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What happened at the dress rehearsal before the flag parade and almost blew up the contest!

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About the incident that happened shortly before the flag parade of the last general rehearsal and resulted in Marina Satti, Nemo and Bambie Thug not appearing in it, the head of the Israeli delegation spoke, naturally giving his own version of the events . But for the first time we have a public position on the incident in question, even from one side of those involved.

According to Yoav Tsafir, head of the Israeli delegation to Eurovision 2024, the incident in question happened shortly before the start of the flag parade, at the midday general rehearsal of the final. While all the artists were backstage waiting to come out for the flag parade the following happened:

The singers are standing in line before the parade of flags, Eden was also standing there, next to her was her stylist, preparing her for the performance – and right next to her was the Greek representative, crying: “The Israelis are harassing me, these bastards are writing horrible things about me on social media for what I did (yawn)” and everyone comforted her. For a moment the stylist looked at her and smiled, then Marina Satti raised her middle finger to him. The stylist kept smiling, took out a camera and took a picture of her. Then Bambie Thug lost it and started screaming loudly at the Israeli delegation: “We want peace and you’re bothering us”!

We remind you that subsequently the artists from Greece, Ireland and Switzerland did not appear in the flag parade, while Bambie Thug from Ireland did not sing at all, instead broadcasting a video of her performance in the semi-final.

As we point out at the beginning of the article, this is the first public statement about what happened in the disputed incident. Of course, we will await the placement of the other side with interest.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the updates!

Source: Switzerland Calling

Eurovision 2024: Dress Rehearsal of the Second Semi-Final! – Live Commentary! (UPDATED)

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Just last night, the First Semi-Final of Eurovision 2024 transpired and the rehearsals for the Second Semi-Final, which is set for tomorrow, Tuesday 9th of May, are already commencing. Today the Dress Rehearsal of the Second Semi-Final is taking place, which means that we will get to witness the 16 competing countries of this particular Semi-Final, plus France, Spain and Italy! 

EurovisionFun is watching the rehearsals from both the on-site and the online press center and provide you with live commentary! 

This article is real-time updated, therefore in order to view our comments, simply refresh the page! 

The Show 

A video of our hostesses is being shown, with them singing Tattoo in solarium beds.

The competing countries – LIVE COMMENTARY 

01. Malta: Sarah Bonnici – Loop

A fun and energised opener! Sarah Bonnici, in a sparkly silver bodysuit, definitely has some moves! Alongside her 4 dancers, she is dancing non-stop, while being vocally stable, as the lights go from green to red. There’s also pyro in the end

02. Albania: BESA – TITAN

Another outfit change from Besa, as she is wearing a light blue dress. She is accompanied by three dancers and the visuals behind her show different people dancing to the rhythm of Titan. During the end, the backing vocalists join her on stage.

03. Greece: Marina Satti – ZARI 

The beginning is like a live video, with hearts appearing from the bottom as if people press ‘like”. Marina is playing with the camera as her dancers join her. During the bridge of the song, it is like they are laying down on city’s buildings. A performance full of colour and dance!

04. Switzerland: Nemo – The Code 

An outfit change for Nemo as well. They climb up their platform in the beginning of the song. During the rap part they get up and down the platform. Minimal lighting and visuals and vocally, they are great I must say, despite their song being challenging.

05. Czechia: Aiko – Pedestal 

A red-based performance by Aiko and her dancers, who represent the 5 stages of grief in a breakup. Lots of pyro during the whole performance and before the bridge, we see on the screen behind her a video of couple fighting before we get to the last part of the song.

Break

France: Slimane – Mon amour (not competing)

A classy performance with very strong vocals. In the beginning he is laying down as the camera is doing a closeup. The lights are light blue and after the bridge they turn white with lots of smoke on stage. Slimane is having his signature vocal moment far away from the microphone

06. Austria: Kaleen – We Will Rave 

Due to technical issues, we could not watch Austria’s rehearsal.

07. Denmark: SABA – SAND 

Saba is standing on a platform and she is spreading sand, There’s smoke on stage and during the second chorus, we see on the LED sand being spread and a figure the same as Saba. During the bridge the light is aiming at her heart and it is pulsing according to the rhythm.

