On Wednesday May 13 acts from eight countries — Lithuania, Ireland, San Marino, Montenegro, Malta, Norway, Portugal, and the Czech Republic — took to the stage for their first rehearsals. Inside the press center, the team took note of the highs (Ireland’s piano-in-wilderness) and lows (Portugal). You can watch our recap of the winners and losers below, followed by our instant reactions filmed after each rehearsal. Click on the country to read our rehearsal review. Who was your winner today? Let us know in our Day 3 rehearsal poll.

FIRST REHEARSALS: DAY 3 WINNERS AND LOSERS (REVIEW)

Lithuania: Monika & Vaidas with “This Time

Ireland: Molly Sterling with “Playing with Numbers”

San Marino: Anita & Michele with “Chain of Lights”

Montenegro: Knez with “Adio”

Malta: Amber with “Warrior”

Norway: Mørland & Debrah Scarlett with “A Monster Like Me”

Portugal: Leonor Andrade with “Há um mar que nos separa”

Czech Republic: Marta & Vaclav with “Hope Never Dies”

Poll: Who had the best rehearsal today?

[polldaddy poll=”8864557″]

YOU CAN READ OUR REHEARSAL REVIEWS BY CLICKING HERE.

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Paul
Paul
8 years ago

Don’t how anyone thinks Ireland is overrated as its way down in the betting odds ! Fact
Ireland’s setting and singer Molly is excellent proper song and amazing voice .
Two many cheesey euro pop songs like San Marino or Lithuania .
I do think Norway is strong but on basis I feel Ireland deserve to qualify on song !

redarrow
8 years ago

MALTA did great welldone to malta ..

Lukas
Lukas
8 years ago

1.Lithuania
2.Norway
3.Ireland
4.Montenegro
5.Portugal
6. Czech Republic
7. Malta
8. San Marino

Bjorn
Bjorn
8 years ago

Im from Iceland and my favourite was Portugal , I really like the portuguese song and really want that Portugal goes to the final , she deserves. And I know that you are thinking that I like the Norwegian song because im Icelandic but NO i hate Norway all the song is bad.
My top 8 (3 day):
1-Portugal
2-Malta
3Ireland
4Lithuania
5Montenegro
6San Marino
7Czech Republic
8Norway

robin
robin
8 years ago

amber go home and amber fans so stupid

Steve Gray
Steve Gray
8 years ago

Why are people so mean about Ireland i would never be mean to another countrys song

Paul63
Paul63
8 years ago

@Darren, Malta was really good , the staging was i think inspired by Conchita really clever. the music video was dull but Amber is a powerful vocalist Live. and also a Eurovision Fan.

Otna
Otna
8 years ago

Ireland was spectacular and majestic. Amber was FIERCE! And the Czech duo nailed it <3

Leonor is a star as well, and I loved everything about the Montenegrin entry. <3

Nobody was disappointing today TBH, and this looks like a competitive Semi. I only like a few songs from tomorrow's rehearsals so I hope as many of these ones get through as possible.

Mario My Vision of Gay Love
Mario My Vision of Gay Love
8 years ago

Well i do not care about the rehearsals actually..
I will evaluate each song when i see the live performances from my teleVision..

But among these 8 Malta is my big favorite & i really hope that my dear Amber will manage to qualify to the final <3 🙂

1) Malta
2) Norway
3) Czech
4) Montenegro
5) San Marino
6) Lithuania
7) Ireland
8) Portugal

Mar
Mar
8 years ago

My faves were Montenegro, Lithuania and, surprisingly, Ireland. I was really looking forward to Norway, so it was bit dissapointing, but not really bad either. Everything else was middle of the road, but so far I can’t say I’ve disliked anything from this semi.

hmmm
hmmm
8 years ago

Malta ofcourse! Amber really won me over. I feel like the music video somehow restricted her, she is so much more natural on stage.

RhyRhy
RhyRhy
8 years ago

Pretty poor day overall. Ireland were the best, lovely staging and really tastefully presented. I actually enjoyed Norway and think they are playing it smart and saving something for the next rehearsals (Watch This Space). Czech Republic surprised me today, but I think he is a stronger singer then her. Sam Marino’s was very cringy and cliche. I don’t like Portugal song, but I really wish Portugal luck, they are at a disadvantage being on the edge of Europe like Ireland. I really do not like Malta’s entry, I do not understand the hype, but it will probably qualify. Lithuania’s… Read more »

mocosuburbian
mocosuburbian
8 years ago

you’d think Portugal had royally pissed off the entirety of Europe by the way people react to Andrade

Maltish
Maltish
8 years ago

@Eugene: At least someone else likes San Marino.

