Eurovision 2023

Liverpool live: a pink day and a dancer!

Already for the 5th day, we are rehearsing. The first countries of the 2nd semifinal will rehearse today. Later today we will see the Big 5 for the very first time. photo credits: EBU/Sarah Louise Bennett/Chloe Hashemi Denmark Reiley has another outfit than he had last Tuesday. In stead of beige and white he was wearing pink today. The rotating house serves as a useful navigational aid for Reiley, preventing him from becoming disoriented on the expansive stage. Currently Denmark has the 30th place at the bookies, but in the 2nd semifinal ranking Reiley is 10th. There is hope for Denmark. Armenia No changes seem to have appeared in the Armenian performance. So we still have Brunette sitting on the sloped structure, singing from it and later leaving it. Currently Brunette has a 12th place at the bookmakers. But remember Rosa Linn last year. She was 20th but had a worldwide hit. Romania A major change for Romania: where he had a yellow suit on Tuesday, it is pink today. Again he is wearing shorts, also his socks and boots are in pink. The Pikachu socks have changed for SpongeBob. The song is still not liked very much. We haven’t heard him singing yet, but with a 37th and last place in the betting odds the final seems very far away for Romania. Estonia Estonia didn’t have much changes in comparision to the previous presentation. Wouter Hardy, who previously wrote “Arcade” for Duncan Laurence and “Tout l’univers” for Gjon’s Tears, is also responsible for this song. But it doesn’t seem to gonna be thát successful: 24th at the betting odds, but in the semifinal ranking Estonia has a 12th place. Belgium It seems the Belgian act also remains the same. The stairs play a main role in the act, but the dancer, PussCee West has a remarkable role as well. The odds give Belgium a 29th place, but if we look at the specific semifinal ranking, it is an 8th place. Can we safely say Belgium will make it to the final? in collaboration with Eurovision Artists

Liverpool live: rehearsal schedule

We already head to day 5: some rehearsals of the 2nd semifinal, and….. the big 5. 11.30 – 11.50 Denmark11.55 – 12.15 Armenia12.20 – 12.40 Romania12.45 – 13.05 Estonia13.10 – 13.30 Belgium 14.40 – 15.10 Germany15.20 – 15.50 France16.00 – 16.30 Italy16.40 – 17.10 Ukraine17.20 – 17.50 Spain18.00 – 18.30 United Kingdom

Liverpool Live: something is happening at the betting odds

The day with the most rehearsals continue. Eight more countries rehearsed today, only 20 minutes each. That means we can inform you if there were major changes in the act. photo credits: EBU/Chloe Hashemi/Sarah Louise Bennett Switzerland Remo Forrer performs in his black jacket and black plastic pants again. It seems there are not many changes since the last performance: Remo with his four dancers, who at a moment wrap him in long ribbons. It is something that reminds us of Sertab (2003) and the late Toše Proeski (2004). Switzerland is currently number 13 in the betting odds, so the final doesn’t seem far away for Remo. Israel The Israeli act is one where a lot happens. She and her dancers are standing in front of a bunch of squares. The dancers bring their hands to their heads, to depict the horn of a unicorn. And of course there is a lot of fireworks in this performance. Israel is currently number 7 at the betting odds. Definitely an entry to look up to, Noa can do very well. Moldova There seem to be no changes in the Moldovan entry: Pasha Parfeni is, in his second Eurovision performance, still surrounded by two backing vocals with a horn, made out of their hair. Two guys accompany them playing the drums. Moldova is currently number 20 at the betting odds. But with a 6th place in the odds for the first semifinal it feels pretty safe for Pasha. Sweden And than there is the other returning participant from 2012, Loreen. Of course there are no changes in the performance, as everything was already there way before the rehearsals… as always in Sweden. All the eyes are at Sweden at this moment, as she leads at the bookmakers. But note that there is something going on: she has now 42% chance of winning, while the runner up has 23%. They are coming closer to eachother. Azerbaijan What we didn’t hear from the first rehearsals but what we know now: the performance of Azerbaijan on screen starts in black and white. Later it fades to colour. It seems to fit to the combination of sixties-like music and rap. However, Azerbaijan is at this moment number 32 at the betting odds. So far that doesn’t give the twins much hope for a place in the final. Czechia Finally a country were there have been some changes: Czechia. The Vesna ladies have altered their hairstyle. During the opening verse, there is some intricate hair choreography, and their braids have become notably longer and weightier than they were on Monday. At this moment Czechia is number 11 at the bookies. The Netherlands We don’t know if there are any changes in the performance of The Netherlands. The people of eurovision.tv say they got goosebumps of the intimate performance Mia and Dion gave. When they are singing the camera turns around them. That seems to work. The bookmakers seem to be more positive about The Netherlands than they were, with currently an 18th place. However, they are 11th at the specified list for the 1st semifinal. Finland The last one is Finland with the same energetic performance we saw Monday. Today a video went viral where Käärijä dances on the music of “Tattoo”, Loreen’s song. At the betting odds something is happening. Finland is coming closer and closer to the first place. Yesterday they had 18% winning chance, now it is already 24%. That might make Finland a serious contender for the victory. in collaboration with Eurovision Artists