08. Armenia: LADANIVA – Jako

In the beginning the singer is whistling and then we see her going to a staircase-like structure which is placed in the middle of the stage and where the orchestra is standing. During the song she is going up and down.

Break

09. Latvia: Dons – Hollow 

Due to technical issues, we could not watch Latvia’s rehearsal.

Spain: Nebulossa – ZORRA (not competing)

Not much has changed staging-wise compared to the national final. At some point the dancers take off their clothes and there’s pyro. In the end, the singer stands at the top of the prop.

10. San Marino: MEGARA – 11:11 

With one word: Pink! A very energetic performance by Megara. At some point there’s an outfit change, smoke and -of course- pyro. Visuals show various designs in pink and black.

11. Georgia: Nutsa Buzaladze – Firefighter 

The performance starts with a closeup to Nutsa. Much smoke since the beginning and behind her, there’s a red circle which “catches fire” as the first chorus commences and times, her face also appears. During the dance break, there is of course much fire. At the end, she is standing on an elevating platform. Vocally, Nutsa is powerful, as usual.

12. Belgium: Mustii – Before The Party’s Over 

Golden hues prevail. The concept of multiple microphones remains, as Mustii goes towards them and stands in the center. After the first chorus there is smoke on stage and many closeups. During the bridge, the light turns white and after that, he reveals his chest which is covered in golden glitter. Vocally, there are a few weaknesses.

13. Estonia: 5MIINUST x Puuluup – (nendest) narkootikumidest ei tea me (küll) midagi 

In the beginning one of the singers is standing with the audience. A minimal performance when it comes to light changes, but with lots of dance and energy. On the LED screen we see figures of the singers.

Italy: Angelina Mango – La Noia 

In the beginning, behind Angelina we see a plant-like visual. During the chorus, she is dancing alongside 5 female dancers and there is a “La Noia” visual written with rose petals. As the bridge is sung, Angelina is sitting on a throne and at the acapella part, the lights go slightly down. At the end there is pyro rain behind her.

14. Israel: Eden Golan – Hurricane 

In the beginning, Eden is bending in the middle of the ring prop. There is smoke behind her and as the first chorus commences, the dancers are on the prop. Blue hurricane-like visuals on the screen and on the floor appear and at the bridge of the song the light turns yellow.

15. Norway: Gåte – Ulveham

Aurora-like lighting prevails. The singer is standing in the middle of the stage on a rock platform with branches and behind her there are water visuals. At some point there is lots of smoke on stage. A very mystical performance and vocally great.

16. Netherlands: Joost Klein – Europapa 

 Joost is standing on stage with 2 dancers and his friends, one of whom is dressed as a blue bird. On the LED screen we see visuals like a 2000s videogame and European foods. In the end, he is sending his moving message to his parents.

Interval acts 

The first recap of the competing countries.

The biggest sing-along in the world! People from across Europe are on the screen as Helena Paparizou takes the stage to sing her iconic “My Number One”. Next is Charlotte Perelli who is singing “Take Me To Your Heaven”, followed by Sertab Erener and “Everyway That I Can”.

The second and last recap of the songs.

Now we are seeing an ABBA tribute, considering this year it marks 50 years since their victory.

Petra is doing an act, where she is singing about Sweden and Eurovision. Charlotte Perelli joins her.

We could not watch the rest of the interval acts due to technical issues.

After today’s performances, I will attempt to predict the qualifiers. 

Certain qualifiers 

Greece

Switzerland

Armenia

Georgia

Israel

Norway

The Netherlands

Borderline 

Malta

Austria

Denmark

Belgium

Estonia

Non-qualifiers 

Albania

Czechia

Lavia

San Marino

 

The results 

Of course, these results are neither valid nor real, but they come about in order to serve the rehearsal’s purposes. 

Due to technical issues, we were not able to see the virtual results.

 

Stay tuned to EurovisionFun for all the latest news regarding the 68th Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö‎‎, Sweden! 

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Eurovision 2024: Dress Rehearsal of the First Semi-Final – Live Commentary! [UPTATED]

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Today is the first day of the Eurovision week! So lets wish happy Eurovision Week to all the eurofans around the world! We can already feel “United by Music” all the way from Malmö Arena in Sweden and it’s just a few days before we finally know the winner of the 68th Eurovision Song Contest!

