Eurovision 2023: Family Show of the 1st Semi Final – Live Commentary! (Updated Live)

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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

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.

The Competing Countries – LIVE COMMENTARY

Norway: Alessandra – Queen of Kings

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.

Malta: The Busker – Dance (Our Own Party)

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.

Serbia: Luke Black – Samo Mi Se Spava

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.

Latvia: Sudden Lights – Aijā

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.

Portugal: Mimicat – Ai Coração

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.

Ireland: Wild Youth – We Are One

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.

Croatia: Let 3 – Mama ŠČ!

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.

Switzerland: Remo Forrer – Watergun

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.

Israel: Noa Kirel – Unicorn

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.

Moldova: Pasha Parfeni – Soarele şi Luna

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

Sweden: Loreen – Tattoo

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?

Azerbaijan: TuralTuranX – Tell Me More

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.

Czechia: Vesna – My Sister’s Crown

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

Netherlands: Mia Nicolai & Dion Cooper – Burning Daylight

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.

Finland: Käärijä – Cha Cha Cha

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

Interval Act

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”.

Certain Qualifiers

Sweden

Finland

Norway

Israel

Moldova

Serbia

Czechia

Borderline Qualifiers

Netherlands

Switzerland

Portugal

Croatia

Non Qualifiers

Malta

Latvia

Azerbaijan

Ireland

BIG 5 Performances

France: La Zarra – Évidemment

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.

Germany: Lord of The Lost – Blood & Glitter

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.

Italy: Marco Mengoni – Due Vite

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.

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!

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:

Follow us on all social media, so you do not miss a thing of what will happen in Liverpool:

Stay tuned at Eurovisionfun for all the latest news regarding the the 67th Eurovision Song Contest, that is held in Liverpool!

Eurovision 2023: The bets before the first semi-final!

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We are just a few hours away from the first Eurovision 2023 semi-final and the betting tables are on fire, with the odds constantly changing.

Your favourite column will bring you everything that has changed in the last few days, both in terms of the case-win, and in terms of qualifying from tonight’s show to Saturday’s final.

Top 10

New shuffles occurred yesterday after the first and second Dress Rehearsal on the betting tables. Nevertheless, one thing remained and will remain constant: Sweden is the heavy favourite to win the 67th Eurovision Song Contest. The Swedish victory is being played at some bookmakers at under 1.60, with the maximum available odds being 1.75.

In second place, with a slight downward trend at some companies, is Finland. Käärijä and “Cha Cha Cha” are Loreen‘s rival in this year’s contest, with Finland’s win odds ranging between 2.75 and 3.75.

Ukraine and France are in third and fourth place, with similar odds. The maximum odds on offer for both countries to win return up to 15 times the stake of anyone who believes in them. The top five is rounded off by Spain, whose odds to win range between 7 and 21.

Sixth place Norway is played at 26, seventh place Israel at 34, eighth place Italy at 56, ninth place United Kingdom at 61, and tenth place Austria at 56. It is worth noting that when one observes the betting tables, one can see that with the exception of Sweden, all the countries in the top ten are trending downwards, with their win odds going up.

1st Semifinal

As we mentioned at the beginning of the article, today’s article will also deal with the chances of the countries in the first semi-final, according to the bookers.

Looking at the betting tables of the first semi-final, the bookmakers almost take the qualification of 5+1 countries for granted. Sweden, Finland, Israel, Norway and the Czech Republic are the firm favourites to qualify today, with the odds of qualification not exceeding 1.05. Moldova are also largely assured of a place in the final and are being offered slightly higher at around 1.10.

Beyond that, Serbia seem to be in a league of their own as they are seen as the seventh favourite to qualify for the grand final on May 13. Luke Black‘s qualification is offered at odds of around 1.30, with a clear distance between 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. Portugal, Switzerland, Croatia and the Netherlands have their own very high chances of qualifying, with Portugal being played between 1.33 and 1.44, Switzerland between 1.29 and 1.44, Croatia between 1.4 and 1.5 and the Netherlands between 1.53 and 1.8. 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. In particular, Latvia‘s odds, which are trending downwards, might be the value for money option of the day for those who like to bet on high odds.

