Photo: EBU / NATHAN REINDS

Eurovision 2022 rehearsals continue in Turin today as fans around the world wait in anticipation for the big show next week.

Nine acts from the second half of semi-final two will grace the PalaOlimpico stage for their first rehearsals. We’ll get our first glimpse at how the teams from Ireland, North Macedonia, Estonia, Romania, Poland, Montenegro, Belgium, Sweden, and Czech Republic decided to stage their entries. Are we in for any surprises? Stay tuned to wiwibloggs to find out!

We’ll be updating this post throughout the day. Join in with the conversation by sharing your thoughts in the comments section down below. Be sure to hit “newest” to refresh the comments, or simply reload the page.

3 May: First rehearsals at Eurovision 2022

Listed below are the countries having their first rehearsals today. All times are listed in CEST (BST + 1). 

  • 10:00 – 10:30 Ireland: Brooke “That’s Rich”
  • 10:40 – 11:10 North Macedonia: Andrea “Circles”
  • 11:20 – 11:50 Estonia: Stefan “Hope”
  • 12:00 – 12:30 Romania: WRS “Llamame”
  • Lunch break
  • 13:40 – 14:10 Poland: Ochman “River”
  • 14:20 – 14:50 Montenegro: Vladana “Breathe”
  • 15:00 – 15:30 Belgium: Jérémie Makiese “Miss You”
  • Break
  • 16:00 – 16:30 Sweden: Cornelia Jakobs “Hold Me Closer”
  • 16:40 – 17:10 Czech Republic: We Are Domi “Lights Off”

First rehearsal footage will be exclusive to the official Eurovision TikTok account for 24 hours.

Each video will be a maximum of 90 seconds, and will include:

  • Artists getting ready backstage
  • First reaction to seeing the stage
  • Wide shots of the first rehearsal
  • A short interview about their first performance

Eurovision 2022: Press Meet & Greet times

Shortly after their rehearsals, each act will be available for their first press meet and greet. Things will look a little different today as no press is allowed inside the arena. 

All press conferences will be available to watch on demand via Italian broadcaster RAI. 

Here’s the list of times for each act’s Meet & Greet. All times are listed in CEST (BST + 1).

  • 12:00 – 12:20 Ireland: Brooke “That’s Rich”
  • 12:40 – 13:00 North Macedonia: Andrea “Circles”
  • 13:20 – 13:40 Estonia: Stefan “Hope”
  • 14:00 – 14:20 Romania: WRS “Llamame”
  • 15:40 – 16:00 Poland: Ochman “River”
  • 16:20 – 16:40 Montenegro: Vladana “Breathe”
  • 17:00 – 17:20 Belgium: Jérémie Makiese “Miss You”
  • 18:00 – 18:20 Sweden: Cornelia Jakobs “Hold Me Closer”
  • 18:40 – 19:10 Czech Republic: We Are Domi “Lights Off”

🇮🇪 Ireland: Brooke “That’s Rich”

 
 
 
 
 
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Talk about popping off! Ireland’s Brooke has delivered one of the biggest fireworks moments of the year. The climax of her song rivals New Year’s on the Sydney Harbour Bridge with golden flares shooting into the sky. The kinetic sun may not have any energy left, but Brooke is more than making up for it. We didn’t see a money gun this time around, but Miss Scullion most definitely looks rich

Brooke is not staging another slumber party. As she teased on the Six O’Clock news in Ireland, she’s evolved her performance into something much more grown up. She’s a vision in turquoise, perhaps nodding to this year’s sponsors Moroccanoil. Her spaghetti strap top and booty-shorts co-or scream “Power Puff Girls Meets 1001 Nights.” Whether a cartoon landscape or the Sahara, Brooke is ready to slay! There is no stage prop so camera angles will be crucial. We’ll have to wait and see how those work out.

How’s Brooke feeling about it? “Little things, little things.” That’s what she says she needs to work on.

