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Eurovision 2024: Georgia’s First Rehearsal!

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After the first rehearsals of Latvia and San Marino, it is time to move to the Caucasus region and welcome Georgia on the stage of Malmö. This year Georgia is represented by the talented Nutsa Buzaladze, one of Georgia’s most famous singers and songwriters, with her song “Firefighter“. It is time to set the stage on fire!

Who is Nutsa?

Buzaladze was born in Tbilisi in 1997, but she grew up in Turkey. She started singing even from the age of five years old, when she performed as a member of a children’s group. Later, at the age of eight, she began taking piano lessons as well.

Moreover, Nutsa began her solo career back in 2011 when she competed in Georgia’s Got Talent, while three years later, she gained international attention as she represented Georgia in the New Wave Music Festival, held in Latvia, where she won. She has also taken part in The Voice of Turkey, where she collaborated with her coach, Hadise, who represented Turkey back in 2009 in Moscow with “Düm Tek Tek”. Additionally, she has also taken part in the Georgian version of Your Face Sounds Familiar.

Furthermore, in 2017 Buzaladze released the song “White Horses Run“, which she placed second in the Georgian selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 with. Two years later, she released her debut album, Nutsa22, containing covers of Georgian songs and original English ones. Nutsa has also participated in the 21st season of the American Idol, in which she finished in the top 12.

Last but not least, she has also lived in Los Angeles, and since 2024 Dubai is her permanent residence, where she had also performed at the Expo 2020, the Dubai National Theatre and the Dubai Opera.

The rehearsal:

Time for Georgia to rehearse, with Nutsa Buzaldze singing her dance track Firefighter. She’s competed in a singing competition or two, including American Idol in 2023, where she made the final. Yes, actual American Idol. She did a duet of Can’t Get You Out Of My Head with Kylie Minogue. This feels like a Eurovision fever dream, but there’s video evidence and everything.

Anyway, we know from pre-party season that Nutsa has some powerhouse vocals, and she’s definitely brought them to Malmö. She starts alone on stage on a raised plinth, under a red spotlight and backed by red smoky graphics. At the end of the first verse she’s joined on buy four male dancers in black (with shirts) – it’s a VERY polished, high-energy dance routine with the LED graphics building through the song into sparking balls of flame.

Nutsa’s costume is a shiny gold mini-dress paired with boots – she doesn’t miss a note, despite the energetic routine.

PYRO UPDATE: SO. MANY. FLAMES!

Below you can watch a snippet of Nutsa’s very first rehearsal on stage of Malmö:

https://www.tiktok.com/@eurovision/video/7363658824634420512?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7345954161927734816

Georgia’s second rehearsal is set to take place on Friday the 3rd of May, when we will get a clearer image of what Nutsa and her dancers have prepared to present on stage.

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

Source: Eurovision.tv

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for even more news regarding the rehearsals, which are yet to come!

Eurovision 2024: San Marino’s First Rehearsal!

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The show goes on, as it should be. After Dons from Latvia, who performed for the very first time his song, “Hollow”, on Eurovision’s stage, it is time for us to move to Southern Europe for a liitle bit, more specifically to the Italian Peninsula but with an Iberian essence as well. It is neither Italy, nor Spain, nor Portugal, but is San Marino and Megara, this year’s Spanish rock band, who represents the tiny country in Malmö, with the song “11:11“.

Who are Megara?

Megara is a Spanish rock band formed in Madrid, Spain back in 2015, currently consisting of the lead vocalist Kenzy Loevett, Vitti Crocutta, Tio Rober Bueno and Raphaela Tache. That same year, the band released their debut EP named “Muérase Quien Pueda” and in 2016 they released their first solo album “Siete“.

Being natives of Spain, Megara participated in Benidorm Fest of 2023, the Spanish National Final for Eurovision, with the song “Arcadia“, finishing fourth both in the semi-final and the final as well.