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 1.3 and 1.53. 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, which is being offered at odds between 2.5 and 3.5, 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. Norway, who are the third favourite, are being played at 26, Israel at 34, as is the Czech Republic.

Which countries do you think will qualify from the first semi-final to Saturday’s grand final?

Eurovision 2023: First Semi-Final takes place tonight!

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The moment that every Eurofan waited for is finally here! The 67th Eurovision Song Contest officially begins today, with the First Semi-Final taking place live from Liverpool!

Fifteen countries will take part in tonight’s show, with ten of them qualifying to the Grand Final of Saturday, where the winner of Eurovision 2023 will be decided.

The hosts of this evening will be Julia Sanina from The Hardkiss, Hannah Waddingham and Alesha Dixon.

The 15 countries that take part in tonight’s first semi-final are:

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01 🇳🇴 Norway Alessandra “Queen of Kings“
02 🇲🇹 Malta The Busker “Dance (Our Own Party)“
03 🇷🇸 Serbia Luke Black “Samo Mi Se Spava“
04 🇱🇻 Latvia Sudden Lights “Aijā“
05 🇵🇹 Portugal Mimicat “Ai Coração“
06 🇮🇪 Ireland Wild Youth “We Are One“
07 🇭🇷 Croatia Let 3 “Mama ŠČ“
08 🇨🇭 Switzerland Remo Forrer “Watergun“
09 🇮🇱 Israel Noa Kirel “Unicorn“
10 🇲🇩 Moldova Pasha Parfeni “Soarele și Luna“
11 🇸🇪 Sweden Loreen “Tattoo“
12 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan ΤuralTuranX “Tell Me More“
13 🇨🇿 Czechia Vesna “My Sister’s Crown“
14 🇳🇱 Netherlands Mia Nicolai & Dion Cooper “Burning Daylight“
15 🇫🇮 Finland Käärijä “Cha Cha Cha“

Apart from the 15 countries taking part, Germany, Italy and France also have the right to vote in the Semi-Final as part of the BIG 5. In addition, there is a new category that can vote in both Semi-Finals, Rest Of The World.

The first semi-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:

Follow us on all social media, so you do not miss a moment of what will happen in Liverpool:

Stay tuned at Eurovisionfun for all the latest developments regarding the the 67th Eurovision Song Contest, that is held in Liverpool!

Eurovision 2023: “Jury” Rehearsal of the 1st Semi Final – Live Commentary! (Updated Live)

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The “jury” rehearsal of the Eurovision 2023 First 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.

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 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.

The Competing Countries – LIVE COMMENTARY

Norway: Alessandra – Queen of Kings

The jury rehearsal starts with an energetic show by Alessandra. The young singer looks confident and sounds great, with the exeption of small vocal instabilities. She nails the whistle note as usual but right after it, it seems she loses her breath a bit as she “talks” a few phrases instead of singing. A minor problem that she handled well. Norway will probably finish top-5 in the semi.

Malta: The Busker – Dance (Our Own Party)

Next up, a quirky, colorful fun but also a bit awkward and messy performance from The Busker, that gets the crowd cheering! Big applause in the Liverpool Arena but I doubt this will translate to many televote points for the small island nation.

Serbia: Luke Black – Samo Mi Se Spava

Luke Black looks more comfortable than ever, performing his unique number, full of strobing lights, clever camera cuts and video game referances. The crowd absolutely loves the crazy show he puts on, making sure that Serbia is sailing to the Grand Final.

Latvia: Sudden Lights – Aijā

The Latvian band manages to create a unique atmosphere on the Eurovision stage with their beautiful lightshow and masterful vocal performance. Definetely an entry that will be hurt by the absence of juries in the semi finals, as their qualification based on the televote alone seems very doubtful.

First Break

Portugal: Mimicat – Ai Coração

Mimicat is very much improved vocally compared to her previous rehearsal today. She delivers loads of energy and sassy choreography, that is almost enough to fill the rather empty stage. Excellent performance but will Portugal qualify, based solely on the singer’s charisma? It remains to be seen but I’m leaning towards yes.

