the on-site press centre in Liverpool and at the online press centre and will be commenting on the full performances of the 15 participating countries, as well as Germany, France and Italy.
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 today May 9th, at 21:00 CEST.
The show opens with a video of a young Liverpudlian boy traveling across the city telling his family, friends, neighbours (and some special guests!) that Eurovision is in Liverpool. The young boy dances yogether with a young girl on the Eurovision stage.
Julia Sanina performs “Mayak” by The Hardkiss. Translating from the Ukrainian for Lighthouse, the performance: “symbolises in many ways how the UK is United by Music with Ukraine through the hosting the 2023 Contest on behalf of the 2022 winners.”
Spice Girl Mel C‘ voice introduces to the stage the hosts of the contest to viewers across the globe. The hosts of the show are the female trio of superstars Julia Sanina of The Hardkiss, Hannah Waddingham, and Alesha Dixon.
Alessandra Mele is the chosen one that starts the show of the First Semi-Final, with a very energetic show. It has a quite dark energy, while there are not many changes from the MGP. She was vocally good but not perfect, though she is certain to finish in the top 5 of the Semi-Final.
The Busker, performing in the unlucky 2nd position, give us a slightly updated version of their MESC performance, with almost identical camera cuts and transitions. A fun and colorful number that will probably struggle to make it to the Final.
Luke is initially laying on a white flower at the intro of the song. Definitely a dark performance, while his vocal capabilities are amazing and it shows. The dystopian-alternate reality-trapped in a video game show of Luke is definitely going to be appreciated in the Grand Final too.
A flawless performance from Sudden Lights once again. The staging that the Latvian delegation created, is absolutely beautiful and fitting for the song. It’s atmospheric and warm. It’s such a shame if the incredible musicianship and the sweet song of the Latvian rockers won’t be appreciated.
First Break
Alesha Dixon chats with young local children and raps a small improvised song about Eurovision.
Mimicat serves us a bourlesque performance with flawless vocals and undeniable charisma. She and her dancers are all clothed in red, the color of passion and love. The performance is definitely energetic, but this is not a guaranteed qualifier in the Grand Final.
The performance is bathed in a golden light, but unfortunately it is not going to change Wild Youth’s fate reagrding qualification in the Grand Final. Vocally, the singer is really weak, avoids to sing parts of the song and looks uncomfortable at times. I can’t imagine Ireland qualifying this year.
The wildest performance yet! It is full of weird sounds, psychedelic leds and clever “SC” on screen graphics that definetely stands out. The fact that the results of the Semi Final are 100% televote should help Let 3 make it to the Grand Final.
Here we have another dark act, this time by Switzerland. Remo Forrer is a great performer with broad vocal capabilites, while he is being accompanied by some dancers. The performance is beautiful and atmospheric, “Watergun” has definitely have some chances for qualification in the final.
Noa starts her performance inside her rectangular prop and is then joined by her dancers. She is vocally good, but not perfect of anything. Her camera angles are nice but could support the song a little better. Without a doubt, Israel is qualifying and is finishing in the top 5 or maybe in the top 3 of the Semi-Final.
Pasha is telling his folk tale about marriage under the moon in the most tribalistic way possible. Vocally he is great and is serving an energetic performance bathed in warm red light. Moldova is easily qualifying in the Grand Final once again.
Second Break
Eurovision 2023’is big favourite proves itself once again. Loreen is a vocal powerhouse and the staging is stunning, while not better than Melodifestivalen. It’s not a question that Sweden is flying in the Grand Final, and Loreen is most probably making the second double win in the history of the contest. Do you believe that Sweden is getting it’s seventh win?
The twin brothers from Azerbaijan are inspired by The Beatles and it shows. We have a sweet performance that starts in black and white, then gets back in color. Unfortunately there is no chance of qualifying for Azerbaijan this year, because this act is not strong enough to get voted compared to others.
Vesna have worked hard compared to their pre-party performances. They are dressed in pink and are vocally great, that’s why they won’t only fly in the final, but have very serious chances for finishing in the top 5 or the top 3 of the Semi-Final as well.
Break, about dancing
A very atmospheric and quite performance from Mia Nicolai and Dion Cooper. They are a vocally great, while they stand out due to their beautiful simplicity as well as because of the fact that they are only duet. The Netherlands have some serious chances of qualifying, while it’s not guaranteed.
And here we have the craziest closure possible for the First Semi-Final! We most probably have the Televote winner of not only the First Semi-Final but of the entire contest as well. Käärijä is nowhere near a vocal powerhouse, in fact he is very weak vocally, but the performance is not intended to be vocally-dependent anyway. It’s meant to be crazy, energetic and colorful!
Song recap
Wordwide superstar Rita Ora performs a medley of her hits, as well as a world premiere of ‘Praising You’. Alyosha (Ukraine 2010) and Rebecca Fergusson perform together a cover of “Ordinary World”.
Sweden
Finland
Norway
Israel
Moldova
Serbia
Czechia
Netherlands
Switzerland
Portugal
Croatia
Malta
Latvia
Azerbaijan
Ireland
La Zarra stands on a huge platform that is covered by a sparkling dress. The dress falls and revelas that the top of the platform looks like a discoball, sending light everywhere in the arena. The performance has great camera cuts and vocals. Near the end, the French flag appears in the background lights and a huge curtain of fireworks falls from the ceiling.
Lord of the Lost deliver a professional show full of energy, very similar to their performance in the national final. The singer is vocally amazing and the song finishes with lots of pyro. Germany should avoid the last places in the Grand Final.
Marco wears a sparkly shirt and leather pants. Two dancers are behind him on a staircase, falling on a trampoline, in front of the eclipsed moon. However throughout the performance the focus remains on him and his impreccable vocals. A very touching entry that could do better than expected.
Martin Osterdahl executive producer of Eurovision Song Contest 2022, declares that he is happy to see that we now have a valid result!
Here we have a big change, as the 15 competing acts stand on stage, without their delegations, waiting for the result. The camera shows them one by one, as the presenters announce the qualifiers. After the first 5 qualifiers are announced, Alesha interviews them backstage and then we learn the 5 remaining qualifiers.
The ten countries that (virtually) qualify to the finals for the purposes of the rehearsal were the following:
Croatia, Moldova, Portugal, Serbia, The Netherlands, Norway, Latvia, Finland, Switzerland, Czechia
Closing the televised show, we will get to watch a recap of the ten finalist songs.
You can watch our live reaction from the Family Show of the First Semi-Final at our YouTube channel:
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