“That’s Rich” is the first song Brooke ever wrote, alongside Izzy Warner and Karl Zine, who are both musicians from the UK.  It is, Brooke says, a modern and fresh song about teasing a disappointing former lover. The opening verse describes the self-obsession of the ex, “Ain’t you gettin’ bored of your reflection?” and Brooke’s increasing disdain for them, “Stop sending flowers, I’ll just burn them all“. The self-obsession culminates with the former lover accusing her of using them, “Always putting me down, well I got news for you, you say I’m using you now…” To which she responds, “That’s rich!“

Brooke is using the song’s title to point out the hypocrisy of a former lover accusing her of abuse and wrongdoing. The chorus repeats the title, in between statements such as “When it’s coming from you” and “You think I dress up for you?” She then states clearly, “Bye bye fool!“

Brooke’s lyrics grows more personal throughout the second verse, where she teases their ability in the bedroom, “Used to think I need your help, to feel good turns out I do it better, think maybe you should please yourself…” This continues in the middle-eight, “You were a lazy lover, I moved on to ones that move me” where she also sings about how her confidence has grown since leaving them, “All glowed up, yeah that’s on me, you see me now, you want me“. Saying goodbye to a lover driven by selfish is definitely a popular topic for singers these days since it’s a very relatable topic. These lyrics are nonetheless much more brazen and straightforward than any other song of this theme that we’ve had at Eurovision so far. 

🇲🇰 North Macedonia: Andrea “Circles”

 
 
 
 
 
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Andrea stands alone on stage, beginning in front of a mic stand. The photos hint she’ll likely take the microphone in hand as she delivers the emotion of the song’s climax. Their are two panels to the far side of each stage, both of which show hands reaching out towards Andrea.

Andrea opens the song by wanting to start a dialogue with her partner. She can feel the relationship breaking down and hopes they can discuss things together: “I just want a healthy conversation / Get it right and fix this situation”.

However, as the first verse moves on, she begins to question “Can we even fix this situation?”. Andrea and her partner seem to be stuck in a loop, where they try to sort things out but always end up back where they started – hence, the central theme of the lyrics “We run around, run around in circles”.

Speaking about the message of the song during an interview with wiwibloggs at London Eurovision Party, Andrea commented:

“[The emotions] are coming from deep within. Because, you know, I don’t like to expose that part of myself very often because it’s personal, you know. But I do like to share it when it’s time for people to feel less alone. So I think I captured that very good with the song because we’re all going through something, in a situation we don’t like and we can’t necessarily change it right away — it’s hard work and a process — but when we do, we feel better, we feel freer, and just happier in general.”

🇪🇪 Estonia: Stefan “Hope”

 
 
 
 
 
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The cowboys from Eesti Laul are gone and it’s now just Stefan alone on stage with his guitar. But the Estonian star gives this energy by running around the stage, jumping from one level to another – no doubt he’s done some cardio training.

“Hope” is about exactly that. It tells the story of keeping hope alive in difficult circumstances.

The song begins with Stefan questioning why “we let them tell us what to do”. He suggests we need to stick to our guns when questioned by “standing tall and looking up”.

The chorus takes us into a rallying cry, with the anthemic line “Hey, sing your heart out boy, for all the people great and small!”. Stefan follows up by promising that, even when everything else is lost, the future is still something to be proud of and hold onto with ambition.

Through the rest of the song, Stefan further describes the adversity being faced, and continues to encourage the listener to hold onto hope. It will get better if you stand by your beliefs.

The song’s meaning has a new poignant reference, perhaps, given the situation in Ukraine. Stefan performed his song in support of Ukraine at a rally in Freedom Square in Estonia’s capital, Tallinn. Speaking at the event, he said:

“I’m sincerely glad this song exists. I would’ve never imagined that the world would take this turn. And I’m glad to see people write to me saying that the song gives them hope to cope in this difficult situation. And Ukrainian people write me that, and they thank me for that! And I would like to say that YOU be good, hang on. Our thoughts are with you.”

🇷🇴 Romania: WRS “Llámame”

 
 
 
 
 
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Red is the colour of choice for wrs and his backing dancers – the colour of passion and seduction. There could be a reveal, though, as we also see photos of the Romanian star in a black mesh vest with silver bedazzlement. However, the black rainbow strikes again – the LED graphics saying “Llámame” are blocked by the broken down sun.