Ireland: Wild Youth – We Are One

It feels like Wild Youth are almost performing at home soil, as the Liverpool audience welcomes them with the warmest applause. Sadly, they deliver their worst performance so far, as the singer looks uncomfortable, avoids singing parts of the song and sounds very off, making Ireland a strong candidate for the last place of the Semi-Final.

Croatia: Let 3 – Mama ŠČ!

The infamous Croatian band give us yet another wacky show that you either love or hate, but can certainly not forget. Even though it’s completely crazy and off-putting, it’s executed very professionally in terms of staging and vocal performance. They will probably make it to Saturday’s final!

Switzerland: Remo Forrer – Watergun

Remo is perhaps not very charismatic but is the stronger male vocalist of the Semi Final and presents a very well crafted show, staged by Sacha Jean Baptiste, in her trademark red and black colors and quick camera cuts. The “fireworks” falling from the ceiling and the interpretive dancers give this a special feeling, making its qualification very likely, but not certain.

Israel: Noa Kirel – Unicorn

The Israeli superstar has improved vocally from her previous rehearsal and looks stunning as always. An extremely polished and impressive MTV-award show-like performance with intense choreography, but perhaps not fun or engaging enough to smash its competition in the Grand Final, where it will be for sure.

Moldova: Pasha Parfeni – Soarele şi Luna

Up next, a very engaging mystical performance from Eurovision returnee Pasha, who seems to experience some audio technical difficulties in the beginning but quickly overcomes them. The unique feeling of the entry, with the horn-wearing back-up dancers and singers and the flute-playing dwarf, as well as the charisma of the singer make Moldova’s qualification pretty much certain.

Second Break

Sweden: Loreen – Tattoo

The Eurovision legend herself, Loreen, delivers a winning performance. She and her expert swedish team have managed to create a show as good as the one in Melodifestivalen, perfecting the camera angles and colors, making sure it still feels grand, cinematic and epic. Vocally strong and emotional as ever, Loreen is ready to be crowned as the first woman who wins Eurovision twice.

Azerbaijan: TuralTuranX – Tell Me More

The Azeri twins give us another cute performance of their vintage sounding song, that is sweet but sadly very forgettable and gets lost among stronger entries. Their qualification looks impossible.

Czechia: Vesna – My Sister’s Crown

The “slavic sisters” are amazing on stage and vocally on point. They manage to convey the message of their multi-layered song, giving strong female-empowerment vibes and filling the stage with their presence. A song and staging that stands out and will lead Czechia to their second qualification in a row.

Netherlands: Mia Nicolai & Dion Cooper – Burning Daylight

The Dutch duo give an atmospheric performance of their ambient song that stands out with its simplicity but aren’t at their best vocally. They have improved from their pre-party lives but still struggle a bit to connect with each other and with the audience. It’s highly likely that the qualification streak of the Netherlands will break this year.

Finland: Käärijä – Cha Cha Cha

The unique Finish performer manages to make the crowd go crazy with his uplifting show, but struggles vocally and relies heavily on the pre-recorded backing vocals. The impactful fun energy will give him many televote points but the juries will probably punish his weak vocals, making his winning chances rather slim. Qualification of course is more than certain for Käärijä and his Cha Cha Cha dancers.

Interval Act

Alyosha (Ukraine 2010) and Rebecca Fergusson perform together a cover of “Ordinary World”. Wordwide superstar Rita Ora performs a medley of her hits, as well as a world premiere of ‘Praising You’.

Then a video with a good dose of British humour shows us the most characteristic Ukrainian and British entries. In the video the one and only Graham Norton does the voice over! Then a game starring Måns Zelmerlöw (Sweden 2015) and Filomena Cautela (Presenter in 2018) follows, where they try to guess if some earlier entries qualified for the Final or not.

Certain Qualifiers

Sweden

Finland

Norway

Israel

Moldova

Serbia

Czechia

Croatia

Borderline Qualifiers

Switzerland

Portugal

Netherlands

Non Qualifiers

Malta

Latvia

Azerbaijan

Ireland

BIG 5 Performances

France: La Zarra – Évidemment

This entry oozes class and French glamor, with La Zarra being more and more confident and improving vocally. Her dress reveal is very impressive, while the last minute of the act looks spectacular. A performance that the crowd certainly enjoyed.