The anticipation is high for Saturday’s final! Until then, we’re here to bring you all the latest updates and the excitement from the first Dress Rehearsal of the First Semi-Final. EurovisionFun will be watching all the shows live both at the on-site press centre in Malmö and at the online press centre and will be commenting on the full performances of the 15 participating countries, as well as the United Kingdom, Germany and Sweden.

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 7th, at 21:00 CEST.

The Show

The show opens with the iconic Eleni Foureira, representative of Cyprus in 2018 singing Fuego! She also dances oriental in a different version of Fuego. After Eleni, Eric Saade comes to the stage to sing Popular in a explosive performance. Last but not least, Chanel rocks the stage, the Spanish representative or 2022 sings SloMo in a different performance than that we saw in Turin two years ago. That a way to start this year’s Eurovision Season!

The hosts of the show are Petra Mede which is familiar to eurofans because of her previous interaction with the song contest and the actress Malin Åkerman. The female duo is dressed in pink and orange neon suits that are suitable with the LED background.

Perta welcomes us back in Sweden and she made a joke about her voting Finland last year. They also thank last year’s organizers for hosting a incredible show back in 2023. Malin praises Petra for hosting for a third time the contest and Petra said that she never tried to host with a woman and she’s thrilled for this experience.

The hosts are explaining the voting process in english AND french this year, we’ve missed so much Petra speaking French!! Malmo are we ready? Let the Eurovision Song Contest begin!

The Competing Countries – LIVE COMMENTARY

Cyprus: Silia Kapsis – Liar

The young 17 y/o Silia rocks the stage! She’s accompanied from 4 male dancers. The LED’s are mostly in neon turqoise colours, Silia has improved so much vocally from her previous attempts. She really dance in the whole performance. The dancebreak looks better than the second rehearsal, the camera shots are improved by a lot!! In the last 20 seconds the colours of the LED turns into red. This is a really good opener for the competitive part of the show.

Serbia: Teya Dora – Ramonda

Next in the running order is Teya Dora with her Serbian ballad, the whole performance is with her standing or sitting in a rock. This performance can really move you emotionally but I don’t know if this is enough to pass into the Grand Final.

Lithuania: Silvester Belt – Luktelk

Lithuania is next with Luktelk! His performance is kinda similar to the national final one. I’m really enjoying the camera shots in Lithiania. The LED’s are based in red and blue colours. Silvester really seems to enjoy the performance and that’s really important. A sure qualifirer!

Ireland: Bambie Thug – Doomsday Blue

And now it’s time for the most anticipated performance in this semi-final (at least for me). I got the GOOSEBUMPS in the begining!! Bambie really know how to pull a live performance with their voice and their face expressions. They are accompanied from a shirtless dancer that seems that he is their lover in the performance. The dancer dresses off Bambie and they are lest with a very thin suit. On the bridge for the song, the candles rise upwards, and the lighting turns red. At the end of the song they scream and the performance is finished with a LED phrase “Crown The Witch”. The croud was clapping for a long time.

Break

United Kingdom: Olly Alexander – Dizzy (not competing)

Now the first Big 5 artist hits the stage, Olly sings in a Box that seems to be a shower in the walls, accompanied from 4 male dancers in boxer shorts. The whole performance seems to be so much sexualised but it’s really good. The choreography and the camera shots are perfect. In the last chorus he leaves the box among with his dancers and he’s performing in the front part of the stage. Vocally Olly was really weak.

Ukraine: alyona alyona & Jerry Heil – Teresa & Maria

The folk duo is next to perform. In the first chorus the shots are from above with the LED floor being in grey and blue colours making a hurricane. Aliona comes to the stage for her rap part and she is vocally perfect. After that, we can see Jerry in the LED wall being as mother teresa. At the end of the performance Jerry and alyona are laying on the floor and the LED is full of women dressed in beige. Really moving performance, I loved it and I believe that Ukraine is a contender to win the Eurovision trophy!

Poland: Luna – The Tower

Something very different. We move into space, and the floor resembles a chessboard. Two towers dominate, and Luna is surrounded by two dancers, one black and one white. Then, a red figure appears like the shadow of the singer. At the final point of the song, the two towers come together and change color to red, while we also have fireworks. Seems little bit borring to me.