Liverpool live: Sweaty sweaters, video games and red feathers

Every participant has it’s second rehearsal today. That means we already know a lot and we can just say whether there are (major) changes or not. Different from other years, no independent journalists or fan media can join the rehearsals. What you read is what Eurovision.tv wants us to know. photo credits: EBU/Sarah Louise Bennett/Corinne Cummings/Chloe Hashemi Norway The Norwegian act is the same as in the first rehearsal. According to the reporters of eurovision.tv she hit the high notes. Alessandra is currently 6th at the bookmakers, which means she might do well for Norway this year. Malta The Maltese act is one were a lot happens. And singer Dav jr. even wears two sweaters. He takes one off during the show. According to him that is quite…. sweaty. Dav already took part in the national final in 2020. However, he says it is now the right time to go to Eurovision. The day after he was eliminated from the X-Factor 2020, his father passed away, so that was not a good moment for Eurovision.Unfortunately the bookmakers are not happy about Malta yet. Hopefully they are wrong this time! Serbia Sometimes it is difficult to know what will happen on tv when you are in the hall. That is why only now a lot of on-screen video game references came up in the reports. It fits in the act: somebody who just wants to sleep as there are so many bad things going on in the world. The song is written during the COVID19 lockdowns. Currently, Serbia is no. 17 in the betting odds. Latvia At least they have their outfits now, so it seems the luggage problem is solved. The band members are all wearing jackets and blouses with long, thin ties over it. Lead singer Andrejs Reinis Zitmanis wears a beige jacket, the others have darker cloths. Currently Latvia does not do well in the betting odds with a 35th place. However, we can not exclude a place in the final. Portugal Enthusiasm for the uptempo song Portugal brings on stage. There have not been many changes at all in the Portuguese entry. Mimicat still wears the feather dress that impressed in the first rehearsal. Portugal is currently 26th in the betting odds, which makes it likely that Mimicat will go through to the final. Ireland About Ireland, the same information is given by eurovision.tv as they did Monday: the members of Wild Youth are having fun on stage. Ireland is currently 24th at the betting odds. However, if you look at the qualifiers of semifinal one, they are 14th. A strange contradiction, and it makes the line on the official website quite cynical: “…and they look like they’re having the best time ever – the Irish delegation should be really happy”. Croatia Croatia’s Let 3 is having their second rehearsal, and their performance looks just as impressive on the big screen as it did in the hall, says eurovision.tv. However, the visual spectacle appears even more impressive and vibrant than before. The colors are now more intense and psychedelic, and the removal of clothing is now even more detailed and noticeable due to the high definition visuals. Judge for yourself if you should be happy with that. The betting ods give Croatia a 15th place. in collaboration with Eurovision Artists

Liverpool live: rehearsal schedule

The rehearsals continue with the 2nd rehearsal of 15 countries. The countries now have only 20 minutes to rehearse. 11.30 – 11.50 Norway11.55 – 12.15 Malta12.20 – 12.40 Serbia12.45 – 13.05 Latvia13.10 – 13.30 Portugal13.35 – 13.55 Ireland15.00 – 15.20 Croatia15.25 – 15.45 Switzerland15.50 – 16.10 Israel16.15 – 16.35 Moldova16.40 – 17.00 Sweden17.05 – 17.25 Azerbaijan17.30 – 17.50 Czechia17.55 – 18.15 The Netherlands18.20 – 18.40 Finland