Germany: Lord of The Lost – Blood & Glitter

The members of the glam rock German band are back in their characteristic shiny leather outfits. The lead singer is one of the most consistent, pitch-perfect performers of Eurovision 2023 and never fails to transfer the vibe of “Blood and Glitter”.

Italy: Marco Mengoni – Due Vite

The audience of the Liverpool Arena loves the talented and charismatic Italian singer, who delivers yet another wonderful performance of his emotional ballad wearing a sparkly top. In the backdrop, the full moon and two male dancers falling from a staircase to a trampoline and back up again, creating a nice atmosphere.

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!

In the previous rehearsal, we saw a different method of announcing the qualifiers, with the contestants being brought to the stage but this has been scrapped and we’re back to the original announcement segment in the green room.

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

Azerbaijan, Ireland, Swtzerland, Czechia, Malta, Israel, Netherlands, Croatia, Portugal and Norway

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Stay tuned at Eurovisionfun for all the latest developments regarding the the 67th Eurovision Song Contest, that is held in Liverpool!

Dress Rehearsals: Watch exclusive clips published by RTVE!

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Almost 24 hours before the First Semifinal of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, the Spanish broadcaster, RTVE, has published clips of the dress rehearsals through its official twitter account which you can watch below!

Norway

Malta

Serbia


Latvia

Portugal

Ireland

Croatia


Switzerland

Israel


Moldova

Sweden


Azerbaijan

Czechia

The Netherlands

Finland

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the latest developments regarding Eurovision 2023!

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Serbia: RTS announcement regarding the national mourning!

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“Although the days of national mourning are officially over, the sorrow is not yet over in Serbia”

Radio Television of Serbia, RTS, informs viewers that, exclusively due to contractual obligations with the EBU, it will broadcast the first and second semi-finals of the Eurovision Song Contest on Tuesday, May 9 and Thursday, May 11 on RTS3, a channel of less popularity.

The Serbian delegation in Liverpool shares the grief of the families of the tragic victims of the “Vladislav Ribnikar” primary school in Belgrade, as well as those from the Mladenovac and Smederevo districts, understanding the grief of all the people in Serbia.

The representative of Serbia, Luke Black, will dedicate his performance to all the victims of the above mentioned terrorist attacks.

Source: RTS

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the latest developments regarding Eurovision 2023!

Follow us on all social media, so you do not miss a moment of what will happen in Liverpool:

Eurovision 2023: Dress Rehearsal of the 1st Semi Final – Live Commentary! (Updated Live)

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Today is the first day of the Eurovision week! We can already feel “United by Music” all the way from M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool and it’s just a few days before we finally know the winner of the 67th Eurovision Song Contest!

The dress rehearsal of the Eurovision 2023 First Semi Final has just started. 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 tomorrow May 9th, at 21:00 CEST.

The Show

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.

The Competing Countries – LIVE COMMENTARY

Norway: Alessandra – Queen of Kings

Alessandra Mele kicks off the contest with loads of energy, performing her scandi-banger. The performance is very similar to the one from MGP, dark with intense strobing lights and some added orange led content near the ending. Vocally ok but not great, Alessandra will sail to the Grand Final.

Malta: The Busker – Dance (Our Own Party)

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.

Serbia: Luke Black – Samo Mi Se Spava

Another energetic performance from Luke Black, who also kept the staging from his National Final but significantly elevated it, making it look bigger and epic on the Eurovision stage. The added on-screen video game graphics really add to the unique performance, making it stand out. It would be a big surprise if Serbia didn’t manage to qualify for the Grand Final.

Latvia: Sudden Lights – Aijā

Sudden Lights are once again flawless performers. The performance is almost identical to their Supernova show, with some minor led content added. Beautiful performance and lightshow, but a low-key song that could easily get lost in this difficult semi-final. Sadly, it will e very difficult for Latvia to qualify.

First Break

Alesha Dixon chats with young local children and raps a small improvised song about Eurovision.

Portugal: Mimicat – Ai Coração

Mimicat is a charismatic performer but this feels like a downgrade from her FdC performance. She and her dancers give energy but the stage feels quite dark and empty, so viewers could be bored. Also this wasn’t one of her best vocal deliveries. On the other hand it stands out due to its unique style but Portugal’s qualification is not certain.