In 2024, the band took the decision to give another try for a possible Eurovision entry, releasing their song “11:11“, which is inspired by the number 1111, which in numerology is considered as an angel number, representing intuition, positive dreams and the presence of benevolent spiritual guidance. The song was originally intented for Benidorm Fest 2024, but after RTVE’s rejection, the band decided to participate with their song in the preselection of “Una Voce Per San Marino“. After complying with the Sammarinese regulations and changing some of the lyrics from Spanish to Italian, Megara won the National Final hence here they are in Sweden to represent San Marino; the one who insists, wins, we would say.

Megara’s musical style is characterized as “fucksia rock“, a music genre which incorporates electronic, dance, punk, rock and alternative metal sounds. The members of the band themselves stated that the term and the overall genre is of their own creation.

The rehearsal:

Have we had enough coffee this morning? Not yet. Does it matter? Also no. Because Megara from San Marino are waking up the whole arena with their rock anthem 11:11. Their rehearsal started at 11:13, which is one of those things we will all just have to learn to live with.

Megara are still in the pink and black fur we saw at Una Voce per San Marino, but a slightly different design with added zebra stripes. The LED wall shows a pink and black animation with lots of spooky trees and dragons that feels like a fairy story – the whole thing comes together as a really cohesive bit of staging that feels fun, uplifting and very LOUD.

There’s a really fun dance routine that runs through this whole performance, which we don’t usually see with big rock bands, but Megara are definitely here to entertain – there’s even a moment at the end where Kenzy takes off her fur coat to reveal a new outfit featuring pink PVC armour with a dinosaur spine. We’re also happy to report that the flamenco dance break from the official video has made it to Malmö, with Megara’s two dancers shedding their fur coats to reveal skeleton bodysuits and fur boots.

PYRO UPDATE: smoke AND flame balls, with a huge fiery finish. If you have tickets for the arena standing area, dress for warm weather.

Below you can take a look at a snippet from Megara’s very first rehearsal and appearence on Malmö’s stage:

https://www.tiktok.com/@eurovision/video/7363645316190457121?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7345954161927734816

Megara’s second rehearsal is set to take place on Friday the 3rd of May, when we will get a better idea of how this year’s San Marino’s entry is going to like on stage.

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

Source: Eurovision.tv

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun ’cause even more news regarding the rehearsals are coming!

Eurovision 2024: Latvia’s First Rehearsal!

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Welcome back Eurovision fans! It is the fourth day of the very first rehearsals of Eurovision Song Contest 2024 in Malmö, in Sweden and all of the artists are trying to give the best of themselves, once they step on the stage. Today, the rest entries of the Second Semi-Final staged their performances and gave audience a hint of what is going to be presented in Sweden. The very first artist who stepped on the cross-like stage was Dons from Latvia, who performed his song, “Hollow“.

Who is Dons?

Dons is one of Latvia’s most famous singers and songwriters. His real name is Artūrs Šingirejs, and he was born in 1984, the year when Sweden marked its second win in the Contest. Dons has also won Latvian Music Recording Awards’ “Top Hit” not once, but eight times for the most played song on the radio. However, the records for him do not stop there.

He has also released eight solo albums, he has won “Best Pop Album” twice and “Best Rock Album” once, while he has also won numerous awards, including Latvijas Radio’s Muzikālās Banka “Song of the Year” five times.

Moreover, Dons began his carrer back in 2003 through the Latvian reality show “Talantu Fabrika“. Since then, he has also released a duet album, while his debut album, “Lights On” (2006), was mostly in English.

Let’s remember here that although Dons won the National Final of Latvia, Supernova 2024, hence he is a member of our Eurovision 2024 community, he had also tried to represent Latvia twice in the past, in 2010 with his song “My Religion Is Freedom“, and in 2014 with “Pēdējā Vēstule“, both finishing in second place.