Croatia: Baby Lasagna – Rim Tim Tagi Dim

The fan and bookers favourite is next on the stage. The eurovision live stream is lagging so I will try to make the best commentary in this performance.We start with smoke and a setup resembling a rock concert. There are fireworks, and the lights are in various colors with alternations Marco shouted before the dancebreak dance with me in the croud. At the last chorus we can see many smoke and many pyro also. In general, the dancers and the choreo is similar to the national final one but more polished. The croud were driving crazy in Croatia’s performance.

Iceland: Hera Björk – Scared Of Heights

The performance of the mother of mothers Hera Björk, started with her standing at the top of some stairs. The LED backdrop is in golden colours and really suits with her iconic dress. Vocally Hera never dissapoints. At the middle of her performance the colours are transformed in red colours. Up until the second chorus, she is alone on stage, and then her backing vocalists appear. The platform rises, and we see fireworks as well. She seems that she enjoyed the performance by 100%!

Break

Germany: ISAAK – Always On The Run (not competing)

The performance starts in a lounge with a fire in a barrel. In the chorus, the whole living room catches fire, and Isaak stands in the middle. In the end, we see the backing vocalists on stage, while the fires go out. It’s decent as a whole, but I don’t think it has much hope with the audience.

Slovenia: Raiven – Veronika

After Germany, next on stage is Raiven. She is dressed with a transparent bodysuit, at the begining of the performance she is layed on the floor by herself and then in the chorus, she is accompanied from the dancers. To be honest as much I like the song by its own, i don’t like the camera shots and the choreography. At the end of the song, the LED floor is in blue colours like they are floating in the sea.

Finland: Windows95man – No Rules!

The egg makes its appearance again. It opens, and we see Windows95Man in his familiar style. The dancers have a 2000s style, and the shots are framed to give the impression that the singer is naked. In the end, he wears denim shorts with fireworks. By far the worst staging i’ve seen today. This is so disturbing to my eyes and unsighty in general. I can’t really imagine people really enjoying this.

Moldova: Natalia Barbu – In The Middle

In The Middle as a song had so much potential in my opinion but the staging seems a little bit empty. Natalia is serving with her vocals but with her standing for 3 minutes in a row seems a little bit borring unfortunately. The LED until the violin part is with purple colours and a purple tree. The violin part is with the angel wings we knew from the rehearsal clip and then until the end the song is with golden colours (both of the returning contestants are using golden colours and both of them have huge chances not to qualify…).

Sweden: Marcus & Martinus – Unforgetable (not competing)

Finally, something interesting in this semi-final after two entries. The performance is the same with the one from Melodifestivalen but this is way better. It feels like the inside of a club with flashing lights and dancers. A very professional presentation that will surely do well in the Final.

Azerbaijan: Fahree feat. Ilkin Dovlatov – Özünlə apar

Next act on the stage is the male duo from Azerbaijan, the LED wall is with a human unknown gender and the LED floor is with the hands of it, based in purple, grey and white colours. In the middle of the performance two huge hand props were revealed in the stage. Overall, the performance was nothing special, I don’t think that this has chances to qualify.

Australia: Electric Feilds – One Mikali (One Blood)

Even though this song is not my cup of tea, I firmly believe that this performance stands out from the second half of this semi-final. The staging has not something unexpected that leaves you speachless. The camera shots are really good but that’s all. “On the LED screens, we see scenes from the video. Then three dancers-vocalists appear, and in the second chorus, the didgeridoo appears, and the title of the song is written on the wall.

Portugal: Iolanda – Grito

I would like to note that I didn’t liked this song back in the national final but now that I’m seeing this performance it’s so cool and for me this is a sure qualifier. The vocals of Iolanda are on point and the camera frames and shots are perfect. One of the floating cubes is lower the whole performance based on the other three. The performance is based in white colours as we already knew.

Luxembourg: Tali – Fighter

Last country before the competing part of the show ends is Luxembourg, the country made it’s comeback this year with a french/english pop song, which is unusual based on the previous representatives. Tali is really good vocaly but the camera shots are so weak. The performance is based in purple and golden colours as well. Thank god, she changed the braids from the rehearsals. There is fog on the stage and shots towards the audience. In the last chorus, we also have fireworks, and the word ‘Fighter’ appears on the LED screens.

A recap of all the entries follows.