Maltish
Maltish
8 years ago

Do you also think Norway was the best, ’cause according to the press centre over there ( as reported by esctoday ) they were the clear winners today and Ireland was in third place. We’ll have to clearly disagree on this one. You think Malta was “clearly” average if not one of the worst today but many people think that it was the best. Of course you can make the fact that Ireland is made for “TV” and what not, except apart from her starring deeply into your soul while singing she won’t be doing much more. Also San Marino’s… Read more »

Melo
Melo
8 years ago

I think Norway did quite well today

Liam
Liam
8 years ago

I really enjoyed Republic Czech and Malta, Ireland didn’t really touch me but that’s my opinion. I also was expecting soo much more from Norway ! Norway’s song was in my top 3 but after today I am really seeing it as a very blank song

joe
joe
8 years ago

Hope malta passes to the final and reaches the top in the final.Goodluck Amber 🙂

Deniz@TurkNL
Deniz@TurkNL
8 years ago

Malta was the best for me.

Esceire
Esceire
8 years ago

@Maltish You are being biased because you said Malta was the best when it clearly was right in the middle of today’s rehearsals if not one of the worst. Based on what was seen in the press room Ireland was clearly the best today as like I said its a song made for television viewers meaning that with a camera inside the stadium where you only get to see 35 seconds it looks average but when you see the performance on stage through the T.V. camera its very good. On San Marino well…it was a disaster and most people in… Read more »

Maria
Maria
8 years ago

@lacrymea you made me laugh when you started to write in portuguese. Maybe we don’t send the best artists but we send good artists. And I loved Suzy last year, but before the show I hated the song. I think that Portugal was the best today and one of the best so far. Ok, my favourite was Georgia, but I don’t like when people say that the song is bad or the performance was awful because I know and you know that’s not true. And I really didn’t liked the “condom joke” Eu não estou triste, só me irrita. E… Read more »

Mae
Mae
8 years ago

Czech Republic. By far! Incredible stunning voices and chemistry between marta and vaclav. I’ll keep all my fingers crossed for them to reach the final. They really really really deserve it in my opinion

John
John
8 years ago

My favourite was Montenegro, Norway was poor. Tbh, I liked Lithuania too, and I cant really stand that song.

lacrymea
lacrymea
8 years ago

@Maria – I’m portuguese as well. I understand your frustration, but let’s be honest. No, we don’t send our best artists (singers/composers) to ESC. We haven’t done that for more than a decade. And you know it. I can agree that Portugal generally has to do a bit more than most countries to get noticed, given our poor results in eurovision. But if the song is a massive stand out, people will aknowledge that and praise it. Regardless if it comes from Portugal. It’s not the case this year. It’s a nice song, but that’s that. I understand the general… Read more »

Maltish
Maltish
8 years ago

@Escire: I can’t win can I. It’s my seriously trying to be unbiased opinion, ’cause unlike you I actually consider other songs apart from Malta ( Or Ireland in your case ). Anyways Lithuania was horrible imo, Ireland well you know what I think of Ireland, Montenegro average though I like it, Norway so disappointing, Portugal not that it was bad but it wasn’t really that good, Czech was very good imo and San Marino had excellent staging and in my opinion the song translates extremely well on stage so that is why it is my favourite out of all… Read more »

Esceire
Esceire
8 years ago

@Maltish San Marino the best…Okay looks like your just toying with us now, your obviously just a troll so I’m just going to leave you there now and not feed you.

Gu from USA
Gu from USA
8 years ago

Its was a bad day

Maria
Maria
8 years ago

For me the best rehearsal today was Portugal, I think everything in that song was great, and as portuguese I’m very proud of outr performance. Guys this is the 1st rehearsal. Btw you’re not funny. I really hope that Portugal doesn’t participate again in eurovision because we made good performances we send our culture and our best singers to eurovision but…. It’s Portugal. It seems nobody cares like some other countries. If our songs are only to good eat or go to the bathroom like many eurofans do, I reaaly hope that we won’t go again to the eurovision. for… Read more »

bavarson
bavarson
8 years ago

Lithuania – very bad
Ireland – bad
San Marino – very bad
Montenegro – very bad
Malta – very bad
Norway – bad
Portugal – bad
Czech Republic – bad
It was very bad day for Eurovision Song Contest.