Andrei-Ionuț Ursu, who uses the stage name wrs, is a professional dancer, choreographer, and singer-songwriter from Buzău, Romania. A son of traditional folk dancers, he had a start in the showbiz industry by being a backup dancer for some of the largest modern Romanian acts, such as Antonia, Carla’s Dreams, and INNA. He also formed part of the dancing team of Pro TV and featured in shows such as Romania’s Got Talent (Românii au talent) and The Voice Romania (Vocea României).

Following a short stint in the boy band Shot, wrs then moved to London where he started to compose and write his own music. This led him to sign with Global Records once he returned to Bucharest shortly after. He released his first song, “Why”, in January 2020, with more releases and success in the Romanian charts later on.

In the song, wrs discusses a forbidden love that those around him are not approving of: “What if they gonna find out? / Nobody is gonna like if / We get away”.

Despite the disapproval, wrs is still keen to pursue things and is ready to deal with the consequences: “My love cannot be stopped by anybody / Cuz it‘s so true / Let‘s show it to the world cause I won‘t hide it / Are you down to believe in sins too?”

The chorus sees the Romanian star repeatedly stating “Llámame” (“Call me”). “For me, it’s an anthem to call my inner self to stay true to myself despite what society says,” wrs told wiwibloggs at the London Eurovision Party

🇵🇱 Poland: Ochman “River”

 
 
 
 
 
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Ochman as brought four ghostly backing dancers with him to Turin. They provide the movement in the performance while the Polish singer largely stays in one place and delivers his strong vocals. These figures start towards the edge of the stage before gradually moving towards him. Will they catch him in the end? We’ll have to wait and see.

Ochman was born in Melrose, Massachusetts to a Polish family. He catapulted to fame in Poland on the eleventh series of The Voice. On the show he tackled songs like Labrinth’s “Beneath Your Beautiful” and Il Divo’s “My Way”. He also dove into the folk offerings of Simon & Garfunkel (“The Sound of Silence”) and the soaring drama of Eric Carmen’s “All By Myself”, showing his vast range and comfort across many genres. 

Rivers carry deep meaning across most world religions. Jesus was famously baptised in the Jordan River — an event that has forever cast rivers as places of renewal and rebirth in many western cultures. And Hindus consider several rivers to be deities, affording purification and protection.

These ideas carry over to Ochman’s “River”, which opens with a verse on letting go in search of transformation: “Gonna take my body down, right down, down, down to the river…let the water carry me away, just float away…”

Later, there’s a sense of the singer having a reckoning with himself and his past sins. He seems to invoke a kingmaker, who perhaps went too far with his ambitions: “Who’d wanna be a king, pulling too many strings, all that I’ve done, oh Lord, I’m done.”

🇲🇪 Montenegro: Vladana “Breathe”

 
 
 
 
 
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Montenegro have chosen blue as the central colour for their performance. Vladana stands on the outer ring of the stage in a blue dress with nude cut outs around the chest. In the TikTok, Vladana teases that there’s more to come in regards to the staging, which she isn’t going to reveal until later.

Vladana — full name Vladana Vucinic — is a Montenegrin singer-songwriter. Born in Podgorica, she has extensive musical training and released her first single back in 2003. The experienced and talented vocalist was internally selected to represent Montenegro at Eurovision 2022.

The lyrics of “Breathe” are deeply personal, painful and melancholic. The opening line, “The pain will go away, they say”, sets the tone in this manner. These are raw feelings for Vladana and she implies that people are wrong to assume that pain will simply fade.

Vladana offers a visual representation of her pain, singing, “You’ll keep the things to feel their smell”. We are given an intimate look into Vladana’s pain and this is a pain which is not going to vanish overnight. “Nothing feels the same,” Vladana tells us, saying that “the fear won’t leave you anyway”.

The chorus is in equal parts pleading and powerful. Vladana tells us that “the air is what they need, the air is what they breathe”, exploring the battle for each and every breath. This is a battle that those who have lost loved ones through the pandemic are likely to be able to relate to, with the message ringing true in the Balkans and beyond.