The rehearsal:

First up today is Latvia’s Dons – he’s a musical icon in his home country, so he’s no stranger to a big stage. His soulful power-ballad Hollow swept up both jury and public votes at Supernova, and its position in the running order (sandwiched between an Armenian folkbop and a San Marino rock anthem) feels like a soul-stirring vocal masterclass.

The staging for this features a huge circular prop (maybe three or four metres in diameter), that Dons stands in at the start of the song. It doesn’t move or spin or light up, but it does create a really powerful focal point on stage.

Dons is wearing his trademark royal blue sleeveless pantsuit , and he’s backed by an LED wall of gently pulsing lights and circles. The lighting effects are actually really clever – lots of slow-moving blue spotlights in the verses that kick into much brighter, whiter lights in the chorus. They feel like searchlights, and it gives this whole performance a MOOD.

Below you can take a look on a snippet from Dons’ first rehearsal for Latvia on TikTok:

https://www.tiktok.com/@eurovision/video/7363634790756551968?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7345954161927734816

Latvia’s second rehearsal has been set to take place on Thursday the 2nd of May, when we will get an even better idea of what Dons, along with his team, have in mind to stage in Malmö.

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

Source: Eurovision.tv

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun, because even more news regarding the rehearsals are coming up next!

Eurovision 2024: Czechia’s First Rehearsal!

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After returning from the lunch break, it is time for Czechia and Aiko to have her first rehearsal of her entry “Pedestal”! 

 Who is Aiko? 

Alena Shirmanova-Kostebelova, widely known by her stage name Aiko, is a visionary artist who delves into profound themes such as love, solitude and self-understanding, using her music as a medium for introspection and connection. 

She has hit several milestones in her career as an artist, including being the first Czech artist to feature on the Times Square screens and the first Czech female to take part in the Spotify Equal Campaign, embracing her principles of fostering inclusivity and equality. 

 

The rehearsal 

Time for our first pop/rock anthem of the season, with Czechia’s Aiko singing her high energy belter Pedestal. Aiko was born in Russia, raised in Czechia, and now splits her time between London and Prague.

Staging notes were given to people in charge in the arena by the Czech delegation. Aiko’s staging concept represents the five stages of grief during a breakup – Aiko is accompanied on stage by four female dancers, each representing Denial, Anger, Bargaining and Depression. Aiko herself represents the fifth and final stage – Acceptance.

The costumes are black bodystockings with mesh sections and lots of sparkle, and Aiko’s dancers have sparkly mesh face coverings. Aiko has a similar top section but with wide-legged trousers.

Also the CUBES are fully deployed in this performance – starting just a few feet above the performers’ heads, creating a more enclosed, domestic-feel environment that gets bigger and less confined as the cubes lift. Lots of black and red strobe lighting, and a really nice moment towards the end when Aiko’s dancers lift her above their heads. Aikonic, as we believe the kids are saying these days.

PYRO UPDATE! Czechia have brought some relationship breakup flame jets that heat up the arena for the the entire first verse and the bridge into the second chorus, then return for a big finish. Definitely adds to the drama and storytelling.

Πρόβα Τσεχίας 2024

Aiko Czechia Eurovision 2024 – 1st rehearsal

 

 

You may watch a part of Aiko’s rehearsal from TikTok here: 

https://www.tiktok.com/@eurovision/video/7363309710453378336?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7269788284946957856

 

Czechia’s second rehearsal is set for Thursday, 2nd of May and we will get a clearer view of Aiko’s performance once the official TV snippet is released. 

Source: eurovision.tv 

Stay tuned to EurovisionFun for all the news! 

 

Eurovision 2024: Switzerland’s First Rehearsal!

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The next country to take the stage for its first rehearsal is this year’s bookers’ favorite, Switzerland, that is represented by Nemo and their song “The Code”! 

 Who is Nemo? 

Born in 1999 and coming from Biel, a small Swiss town, music has always played an essential role in Nemo’s life, considering they have been playing the violin, piano and drums ever since they were a child. Their career sparked in 2016, after they went viral, and until this day, Nemo’s music has gained traction with occupying several high positions on the Swiss charts. 

