1st semifinal overview

Of course we first see beautiful images of the Netherlands. The tiny house already plays a role. After Duncan Laurence has opened with a new song, the four presenters welcome you; three in a dark dress or suit, Chantal in yellow.

Lithuania: Yellow suits no one; but there are exceptions. Just try doing with your fingers what the guys from The Roop do. They are dancing, but not alone. We are sure of a place in the final for the yellow men.

Slovenia: “Amen”: this is not the last prayer you will hear. But Ana Soklic shows that she has a strong voice. She is a woman of the world: you can see that on the LED screens behind her. Unfortunately the final might be one bridge to far for her, we think.

Russia: You cannot miss it: Mazinha is a Russian woman. If you think she is going to perform the same trick as Linda Wagenmakers did: keep looking, she is doing something different. Mazinha will definitely reach the final.

Sweden: If you follow Melodifestivalen you will, as usual, see not much new things. But people who were concerned about Tusse’s voice can rest assured: there is nothing wrong with that. Tusse goes straight to the final.

Australia: The story is known, Montaigne is not in Rotterdam. You don’t notice that. Her performance is in every way a lot stronger than anything we’ve seen of her before. However, we think it’ll be tough for Montaigne to reach the final.

North Macedonia: Vasil comes with a ballad. And then half of the viewers say “wow, beautiful”, and the other half “boring”. But “Here I stand” suddenly means something completely different now that Vasil came out as gay in public two weeks ago. We are pretty sure that it’s not gonna help him to a place in the final.

And then Nikkie de Jager comes to update us on everything that has happened online in recent weeks. Then Edsilia Rombley talks to us from the greenroom, after which the show continues.

Ireland: Ireland does not use LED screens but cardboard. Two particularly handsome ladies serve all those pieces of cardboard in the Irish act. Yes, as a TV viewer you miss that part. She impresses by running the set, and empathizes with it so that it actually sounds like she is out of breath. It’s not impossible for Ireland to reach the final. It’ll be hard however.

Cyprus: Elena Tsagrinou sings that she likes menthe wrong men. If you think she’s breaking the rules by having a lot more than six people on stage, no, she works with mirrors. For a moment it was rumored that Lady Gaga would perform at the Eurovision song contest: not, but Elena comes close with her song. Cyprus will go to the final, no doubt about it.

Norway: Another bunch of demons, but now with an angel in the middle. But that one is a fallen angel. One with a special story, as you can read here. We do not know TIX personally, but he has stolen our hearts because of ihis openness. It will definitely bring him the final.

Croatia: Croatia works with holograms. Or did you really think they cloned Albina? The song has everything to make it to the final, but then Albina has to sing it well. And we haven’t really heard her do that until now. Reaching the final will be tough, but not impossible.

Belgium: You could expect it: Hooverphonic is not in for a puppet show and therefore puts down a more down to earth act. As a result, Geike Arnaert’s strong vocals come out all the better. Not making concessions could just result in something beautiful. One of the editors of Eurovision Universe has already promised to eat his shoe if Belgium does not make it to the final. We think that will very well be possible.

Israel: We can only say that Eden Alene is doing her best. Yet “Set me free” is not an entry that stands out from the rest. Eden sings a very high note: great that she does that, but it is not necessarily beautiful. The final is probably very far away for Eden.

And then we are going to look at Måns Zelmerlow, who will be interviewed by Chantal Janzen.

Romania: And then Roxen suddenly wears something different than during all rehearsals: a red and white blouse with ruffles and ditto skirt. Roxen has certainly made progress in the past week, but beautiful singing is something else in our humble opinions. No final this year for Romania.

Azerbaijan: The Azerbaijan delegation knows how to throw a party on stage. Fortunately, because let’s say it carefully: “Mata Hari” is not their strongest entry ever musically. Mata Hari means “eye of the day”, or simply sun. This can be seen in their act. See you in the final on saturday Azerbaijan.

Ukraine: If you are wondering what a forest would look like after a nuclear disaster, Go_A will show you. There are outspoken fans of this entry, but also outspoken opponents. Whether you like it or not, Ukraine show us a great performance.

Malta: With Destiny you don’t have to worry about her voice: it is always good. She now wears a silver-colored suit and ditto boots: she has changed that quite often in recent days. The song is still a swinging song. Malta jumps into the final without any doubt.

Then we can enjoy Davina Michelle singing the song “The power of water”, supported by actress Thekla Reuten. In addition, images of waterland in the Netherlands are added. Don’t go to the toilet now, but keep watching, because it is spectacular! When the lines are closed and the votes are counted we will see the countries that are automatically placed for the final.

Italy: You see a glam rock band, but that is not exactly what you hear. Rock it is. Opinions can be divided into “loud noise” and “great”. Something in between doesn’t seem possible. The group has chosen not to do too many crazy things that they otherwise don’t. Perhaps that is why the bookies are now talking about an Italian victory.

Germany: The German Eurovision committee must have had a brainstorm about what we had not yet seen in Eurovision. “Eureka!” Someone shouted, “A walking middle finger!”. It was not allowed, which is why it became a walking peace sign. Anyone who thinks that singer Jendrik plays a role as a brisky man got it wrong: he really is like that.

Netherlands: There has been a lot of criticism of Jeangu Macrooy and his entry “Birth of a new age”. The performance he puts down is, however, very strong. His voice is praised in the virtual press center, the Surinamese text is fantastic according to them and some even see Jeangu finish in the top 10. To be clear: it is not Dutch people who say that! And then there is the time for the results. With conspicuously small flags and the names of the countries written quite large, the ten finalists are lined up one by one. Which 10 do we think they are? Well, we wouldn’t be surprised to see Lithuania, Russia, Sweden, Cyprus, Norway, Croatia, Belgium, Azerbaijan, Ukraine and Malta being very happy at the end of the evening.