🇧🇪 Belgium: Jérémie Makiese “Miss You”

 
 
 
 
 
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Jérémie serves swagger in his first rehearsal. Joined by a number of backing dancers, they work together with Jérémie through the choreography – the photos show one of them supporting him and holding him his jacket as he leans forward. There are also some nice lighting effects here to create the atmosphere at the beginning of the song.

Looking at the lyrics to “Miss You”, it may be conceivable that the song is about a special someone is Jérémie’s life. Or, you might think it’s simply about a struggle to keep warm from the cold (“One day I’m cool / One day I’m cold”).

In fact, the song is about the big decisions we make in our lives and having the courage and the strength to tackle them.

Our William got to the bottom of it and had a chat with the Belgian star to talk about his debut track:

“The meaning of the song is talking about a decision you have to take sometimes. It can be difficult to make a decision sometimes and I came with a message of faith and hope and that’s the meaning of my song.” 

🇸🇪 Sweden: Cornelia Jakobs “Hold Me Closer”

 
 
 
 
 
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If the sun is broken, then bring your own. Cornelia Jakobs has copied her staging from Melodifestivalen to great effect and is able to do just what she wanted without reliance on the staging feature that has been causing so many problems. Very much still in contention.

“Hold Me Closer” is about the emotional turmoil of working through a difficult breakup. Cornelia Jakobs sings about wanting to hold on to her significant other for as long as possible, even though she knows their relationship is coming to an end.

With lyrics such as “I found the right one at the wrong time” and “guess all the good things come to an end”, Cornelia laments the happenstance and spontaneity of love. 

🇨🇿 Czech Republic: We Are Domi “Lights Off”

 
 
 
 
 
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We Are Domi bring a full on lighting show to close out the second semi-final. They’ve used almost every light possible in the lighting rig to create a true spectacle that will be remembered going into the voting. In the TikTok we hear Dominika hit the high note perfectly – no pre-party warbles here – and this is timed with the LEDs showing two statues exploding.

We Are Domi is composed of vocalist Dominika Hašková, the daughter of famous ice hockey player Dominik Hašek, with Norwegians Casper Hatlestad and Benjamin Rekstad on guitar and keyboard respectively. Casper hails from Stavanger while Benjamin is from Nesodden. The trio met at the Leeds College of Music in the United Kingdom, making the band a true European creation.

The song opens with the feelings of confusion and regret, “I lost my soul, forgot my way, there’s no mistakes that I’ve not made”. The pre-chorus continues by suggesting a discordant identity, “Tried changing jobs, changing lovers, changing my furniture, change my bed covers”. Dominika knows exactly what she needs, but she refuses to do it, “I’d change my heart, but there’s not a chance, so I turn the lights off”. The chorus demonstrates the feelings most clearly, “Where are you now when I need you, you’re sailing around in my peripheral, where are you?” Big break-up feels!

The second verse has a more empowering take on the message, “I’ll ring the changes, make a plan, I’m small but mighty, yes I can”. But even this takes on a slightly darker note, “I’ll build a fortress, I’ll be the wall, I’ll be a queen invincible”, which suggests that the temptation to close off is still there. The third verse continues the dark message, “Once again I’m left without control, I’m far away but can you hear me call, where are you now?” This is a very sad message, accentuated by the upbeat production. However, it’s definitely a message that the audience will find easy to relate to and has a good chance to bring the Czech Republic back to the final.

Which act are you most excited to see? Are we in for any surprises? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

254 Comments
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zeke
zeke
1 year ago

Stefans´ song was played in Harkiv subway in March, my ukrainian friend said.
but the stage is very awkward for everybody.

good thing Stefan didnt take his horse, Albania would have strangled it with her triple thunder thighs

Steven
Steven
1 year ago

Cornelia reminds me of Kano from mortal kombat with the second picture

Katharina DoucheKa
Katharina DoucheKa
1 year ago

when Duncan met Waylon… and created Stefan!!!!