Liverpool live: eyes, a typewriter and a car

The third day of rehearsals is already halfway. We are looking at the last six entries we haven’t heard and seen yet (except the Big Five and Ukraine). photo credits: EBU/Sarah Luise Bennett/Corinne Cumming Georgia Iru wears a white dress, and what is very remarkable on her looks is the huge bracelet she is wearing on her right arm. Iru is standing on a raised platform in the middle of the stage. She stands there during the entire performance. The LED screeen shows smoke that twirls and turbulent weather. And if you see that, there is only one thing you need: indeed, a wind machine! And it’s there! And of course Iru is surrounded by smoke. San Marino Singer E-King wears a glitter jacket while the rest of the band Piqued Jacks wear black. On stage we have the huge LED wall that spots a lot of red: we see eyes, we see lips, all in a cartoon way. Piqued Jacks use the whole stage, E-King appears as the clear frontman. At several moments, he even lies down on the floor while singing. Austria Teya and Salena are wearing opposite colours: Teya wears black and Salena white, both with red blouses. The LED-screens play the main role in the Austrian act. It looks like Teya and Salena start their performance in front of a huge oldfashioned typewriter. In the typewriter a piece of paper with a picture of Edgar Allan Poe. Later we see the two ladies in red and with sunglasses on the screen, and Edgar in red. Albania Albina and the Kelmendi family all wear black. The colours at the LED screen are also black…. and red, the colours of the Albanian flag. Many flames during the Albanian performance. This song has quite an emotional performans. Albina sits on the floor for a moment, family members surround her with raised hands. Sacha Jean Baptiste did the staging for this entry. Lithuania Monika Linkytė wears an orange suit. She is surrounded by the four backings who all wear black. First she stands on a red background. Later we see half a circle, black, with indian like signs projected on it. She and the backing vocals are standing still at some moments, but walk around later, especially when the “Čiūto Tūto” part is sung. Australia Australia is the last country to perform. Voyager singer Daniel Estrin wears a blue suit with a chequered pattern. The band has a car on stage, a Toyota MR2, a car from the eighties and nineties. On the LED-screens we see a road, mountains and a setting sun. Red fireworks are visible at the end of the song. in collaboration with Eurovision Artists

Liverpool live: a headroll, tropical graphics and little hearts

Today is the 3rd day of rehearsals. After today we have heard and seen all the songs, except the Big Five and Ukraine. photo credits: EBU/Sarah Louise Bennett/Corinne Cummings Estonia Estonian Alika is wearing an all blue combination when she sings her song. As in the national final, the song starts with a piano that plays itself. In the beginning Alika sits on the music stool, later she stands behind the microphone. The LED screens on the background are greenish blue, varied with gold. Iceland Diljá is wearing a silver suit. She shows a lot of energy with kicks and gymnastic moves. She even makes a head roll! Diljá is surrounded by drums. The background colours change all the time, from green to blue to black with a daffodil (?) and to a sunflower. A lot happens during this show! Greece Victor Vernicos weirs beige while on stage, and yes, like in the video he has shorts. Victor dances but every now and then he is sitting on the floor, also just like in the video. On the LED screens in the background we see huge pictures of Victor himself. Later we see Greek letters in white on the screens. Victor is surrounded by smoke. Poland Blanka has a dress that is half in purple and half in orange. She is on stage with four dancers. At the background during the song you see tropical pictures on the LED screen. Halfway, Blanka changes her dress in a short, red one. The last chorus of the song is accompanied by a rain of fireworks. Slovenia The band Joker Out is wearing pink and purple pants with blouses in all kind of colours. A lot of red stroboscopic light is surrounding the band. In the end, you see the words Joker Out in white on a black screen, and the band members make hearts with their hands. Eurovision.tv mentions the enthousiasm of the band. in collaboration with Eurovision Artists