Interval Act

Petra Mede present us in a really special interval act the double Irish winner Johnny Logan! Johnny sings Loreen’s Euphoria with a live orchestra. A beautiful performance!

We are now watching a video with the turquoise carpet that took place yesterday.

A recap of all the entries follows.

Second Interval act for semi-final one is Benjamin Ingrosso in a amazing medley of three songs.

Certain Qualifiers

Cyprus

Lithuania

Ireland

Ukraine

Croatia

Finland

Portugal

Luxembourg

Borderline Qualifiers

Serbia

Poland

Slovenia

Australia

Non Qualifiers

Iceland

Moldova

Azerbaijan

The Results

The green room is behind the stage and the LED wall opens so we can see the contestants behind it. Martin Osterdahl executive producer of Eurovision Song Contest 2024, 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:

  • Portugal
  • Australia
  • Ukraine
  • Lithuania
  • Poland
  • Azerbaijan
  • Cyprus
  • Serbia
  • Slovenia
  • Finland

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 in our YouTube channel!

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

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

 

Eurovision 2023: The first Dress Rehearsal of the Grand Final!

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Just a few minuts ago, the first dress rehearsal of the Grand Final, which is going to take place tomorrow night, took place. Eurovisionfun, was present in the M&S Bank Arena and is here to offer you a small glimpse of the rehearsals of the performances of tomorrow’s Grand Final.

🇫🇷 France – La Zarra – “Évidement”

🇨🇾Cyprus– Andrew Lambrou – “Break A Broken Heart”

🇪🇸Spain– Blanca Paloma – “EaEa” 

🇸🇪Sweden– Loreen – “Tattoo”

🇫🇮Finland – Käärijä – “Cha Cha Cha”

🇮🇱 Israel – Noa Kirel – “Unicorn”

What’s next today, is the Jury Rehearsal and as a matter of fact, it will be the first time in this year’s contest, that the jury vote will count, as in the semi-finals, it was the public alone that decided the result.

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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: 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=d1nHGlCyD-U

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

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Eurovision 2022: The Dress Rehearsal of the Grand Final!

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Today took place the first of the two rehearsals of the Grand Final of Eurovision Song Contest 2022. The show begins with John Lennon’s  song Give Peace a Chance, conveying an antiwar message.

At the Opening Act of the Grand Final Laura Pausini performs a medley including “La solitudine” and “Scatola”

Afterwards we see the parade of nations that made it to the final, in the running order that they are going to perform.

Now it’s time to welcome the three presenters on stage! Before the competing part begins, the hosts of the show describe the voting process and show the number where the viewers in each country will have to phone or text, in order to cast their vote.

The 25 Finalists

Czech Republic: We Are Domi – “Lights Off”

The staging is the same as in the previous performances. The lead singer looks cool and relaxed, probably saving energy for the Jury show tonight and for the televised show tomorrow. Vocally she was very good.

Romania: WRS – “Llámame”

WRS gives another catchy performances in this rehearsal. He is very confident, vocally stable and full of energy.

Portugal: Maro – “Saudade, saudade”

Next on stage is Maro from Portugal. She and her back – up singers stand in again in circle, creating the usual atmospheric performance that made them stand out and advance to the final.

Finland: The Rasmus – “Jezebel”

It’s one of the most famous Finnish bands in the world to take the stage. The staging someone could say that is inspired by the famous Stephen King’s novel and move “IT”. Another good rehearsal for Finland.

Switzerland: Marius Bear – “Boys Do Cry”

The fifth performer of the Final. Once again Marius and his ballad create a nostalgic atmosphere that explains why he deserved to be in the final.

France: Alvan and Ahez – “Fulenn”

It’s time for the last year’s runner -up. In a full contrast to what we were used to from France, the staging is full of magical and paganistic/celtic symbols, while the song is performed in Breton and not in the French language, as some of you might think.

Norway: Subwoolfer – “Give That Wolf a Banana” 

Norway preserves the mystical atmosphere, as no one knows who are behind the masks. A good rehearsal for the Nordic nation.

Armenia: Rosa Linn – “Snap”

Probably the most wandering song of the contest. Rosa and her song make you reminiscing emotions and feelings.

After Armenia there is a small break, with a video showing snaps of the two Semi -Finals

Italy: Mahmood and Blanco – “Brividi”

Time for the host nation of this year’s contest. Vocally their performance was better than ever.