Bella
Bella
1 year ago

I would say Duncan met Waylon met Julia Samoylova, for the completely unintelligible English pronunciation… 😉

Thomas Sturley
1 year ago

Overall with the whole Dead Rainbow situation, acts that I thought would go through like Estonia mad Romania are in trouble while acts like Ireland and even Montenegro can slide through instead. Great showing from Semi 2 all the acts brought it despite RAI’s ineptitude.

Jghtl
1 year ago
Reply to  Thomas Sturley

Montenegro doesn’t stand a chance from my perspective.

ete sech
ete sech
1 year ago

I get it and I actually agree with you on this, but regarding Poland your comments made it seem that it was gonna be way worse than what’s ending up being

ete sech
ete sech
1 year ago

I had my concerns regarding Czech Republic, but Domi today nailed it and elevated the song! Lights Off has been consistently one of my faves of this year, and I haven’t got bored of it even despite being the first announced entry of the season.
On the other hand, Belgium was kind of a let down :/

ete sech
ete sech
1 year ago
Reply to  ete sech

I almost forgot to mention this, but I was pleasantly surprised by Ireland, I wish Brooke all the best! 🙂

The Voice of Reason
The Voice of Reason
1 year ago

Because they believe it can be fixed. This is literally only the first rehersals.

The Voice of Reason
The Voice of Reason
1 year ago

Source?!

The Voice of Reason
The Voice of Reason
1 year ago

Wow what a change from Czech Republic! Domi finally sings well live and peaks AT THE RIGHT TIME!!! The staging looks fantastic and the lighting is everything I dreamed about yet on an even grander and more impressive level. I had SEVERE doubts this would qualify but looking at the footage, audio and photos presented, this could do EXTREMELY well if the wave is riden, if you know what I mean. We are Domi, keep the consistancy and you’ll do well for sure! Throw this stuff away, and it’s a NQ. Onwards!

Kalla
Kalla
1 year ago

Well shouldn’t be surprised Sweden haven’t changed anything from Melo, was the same with Tusse last year. I guess probably not that many people that are voting from each country would have seen Melo and Eurovision. Could they have elevated the staging though, I think so. Although lucky they have a prop.

And Czech Republic, has been one of my favourite songs from the start. And it hasn’t even got boring yet considering it’s been out for months now. I think they could do really well in the final, and she sounded pretty good, which was my only worry.

Europotato
Europotato
1 year ago

Ireland was the most surprising. Looks very vibrant and fun. Estonia was a little let downish, as well as Belgium.

Jamie
Jamie
1 year ago

I was thinking Czech Rep might not qualify but now it seems like they will. Pleasantly surprised with their staging.

Eurovision fan
Eurovision fan
1 year ago

I always knew that Lights Off had a lot of potential with both jury and televoting, but I was worried that Domi’s vocals could prevent it. After I saw the snippet of a rehearsal I can only say that the sky it limit for them right now.

Justine
Justine
1 year ago

Naaaah, I hope that I am wrong but only Ochman’s voice will save this creepy performance or maybe… EXPECTO PATRONUM lmao. TOP10 is getting farther and farther…

Clara
Clara
1 year ago
Reply to  Justine

I don’t think the juries will like his staging much. People wearing giant Angel’s wings always looks rubbish

The Voice of Reason
The Voice of Reason
1 year ago
Reply to  Justine

The point of the original song was that it gave chills up your spine. It certainly did with me, so why not carry the song away to another creepy land?

Kalla
Kalla
1 year ago
Reply to  Justine

I would be very surprised if that happened, its not one of my favourite songs this year, but it’s a lot more mainstream than Blackbirds was.

Nicky
Nicky
1 year ago

my top 5 of semi 2 after rehearsals

  1. Malta (easily winning this semi)
  2. Poland
  3. Czech Republic
  4. Cyprus
  5. Serbia
Eurovision2016>
Eurovision2016>
1 year ago
Reply to  Nicky

Yes i think the winner in this semi is between cyprus malta and sweden.