Ireland: Wild Youth – We Are One

Wild Youth have tried to improve their chances by making their performance as golden as possible. Unfortunately their lead singer is struggling vocally, as usual, and their generic song gets instantly forgotten. Ireland’s journey to Eurovision 2023 ends tomorrow.

Croatia: Let 3 – Mama ŠČ!

The unique and controversial Let 3 deliver a crazy performance, 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 them make it to the Grand Final.

Switzerland: Remo Forrer – Watergun

Switzerland gives us a professionally crafted performance with perfect vocals and interpretive dancing. In the beginning the dancers hold ribbons around Remo but he breaks free and in the end runs to the smaller stage. The show is full of red, black and white colors but I’m not sure if it’s memorable enough. It feels really borderline.

Israel: Noa Kirel – Unicorn

Noa starts her performance inside her rectangular prop and is then joined by her dancers. Vocally she sounds ok, maybe a little unstable (even though technical issues of the online press center can’t let us be certain). The final part of the performance remains as it was in the rehearsal snippet that was released, very energetic but maybe a bit dark. Israel is heading for the top-5 and maybe even top-3 of this Semi-Final but could do worse than expected in the Grand Final.

Moldova: Pasha Parfeni – Soarele şi Luna

Pasha delivers a great show, in orange and red colors with two backing singers – dancers, a dancing dwarf and two drummers, that massively stand out for its ethnic and techno elements. Vocally great and interesting to watch, Moldova should have no problems qualifying.

Second Break

Sweden: Loreen – Tattoo

The big favourite of Eurovision 2023 does not disappoint. Loreen, vocally amazing, had to down-scale her Melodifestivalen performance but this still looks cinematic and epic with great lighting. Some camera shots definetely need to be worked and maybe some added smoke could create a more mysterious atmosphere. Qualification isn’t even a question of course.

Azerbaijan: TuralTuranX – Tell Me More

A sweet performance, in red, blue and pink, by the Azeri twins, that reminds us of The Beatles tunes. An entry that could be supported by juries if they voted in the semi final, but qualification with 100% televoting seems impossible.

Czechia: Vesna – My Sister’s Crown

The girl-group Vesna have significantly improved from their previous performances but still sound a bit shaky vocally and the mixing needs work. The staging is very sleek and modern, but maybe a bit cold. The bridge of the song looks very impressive on stage as the lights go down and the girls stand in a circle singing in unison. Czechia will qualify but maybe not do that well in the Final.

Netherlands: Mia Nicolai & Dion Cooper – Burning Daylight

Another act that has improved a lot from their previous live performances. Still room to improve vocally but very decent. The atmospheric blue staging with strobes of “burning daylight” really fits the song, that really stands out as the only duet. Mia and Dion could surprise and make it to the Grand Final!

Finland: Käärijä – Cha Cha Cha

A fun and colorful performance from Finland that starts inside a wooden box (with some weird camera shots) that will definetely get the crowd going wild and easily qualify. In the beginning the leds are mainly green and towards the end they include all the colors of the rainbow. However, Käärijä sounded very weak vocally and the entire show could come off as rather kitsh. Finland will do well but won’t come anywhere near winning Eurovision this year.

Interval Act

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”.

Certain Qualifiers

Sweden

Finland

Norway

Israel

Moldova

Serbia

Croatia

Czechia

Borderline Qualifiers

Netherlands

Switzerland

Portugal

Non Qualifiers

Malta

Latvia

Azerbaijan

Ireland

BIG 5 Performances

France: La Zarra – Évidemment

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.

Germany: Lord of The Lost – Blood & Glitter

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.

Italy: Marco Mengoni – Due Vite

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.

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!

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:

Sweden, Moldova, Switzerland, Azerbaijan, Norway, Finland, Latvia, Israel, Serbia and the Netherlands

Closing the televised show, we will get to watch a recap of the ten finalist songs.

Watch clips of the dress rehearsal from inside the arena:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxZjOnmr0-s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7UWucPFidw

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Stay tuned at Eurovisionfun for all the latest developments regarding the the 67th Eurovision Song Contest, that is held in Liverpool!

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: 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?