Nemo’s songs revolve around gender identity, mental health and finding one’s place in this world, themes which are also showcased on their Eurovision entry “The Code”. 

 

The rehearsal 

Time for Switzerland’s Nemo to rehearse now – they are a musician, singer and songwriter with a big following in Switzerland. The Code is a mix of rap, drum ‘n’ bass and opera, and we’ve seen over pre-party season that Nemo has the vocal range to deliver all three.

The video for this track gave us hope that Nemo might bring something super-creative to the Eurovision stage, and they have NOT disappointed – Nemo is wearing an outfit made of pink and white fur (with matching fur boots!), and their main prop is a white circular platform two or three metres in diameter. It tips and pivots in all directions – Nemo climbs it, slides down it, dances on it, jumps off it – the whole thing is a showcase of balance, precision timing and codebreaking ambition.

Not something we’ve EVER seen at Eurovision before – welcome to the show, Nemo fans.

 

Switzerland first rehearsal at Eurovision 2024. Credit: Corinne Cumming/EBU

 

 

Below you can catch a glimpse of Nemo’s first rehearsal from TikTok: 

https://www.tiktok.com/@eurovision/video/7363304192934513952?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7269788284946957856

 

Switzerland’s second rehearsal is scheduled to take place on Thursday, 2nd of May, when we get a rounder image of how Nemo’s performance will appear on TV. 

 Source: eurovision.tv

Stay tuned to EurovisionFun for all the latest news regarding the Eurovision Song Contest 2024! 

 

Eurovision 2024: Australia’s First Rehearsal!

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Now it’s time for the biggest country that competes in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest to have their first rehearsal and that is Australia. The country of Oceania is represented this year by Electric Fields and their entry “One Milkali (One Blood)”

Who are Electric Fields?

Electric Fields are the first duo to represent Australia at the Eurovision Song Contest.

Electric Fields is an Australian electronic music duo made up of vocalist Zaachariaha Fielding and keyboard player and producer Michael Ross. Electric Fields combine modern electric-soul music with Aboriginal culture. Fans might well remember the pair from SBS’ 2019 national selection show, Eurovision – Australia Decides, where they came a close second to Kate Miller-Heidke with their unforgettable track “2000 And Whatever”. Their song incorporates Yankunytjatjara; an Aboriginal language of the Anangu peoples, one of the oldest living cultures on earth.

Zaachariaha Fielding born in 1991 studied Indigenous Australian music and started producing his own work at the Centre for Aboriginal Studies in Music at the University of Adelaide.

Michael Ross is a singer, songwriter, pianist and producer from Adelaide. His musical influences growing up were mainly Mariah Carey, along with The Cranberries, Tracy Chapman, and Lauryn Hill. Before joining Electric Fields, Ross was a contestant on the X Factor Australia in 2013.

The Rehearsal

Time for Australia’s Electric Fields – fans may remember them from Australia Decides in 2019, when they were runners up to Kate Miller-Heidke and her wobbly pole.

The mathematics enthusiasts amongst you will know that the reference to ‘0.618’ is a Fibonacci sequence thing – hence ‘I stand in the eye of the spiral’. Sincere thanks to Electric Fields for bringing the golden ratio to Eurovision, it was long overdue. Art class yesterday, mathematics today.

Zaachariaha Fielding’s fabulous white dress captures the arena light and transforms into a rainbow at the start, and then this whole performance builds into an uplifting cosmic explosion of light and colour across both the LED wall and the floor. Zaachariaha is supported by Michael Ross on keyboards, two backing singers, and of course the didgeridoo.

There’s a lot of movement around the stage, which makes it feel like it’s a performance that aims to welcome in every corner of the arena – just pure joy from start to finish, and we’re delighted to add Yankunytjatjara, an Aboriginal language, to the Eurovision canon.