Kalla
Kalla
1 year ago
Reply to  Nicky

I would feel quite comfortable betting my eurovision tickets (if I had them) on Malta not winning the semi lol

Nicky
Nicky
1 year ago
Reply to  Kalla

ok i know that won’t happen, but i am more hopeful on their qualifying chances now, one of least affected countries by the sun thing, and for me one of best looking stagings of this years semi finalists (maybe this year overall idk what big 5 have got) that gold look fits so perfectly with the song’s feel good vibes, and when she stands on the piano, that one bit i could see, some nice light effects coming from the sun in the darker beginning of the performance i think, also a nice transition as song goes on, from dark… Read more »

Bandido
Bandido
1 year ago
Reply to  Nicky

Easily winning?? XD

Nicky
Nicky
1 year ago
Reply to  Bandido

no ok fair enough, but i just hope she will qualify, i am so in love with Emma, also her beautiful smile when she performs, is so wonderful to see

sam
sam
1 year ago

i really dislike poland’s staging, the giant krystian head makes me laugh though so theres that at least

Kinga
Kinga
1 year ago
Reply to  sam

Yeah, that’s cringy as hell.. Another year and again tvp can’t hire somebody with great ideas about the staging. Shame because River is a good song.

Tom
Tom
1 year ago

It looks very nice imho

Agumon
Agumon
1 year ago

Poland’s staging reminds me of the ending scene in The Goblet of Fire, with the deatheathers in the graveyard. Or should I say, the 2 seconds of Poland’s staging that are available.

Nicky
Nicky
1 year ago

czech republic semi 2 winner confirmed, well done, our people’s champion Dominika Haskova, our perfect vocal queen

Dane
Dane
1 year ago

The second pic of Czech Republic’s staging looks amazing. Wow

The Voice of Reason
The Voice of Reason
1 year ago

I think it genuinely looks REALLY GOOD.

Alex
Alex
1 year ago

The second pic of Cornelia’s performance kinda goes hard…also Sweden knew that the sun was going to fail so they brought their own sun to shine

ete sech
ete sech
1 year ago
Reply to  Alex

Oof the shade!

Jghtl
1 year ago

I honestly don’t see Belgium qualifying. Maybe juries will push them

WannaEatMySpaghetti
WannaEatMySpaghetti
1 year ago
Reply to  Jghtl

Don’t see the problem with the song from Belgium. Far better than a lot of other songs in this semi final. For me it’s a clear qualifier but it will probably finish low in the final.

Jghtl
1 year ago

That is also a possibility

ete sech
ete sech
1 year ago

So far, all I can say is that the first half of SF1 and the second half of SF2 are the most affected by the black hole 🙁

ete sech
ete sech
1 year ago

iirc not even the Russians were this inept back in 2008 xd

Chris Bellis
Chris Bellis
1 year ago
Reply to  ete sech

The Russians were a thousand times better. At the time no host had spent so much money. They bought in loads of foreign talent for the production. When it’s a matter of prestige, they will spend oodles of money. Football, G8 conference etc., they know how to put on a show. Needless to say, it’s a relief to see the back of them this year. We don’t need their jingoism.

ete sech
ete sech
1 year ago
Reply to  Chris Bellis

Agree 100% with you

ete sech
ete sech
1 year ago

Based on your comments I was expecting something worse, but it’s actually fine imo

Tobi with an I
Tobi with an I
1 year ago

I dont know what i should say about the Staging from Sweden.
I thought they would change something to be honest.

2022
1 year ago
Reply to  Tobi with an I

Why.

Tobi with an I
Tobi with an I
1 year ago
Reply to  2022

I dont know
I found her Melfest Staging Boring.
But she is still my winner.

Johan
Johan
1 year ago
Reply to  Tobi with an I

Well, since one sun in the arena seems to be…”kaput”….she will be remembered for having brought her own. #genious
And why change a winning concept?
I think she did exactly the right thing here.

Milla
Milla
1 year ago
Reply to  Tobi with an I

Most people haven’t seen the performance before.

Tobi with an I
Tobi with an I
1 year ago
Reply to  Milla

Yeah you are right.

The Voice of Reason
The Voice of Reason
1 year ago
Reply to  Tobi with an I

I thought it would literally be a copy and paste of the national final. The song was MADE for this stage with that sun.