Oostenrijk
Oostenrijk
8 years ago

Malta’s Warrior belongs to a Disney soundtrack, Georgia’s Warrior to an Action movie.

Amerivision
Amerivision
8 years ago

Based what I’ve seen today from the first half of SF 2
1. CR
2. Montenegro
3. Norway
4. Malta
5. Lithuania
6. Ireland
7. San Marino
8. Portugal

Calvin
Calvin
8 years ago

Esceire – is she going to get older and more experienced before she has to perform for hundreds of millions of people on live television?

Maltish
Maltish
8 years ago

Esceire: Honey Ireland didn’t qualify last year and the year before it came last. Everyone thought Ireland (last year) was going to quote “Smoke the competition” and qualify with ease. It was even first in the “Who will qualify from semi 2?” poll on this site. Guess what happened? It finished a disappointing 12th. Ireland is overrated every year sweetheart unfortunately. If they ever actually send a good song, I’m sure most ESC fans will see it as the second coming of Christ. I remember back last June when Ireland was the first country that announced that they are participaing… Read more »

Daniel
Daniel
8 years ago

Czech and Ireland are by far the best

Esceire
Esceire
8 years ago

@Calvin, She wasn’t swallowed by the stage firstly and secondly of course she’s nervous she’s 17 and on the biggest stage she’s ever been on without any previous experience, compare it with Loic Nottet from day 1 the winner of the voice of Belgium and look how bad he was. And as I’ve said previously your just basing your opinion of the staging on what you saw from a camera inside the arena, but on T.V it looks really good.

Calvin
Calvin
8 years ago

No, the problems for me are that she sounded unbelievably nervous (and not in a way conducive to the emotion of the song) and was swallowed by the stage (albeit not as much as I thought she would be), neither of which are problems that tend to be helped by being on live television.

Esceire
Esceire
8 years ago

Okay Mltish who was the best …Malta Pfft don’t make me laugh!, If this is your attitude towards all the Irish entries then whats the point in taking your opinion seriously? Plus its not even overrated and infact its quite underrated.

Maltish
Maltish
8 years ago

@ESceire: It’s not being disrespectful, it’s called stating the truth. Indeed Ireland is always overrated. Whether it be the polls on here, the betting odds and the general Eurovision fans feelings towards Ireland. Do you really think Ireland had the best staging? ( You probably do don’t you, because you are either from Ireland or can’t take of your 90’s nostalgia goggles ). Is singing on a piano all you need to do to have excellent staging these days? None of the staging today was amazing but Ireland was far from being the best, hell she couldn’t even keep proper… Read more »

Esceire
Esceire
8 years ago

How on earth is it overrated! It was clearly the best rehearsal today without a doubt. The problem for ye is its a performance made for T.V. but watching it in the Arena it does nothing which is why you can’t see how good a rehearsal it was.

Calvin
Calvin
8 years ago

Esceire – if the consensus likes it more than Maltish, then by the definition of the word “overrated,” Maltish would consider it overrated.

Speaking of which, Ireland is way the heck overrated.

Esceire
Esceire
8 years ago

@Maltish Your saying Ireland is overrated than you clearly haven’t seen it live yet. Just because YOU don’t like it doesn’t mean its overrated or bad so please stop being so disrespectful please thank you!

Maltish
Maltish
8 years ago

*OOPS, forgot Portugal, says a lot about the memorability of the song doesn’t it.

jr esc nl
jr esc nl
8 years ago

Czech republic!

Maltish
Maltish
8 years ago

Malta was by far the best. Ireland is as always overrated but it will probably end up doing nothing at the end of the day. Both Ireland and Lithuania were forgettable and so was Montenegro. San Marino, Czeck Republic were good with Norway being a huge disappointment.

Darren
Darren
8 years ago

Before Eurovision, I wasnt a big fan really of Malta, it wasnt really the best song in my top 10, but after watching the rehearsal I find it quite appealing. She has ditched the naselly sound and it doesnt seem like she is singing through her nose. Malta really surprised me. Norway was quite disappointing, I have to admit. It was my favorite going into the contest but after watching the rehearsal, its slipping, I hope they sort it out before the next rehearsal. I liked Malta, Montenegro and Ireland. Disappointed in Norway but I still hope it does well.… Read more »

Oostenrijk
Oostenrijk
8 years ago

Republic, check!

Calvin
Calvin
8 years ago

The Czech Republic were, for me, the far-and-away standouts.