Australia’s first rehearsal – Eurovision 2024. Credit: Corinne Cumming/EBU

Below you can also watch a short video from the rehearsal uploaded on TikTok

@eurovision @Electric Fields are lighting up rehearsals for Australia in Malmö #Eurovision2024 ♬ original sound – Eurovision

The second rehearsal of Australia is going to take place on Wednesday 1st of May and we are going to have a better picture of the stage performance.

Source: eurovision.tv

Stay tuned on Eurovisionfun for all the updates around the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest!

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Eurovision 2024: Azerbaijan’s First Rehearsal!

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Next on the stage of Eurovision 2024 in Malmö for their first rehearsal is Azerbaijan which is represented by Fahree feat. Ilkin Dovlatov and their song “Özünlə apar”.

Who are Fahree and Ilkin Dovlatov?

Fahree, full name Fakhri Ismayilov, was born on 11th of April 1995 in Baku and is an Azeri singer and songwriter. He was raised in an artistic family, his father being a jazz drummer and his grandfather being an actor. He has both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in law. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, he devoted himself more to music and pursued his childhood dream of becoming a musician

Ilkin Dovlatov born on 16th June 1990 is is an Azeri mugham singer. He was raised in a musical family, his father being a major inspiration for him to start pursuing a musical career. At the age of four, Dovlatov performed his first song “Qəlbimdə qaldı”. During his school years, a music teacher discovered Dovlatov’s talent in singing and encouraged him to perform his music. He rose to prominence after finishing second in The Voice of Azerbaijan in 2023.

The Rehearsal

Time for Azerbaijan, with FAHREE performing a huge ballad sung in English and Azerbaijani. It has some lovely orchestral strings that fill the arena – additional Mugham vocals are provided by Ilkin Dovlatov, and the whole thing comes together to create a mix of traditional Azeri sounds with a really contemporary edge.

FAHREE’s outfit is black and silver and gives off an armoured vibe, and Ilkin is in black with sparkly sleeves. For most of the song FAHREE is alone in the centre of the stage, backed my monochrome graphics that show an animated figure slowly emerging from water. In the second half two huge cupped hands appear on the stage so FAHREE can sing the final verse and chorus standing between them.

This is a really difficult performance to describe in words, because it’s less about the individual staging elements and more about the powerful atmosphere they create together – a combination of shadowy lighting, graphics, contrasting vocals and FAHREE’s expressive body movements.

The official video to this song came out yesterday, and if you watch that you’ll get a good feel for the energy on stage right now.

Azerbaijan’s first rehearsal – Eurovision 2024. Credit: Sarah Louise Bennett/EBU 

 

Below you can also watch a short video from the rehearsal uploaded on TikTok

@eurovision Glittering graphics and powerhouse vocals, @Fahree feat. @İlkinDövlətov have got rehearsals in hand #Eurovision2024 ♬ original sound – Eurovision

The second rehearsal of Azerbaijan is going to take place on Wednesday 1st of May and we are going to have a better picture of the stage performance.

Source: eurovision.tv

Stay tuned on Eurovisionfun for all the updates around the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest!

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Eurovision 2024: Moldova’s First Rehearsal!

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The second day of the first round of rehearsals for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 continues with Moldova which is represented by Natalia Barbu who returns to the contest after 2007, with the song “In The Middle”.

Who is Natalia Barbu ?

Natalia Barbu, born on 22nd of August 1979, is a Moldovan singer songwriter and violinist. Her rise to fame began in 1998 in the city of Mamaia, where she won a singing competition. Since then, she has released 4 studio albums and 20 singles. An avid storyteller, Natalia Barbu writes the lyrics for most of her songs herself. Throughout her career Natalia has worked with a group of musicians called Trigon on an alternative jazz-folk experiment.

In the world of Eurovision she is known for having already represented Moldova in the contest in the past, and particularly in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007 in Helsinki with the song “Fight”. That year she managed to qualify for the grand final from the biggest semi-final that had ever took place, finishing 10th, a result that she repeated again on the night of the grand final of that year.