Jasmine
Jasmine
1 year ago
Reply to  Tobi with an I

I feel like this is the sound of a broken record, every year with the complaining: ”why did they just copy paste from Melodifestivalen?” Sometimes I think people here forget that the average viewer is NOT someone that has been following all the national selections, knowing almost everything about every act, country and artist, or heard the songs on repeat for two months. No the average viewer and voter is watching these songs/acts for the very first time. Some even skip the semis, watching only the big finale. So the copy paste argument is pointless. The average viewer will not… Read more »

Tobi with an I
Tobi with an I
1 year ago
Reply to  Jasmine

I dont say its boring because of copy paste, i meant that i found it not special before, so thats why im saying that.

Hold Me Closer is still my winner tho.

Ema
Ema
1 year ago

Tomorrow, second rehersals will be posted on Youtube?

Luk
Luk
1 year ago

Poland magic
Ochman River the Best
Good luck Poland

Yeah yeah fire
Yeah yeah fire
1 year ago

It looks fine

Jghtl
1 year ago
Reply to  Yeah yeah fire

Just fine

zsó
zsó
1 year ago

Literally what I saw today, blue lights on the arches almost in all performances.

Jghtl
1 year ago
Reply to  zsó

Yesterday was much matter in terms of staging

Licko
Licko
1 year ago

Poland went from dull to creepy.

Nicky
Nicky
1 year ago
Reply to  Licko

it isn’t creepy, it is divine

Szpak was creepy in 2016

Beatrice
Beatrice
1 year ago
Reply to  Nicky

Michal Szpak was wonderful. you can immediately see that you are a hatter from Poland, you can do nothing else but hate Szpak and you should appreciate him, either you are deaf or envious. It can be seen that you come from a backward country

Kinga
Kinga
1 year ago

I totally didn’t know what to expect from Polish staging, but now i am even more confused. I like that everything is dark and creapy but I am not sure about the dancers. Hopefully good camera angles and lights will make this work.

The Voice of Reason
The Voice of Reason
1 year ago
Reply to  Kinga

Well it works with the creepy theme of the song.

Kinga
Kinga
1 year ago

Yeah it does, but for example Ochamn’s big head on the screen looks rather cringy and cheap :/

Kalla
Kalla
1 year ago

Ohhh Montenegro, the stage has killed off any chances you had. Also what language was Vladana singing in???

zsó
zsó
1 year ago
Reply to  Kalla

I think italian

Gaby
Gaby
1 year ago

I am actually very surprised about Ireland. Was expecting the staging to be tacky, but based on the pictures and tiktok it looks great! Loving the pink and blue contrast

Rich
Rich
1 year ago

Oh dear, Poland is embracing this dark side of the sun with a ghost house live performance. It made me laugh so hard. They went from boobs out and making cheese on stage to hiding the women under shredded halloween costumes. It’s not a river I want to swim in aaaaaaaah!!!

Anke
Anke
1 year ago
Reply to  Rich

I still remeber apples and that singer suffocating his backup singer. Poland 2010.

4Love
4Love
1 year ago

also very sad for graphic designers who I believe created something phenomenal for each individual LED arch and combination of multiple arches in different positions :/ it is one job to create something for a huge rectangle and totally different to create for various arched rectangles

4Love
4Love
1 year ago

it’s sad :/ imagine Jamala’s fire tree or Conchita’s pheonix wings hidden behind black hole… maybe some of this year’s participants performances were really heavy on graphics/visuals as well…

Anke
Anke
1 year ago

Poland – the staging is so dated…Azerbaijan 2008 meets Switzerland 2007. Big NO. Too bad, cause the song is good.

Colin
Colin
1 year ago
Reply to  Anke

Comparing the Polish staging with Azerbaijan 2008 just because both have costumes in silvery colors is like comparing The Lion King with Cats because they are both musicals which feature feline characters. 😉

Anke
Anke
1 year ago
Reply to  Colin

that was just a reference, chill…reference to the bad taste of two stagings actually

Illi
Illi
1 year ago

Actually, with the dancers, we don’t pay so much attention to the broken sun.