Spain: Chanel – “SloMo”

The most explosive performance of the final now on stage.  Despite the fact that it’s a dress rehearsal, Chanel gave it all again, and vocally was very stable during this demanding choreography. A potential televoting winner.

The Netherlands: S10 – “De diepte”

Stien, which is the real name of S10, gives another excellent performance. No changes here as well.

Ukraine: Kalush Orchestra – “Stefania” (Стефанія)

12th on stage is the bookmakers favourite for the trophy. The band gives another good performance. Will they bring the trophy for the third time back to Ukraine? We will find out tomorrow.

Germany: Malik Harris – “Rockstars”

With Germany, begins the ballad streak of this Final. On stage we see different musical instruments and carpets. Malik was very good and stable. No one knows though the luck of of this entry.

Lithuania: Monika Liu – “Sentimentai”

Time for one of the surprises of the Semi – Finals. Monika doesn’t have in this rehearsal her usual hair style, but maintains the early 80s vibes.

Azerbaijan: Nadir Rustamli – “Fade to Black”

Nadir gives another emotional performance. A slightly different hair – style, but in overall, no changes as well.

Belgium: Jérémie Makiese – “Miss You”

Jérémie and his Jamesbondish entry are next. A good rehearsal for Belgium, and a well deserved finalist.

The second brake of the show.

Greece: Amanda Georgiadi Tenfjord – “Die Together”

One of the show’s favourites gets on stage. Amanda is ready to convey all the emotions and to captivate the audience, and probably to win the jury show tonight. Her performance was once again exceptional.

Iceland: Systur – “Með hækkandi sól”

Next on stage is the biggest surprise of the Semi – Finals. The Systur band creates a western atmosphere on stage, but will this be enough to finish higher than last year?

Moldova: Zdob și Zdub and Advahov Brothers – “Trenulețul”

Moldova breaks the aforementioned ballad-streak. For the third time the Zdob și Zdub band are loyal to their randez-vous at the Eurovision final. No one knows the luck of their entry among the juries though.

Sweden: Cornelia Jakobs – “Hold Me Closer”

Another favourite on stage. The Swedish delegation faces again problems, in this rehearsal.  After a few minutes, Cornelia begins her performance.  Vocally was good but at some point a little unstable. Possible jury winner.

Australia: Sheldon Riley – “Not the Same”

Time for the biggest nation of Oceanian continent. The most flamboyant entry among the finalists. At some point the sound stopped for seconds. A very dynamic and emotional performance, that could capitvate the juries.

A small brake until the UK staging is ready.

United Kingdom: Sam Ryder – “Space Man”

Sam Ryder is next on stage. With his cosmic staging, the UK is probably ready to take the trophy back home after 1997. An exceptional performance.

Poland: Ochman – “River”

23rd performer is Ochman from Poland. With a more casual outfit for this rehearsal, Ochman’s performance is good and vocally he is on point.

Serbia: Konstrakta – “In corpore sano”

Second to last in the Final is Konstrakta from Serbia. Even though the performance is very simple, the Serbian entry is really captivating. Being the only ex- Yugoslav nation in the final, Serbia is expecting to ddo well in the televoting.

Estonia: Stefan – “Hope”

The last performer of the Final is Stefan from Estonia. The second western atmospheric entry after Iceland, but with better chances for a better result. A very good rehearsal for Estonia

Following the 25 performances, the voting process starts by showing the recap of all the competing songs and their respective voting numbers appear on screen!

Interval Acts

Last year’s winners, Måneskin, get on stage to perform their song “Supermodel”

In the second interval act, the very first Italian winner in Eurovision 1964, Gigliola Cinquetti gets on stage to perform her winning entry “Non ho l’età” 

Another break after the first two interval acts

The last interval act of the show is a medley performed by Mika.

The Results

After the jury results have been announced, Martin Österdahl, the executive producer of Eurovision Song Contest 2022, declares that we now have a valid result!

The winner in the simulating scoreboard was the United Kingdom.

Later today, the Jury Rehearsal is going to take place, in which half of the results are going to be determined.

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Stay tuned at Eurovisionfun for all the latest developments regarding the the 66th Eurovision Song Contest, that is held in Turin!