The Rehearsal

This is 11th in the running order for the first Semi-Final, or the thirteenth song we’ll hear if you count the United Kingdom and Germany. So not actually right in the middle, but close. It’s also not Natalia’s first time at Eurovision – she competed for Moldova in 2007, where she finished 10th.

The staging has the static routine that we saw at Etapa Națională, the Moldovan national final – with hand claps and armography and a white violin – but Natalia is no longer flanked by backing singers – she’s entirely alone, in front of a beautiful backdrop of seascapes and trees and flowers and butterflies.

During the violin section the LED wall turns to huge wings, so when viewed from the front Natalia looks like an angel. It’s completely different from anything we’ve seen on this stage so far in 2024, and really clever – and of course, Natalia hits every one of those high notes.

Moldova’s first rehearsal – Eurovision 2024. Credit: Sarah Louise Bennett/EBU

Below you can also watch a short video from the rehearsal uploaded on TikTok

@eurovision @Natalia Barbu official sings, plays strings and finds her wings, all at Moldova’s first rehearsal #Eurovision2024 ♬ original sound – Eurovision

The second rehearsal of Moldova is going to take place on Wednesday 1st of May and we are going to have a better picture of the stage performance.

Source: eurovision.tv

Stay tuned on Eurovisionfun for all the updates around the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest!

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Lithuania: Watch exclusive footage from Silvester Belt’s First Rehearsal!

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Today, Silvester Belt, the Lithuanian representative in Eurovision 2024, stepped for the first time on the stage of Malmö Arena for his first technical rehearsal.

Eurovision 2024: Lithuania’s First Rehearsal!

Following the conclusion of Silvester’s rehearsal, LRT, the Lithuanian competing broadcaster, shared a backstage video on its social media. Specifically ,we can enjoy more footage from Silvester’s rehearsal.

The second rehearsal of Lithuania will take place on Wednesday May 1st, when we will have a clearer picture of what we will see from Silvester Belt on the Eurovision stage, as we will have the official TV snippet.

Source: LRT

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Eurovision 2023: Second Rehearsal of Sweden!

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Today is the fourth day of rehearsals, the day when the countries participating in the First Semi Final will take over the stage for their second rehearsal at M&S Bank Arena, in Liverpool!

Next up on stage for their second rehearsal is Sweden and Loreen with the song “Tattoo“.

Who is Loreen?

Lorine Zineb Nora Talhaoui, known as Loreen, is a Swedish singer, songwriter, and this year’s winner of Melodifestivalen. Interested in becoming a musician, Loreen took part in the Idol 2004 television competition, finishing fourth. The following year she released her first single, “The Snake“, with the band Rob’n’Raz and became a television presenter on TV400. While working as a segment producer and director for several Swedish reality TV shows, she entered Melodifestivalen 2011 with the song “My Heart Is Refusing Me“, which became a top 10 hit in Sweden. She also had top 20 hits in Sweden with the singles “Crying Out Your Name” (2012) and her Melodifestivalen 2017 entry “Statements“.

Representing Sweden, she won the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 with her entry “Euphoria“, which topped the charts in numerous European countries. She will represent Sweden in Eurovision for a second time in 2023 with “Tattoo“ which broke into the charts globally in many countries.

The Rehearsal

Loreen and her light box are back on stage – we were really interested to see the big screen version of this, as so much of it is filmed in close-up.

Sarah Louise Bennett/EBU

The stage and the LED screen is a sea of swirling smoke, and the whole effect is incredibly intense. It’s WAY more intense and dramatic than it looks in the arena – Loreen is NOT here to play.

Sarah Louise Bennett/EBU

It’s Loreen, so obviously this performance is tighter than that catsuit and more polished than those terrifyingly long nails. Sounds incredible, looks incredible – the perfect finish to a brilliant first day of rehearsals.

Source: eurovision.tv
Photos: Sarah Louise Bennett / EBU, Corinne Cumming / EBU

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