Illi
Illi
1 year ago
Reply to  Illi

Poland in this case.

lol
lol
1 year ago

wow the stage looks horrible, absolutely disgusting black hole ruining everything. American Song contest looks 5 stars compared to this mess, Im sure Ukraine could organize a better show in the middle of a war, italy is an incompetent host and now many will suffer

Jghtl
1 year ago
Reply to  lol

I second that

ete sech
ete sech
1 year ago
Reply to  lol

And the fact that they’re not even bothering to address the situation makes it even more outrageous

The Voice of Reason
The Voice of Reason
1 year ago
Reply to  lol

There are other things to like other than the sun…

Colin
Colin
1 year ago

I am relieved that the Polish staging looks really cool atm. Very monumental in tone, with interesting looking performers beside him. I feel the WOW factor already!

Looking forward to Sweden too!

Jghtl
1 year ago
Reply to  Colin

Sweden will probably just replicate the staging from NF

Colin
Colin
1 year ago
Reply to  Jghtl

Which will be enough for a WOW factor in my book. So far, plenty of songs look promising from the snippets – Poland, Cyprus, Estonia, Australia, Finland, San Marino. Even Romania, which isn’t my personal favorite, feels like it could be really fun on stage. I think that semi 2 will be great.

Jghtl
1 year ago
Reply to  Colin

Personally i’m not wowed by Finland’s staging for now. Sweden’s staging is simple yet effective, but i’m hoping for some little changes here and there.

Jghtl
1 year ago

Ochman is more static than static sun, but at least he has dancers

Yeah yeah fire
Yeah yeah fire
1 year ago
Reply to  Jghtl

What is he supposed to dance to his song or something? Maybe do a backflip

Jghtl
1 year ago
Reply to  Yeah yeah fire

No, but at least some meaningful movement. I won’t judge it yet, but from what I’ve seen, not a fan

Kinga
Kinga
1 year ago
Reply to  Jghtl

How do you know he won’t move? We’ve seen literally 20 seconds

Jghtl
1 year ago
Reply to  Kinga

We will see

Colin
Colin
1 year ago

I agree. He is gorgeous, and so is the song. It is also the most anti-war song we have in this line-up, and it will resonate with people. The staging with a blue circle and yellow flares of light also looks effective. I mean, it’s not like Salvador Sobral, Anouk or Douwe Bob were having fireworks on stage either. Also, people should remember that there are still many tricks left to be seen on camera. Go, Stefan!

Cozmin COZMA
Cozmin COZMA
1 year ago

WRS deserve to be in the final, can’t even imagine 14 of May without Romania in …… love his performance and his way to be a performer! This is just an incredible eurovision moment……

Raluka
Raluka
1 year ago
Reply to  Cozmin COZMA

Yes, I was shocked how good the show on stage is after that fiasco from last year. Can’t wait to see him next week. Romania must qualify to the final.

Dane
Dane
1 year ago
Reply to  Cozmin COZMA

But the song is not good

Kalla
Kalla
1 year ago

Surely it would make sense to leave the arches in an open stance which least obscures the backing LED?

Essie
Essie
1 year ago

He keeps getting better. Voice deep as the ocean, consistently great vocals, love his energy, and he has a good song with uplifting lyrics.

Jghtl
1 year ago

Yes, me too

Kalla
Kalla
1 year ago

Have to agree with you again Aria, he is very easy on the eye!

Robin
Robin
1 year ago

If EBU really wants equal chances for everyone, then they have to forbid all the props on stage. Some countries rely on sun. Serbia wanted words on it and now they are busted

Jimmy
Jimmy
1 year ago
Reply to  Robin

Some delegations may even be considering their Live On Tape versions.

Jghtl
1 year ago
Reply to  Robin

Someone from Serbian team confirmed yesterday that the broken sun won’t affect their staging.

Essie
Essie
1 year ago
Reply to  Robin

Fairness is one thing but it’s still a show. I hope people can focus on making the best of it.

Eurovision fan
Eurovision fan
1 year ago
Reply to  Robin

Serbia actually did not plan to have words on them. They will show the translation of some lines on TV screen.