Liverpool Live: rehearsal schedule

Already for the third day, we have rehearsals. Eurovision Universe will keep you updated about everything that happens during the rehearsals. This is what you can expect today: 11.30 – 12.00 Estonia12.10 – 12.40 Iceland12.50 – 13.20 Greece13.30 – 14.00 Poland15.10 – 15.40 Slovenia15.50 – 16.20 Georgia16.30 – 17.00 San Marino17.10 – 17.40 Austria17.50 – 18.20 Albania18.30 – 19.00 Lithuania19.10 – 19.40 Australia

Liverpool Live: a favourite in green

photo credits: EBU/Sarah Louise Bennett/Corinne Cummings Finland After the lunch break, it is time for a lot of energy: Finland. As expected, Käärijä wears the green bolero jacket we know so well. He is accompanied by four dancers wearing pink. The show starts with Käärijä in a huge wooden box, climbs on top of a couple of pallets and sings there before he goes to the floor to continue his performance. We can at least say Käärijä’s performance spots a lot of energy. With Käärijä’s rehearsal, we saw all the participants in the first semifinal rehearse. It is time to continue with the second semifinal. Denmark Reiley’s performance is cleverly designed with a revolving structure that showcases three different colored rooms as he passes through doorways, utilizing the LED floor and projected graphics to special effects. The visuals range from swirling clouds to hearts and emojis, creating an atmosphere that gives the performance a dreamy feel. It’s very much in line with Gen Z sensibilities according to Eurovision.tv. Reiley himself is wearing pink, a colour we saw before today. Armenia Brunette is wearing a white dress with black sewings. She starts her performance on a sloped structure that is put upright. The structure has blue and pink swirls projected on it. The graphics and lightning change halfway as the song is changing it’s tempo. Brunette leaves the sloped structure, the stage is quite white with white squares in the background. Eurovision.tv speaks of strong vocals. Romania Yellow is the colour when we talk about Romania. Yellow suits, a yellow jacket and even yellow Pikachu socks! Theodor Andrei starts off with only a guitar on an empty stage. In the second half of the song, that all changes with much more energy. There is a dancer on stage as well. The end of the presentation seems to be quite dramatic, although eurovision.tv does not give more details about it. Belgium Belgium surprises with a completely different outfit than he had in the national final. Gustaph wears a white suit and a white hat, and a pink blouse. Gustaph has his own flight of stairs, which he intensively uses. He is supported by three backing vocals who play a main role in the entire show. He has a LED backdrop of vogueing, drag queens. A dancer also has a role in the act. Cyprus Eurovision.tv mentioned being impressed by Andrew’s vocal capacities. Andrew is wearing a black sleeveless vest. There’s an exciting energy in the way this song gradually intensifies from its opening note to an even more explosive conclusion. The LED background alternates between serene waterfalls and fiery flames. The floor has smoke and four banks of flames. in collaboration with Eurovision Artists

Liverpool live: a somersault, pink clothes and intimate performances

photo credits: EBU/Sarah Louise Bennett/Corinne Cummings Israel Today’s rehearsals start with Israel. When the performance begins, Noa is in a huge lightbox. There is also a lot of strobe lightning on stage. The vife dancers around her all wear black and white with a pink touch. So does Noa. During the show there is a lot of movement and dancing. Helped by the dancers Noa even makes a somersault! The show ends with a lot of fireworks. Azerbaijan Azerbaijan, in other years the country of the extravert staging, decided to keep it more intimate. It’s just the twins with matching suits, one in green and one in purple. They are standing on a heart on stage. They have their guitars with them. That’s how the two perform their songs. Czechia After this Chzechia follows. The girls are all wearing the same pink pantsuits. They will perform a dance routine. The background is also pink, but changes into black with the text “We’re not your dolls”, hands and faces. The girls all have very long braids. The Netherlands And than we see the Netherlands. Mia Nicolai and Dion Cooper have matching clothes, black with white pinstripes: Dion has a sleeveless vest and Mia wears a top with silver and a jacket over it. The performance is very intimate: on a small stage they are moving around eachother. They are surrounded by smoke. “It’s a complex camera set-up that makes the whole performance feel really intimate”, eurovision.tv adds. In collaboration with Eurovision Artists