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The Eurovision Song Contest is celebrating its 70th anniversary. That is a wonderful milestone. We at Eurovision Universe love diving into the history of the contest. That is why we are taking a closer look at the contests of the past 70 years. 1994 The EBU was frantically searching for a new system. The countries with the worst scores from the previous year had to sit on the sidelines for a year. They had to make way for Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Russia, and Slovakia. Proud Ireland hosted the Song Contest again, this time simply in Dublin, at the Point Theatre. The hosts were Cynthia Ní Mhurchú and Gerry Ryan. The interval act was the most talked-about ever: River Dance. A dance written by Bill Whelan, but which later grew into an internationally acclaimed act. The songs Marie Bergman represented Sweden, in a duet with Roger Pontare. Marie had also participated in 1971 and 1972. Evridiki returned for Cyprus. Former Bobbysocks member Elisabeth Andreasson sang, also in a duet, for Norway. And the Icelandic Sigga, who had participated in a group twice, now took part solo. That was quite a challenge. Her duo partner from two years earlier, Sissa, was actually supposed to sing the song “Nætur,” but she was sidelined by the Icelandic broadcaster. Portugal caught attention with Sara Tavares. She had won a singing competition in her own country; back then, she imitated Whitney Houston. Her song “Chamar a musica” impressed the audience. Germany opted more for a lot of cheerfulness. The all-female trio Mekado, formed especially for the occasion, performed the cheerful “Wir geben ‘ner Party.” It was sung in German, but with many international terms. And it was a song by Ralph Siegel and Bernd Meinunger. The aforementioned Elisabeth Andreasson sang a duet with the much younger (and sadly enough deceased very young) Jan Werner Danielsen: “Duett,” a mystical song. Friderika Bayer from Hungary sang the serene “Kinek mondjam el vétkeimet?” For a moment, it seemed Hungary was going to win. The first juries all gave their 12 to the debuting country. Ultimately, Friderika finished fourth. Youddiph also came from Eastern Europe. She represented Russia with “Vechny strannik,” but above all with her dress. She constantly changed it into a different dress, keeping the viewer mesmerized and focused on it. The Polish Edyta Górniak had dressed much more simple. The song, too, stood out for its simplicity. It came in second. Because Ireland won, of course. That was how it was done in those days. Paul Harrington & Charlie McGettigan Rumour has it that Ireland had sent two middle-aged men with a ballad because they didn’t want to win again. If that was the case, that plan was not exactly successful. For it was precisely as anti-heroes that Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan made a huge impression. Halfway through the voting, they took a lead with their “Rock ‘n’ roll kids” that they never relinquished. The crowd went wild; Ireland was celebrating one big party. Except perhaps at the Irish broadcaster RTÉ, which now found itself facing the organization of the contest once again. Charlie McGettigan recently made the news by wanting to return his trophy, following in the footsteps of Nemo (2024). He, too, could not live with Israel’s participation. However, he could not find his trophy. Understandable, because anyone who looks closely at the award ceremony will see that only composer Brendan Graham received a trophy. 1995 Once again, a number of countries had to make way so that others could return. However, Italy and Luxembourg, both on the reserve bench the previous year, did not return. 23 countries participated in this festival. It was hosted by Mary Kennedy. The songs Arzu Ece participated for Turkey for the second time, having entered the Eurovision stage six years earlier as a member of the group Pan. She was the only artist returning. Justyna Steczkowska participated for Poland. Although she did not finish high, she did attract attention due to the atonal singing during her song. Also noteworthy: Eddie Friel for Ireland. His song “Dreamin’” was such a shameless copy of Julie Felix’s “Moonlight” (just listen to the two songs) that disqualification loomed. Anabel Conde was the participant for Spain. She finished in second place. The group Magazin represented Croatia, with opera singer Lidija Horváth as an additional vocalist. Whereas all group members sang at the national final, now only Lidija and group singer Danijela were visible. The rest had faded into the background. Danijela would not stay with Magazin for much longer. And then there was Alexandros Panayi: he was the fan favorite for Cyprus with “Sti fotia”. He would later often travel with Greece and Cyprus as a backing vocalist or vocal coach. One of the favorites was the Swede Jan Johansen with the ballad “Se på mej”. Another notable ballad was that of Slovenia, “Prisluhni mi”. Neither song won. And then we do not want to leave Iceland unmentioned. After many attempts in national finals, the broadcaster there had selected Bo Halldórsson. He sang the beautiful ballad “Núna”. Later, his daughter Svala would also represent her country. We mention him because Bo Halldórsson passed away last week at 74. Secret Garden Norway won with a remarkable song. The winning “Nocturne” contained only 25 words. The group, Secret Garden, was built around Rolf Løvland, who wrote the winning song 10 years earlier, and his girlfriend Fionualla Sherry. As a violinist, she played a leading role in the song. Singer Gunnhild Tvinnereim, along with the other group members, had only a supporting role. Remarkably: although Ireland did not win, Fionualla Sherry was indeed Irish. And so Ireland won again, but then without winning.

Read More »
April 14, 2026 No Comments
Uncategorized
Martijn

70 years of Eurovision: when Irish eyes are smiling

The Eurovision Song Contest is celebrating its 70th anniversary. That is a wonderful milestone. We at Eurovision Universe love diving into the history of the contest. That is why we are taking a closer look at the contests of the past 70 years. 1994 The EBU was frantically searching for a new system. The countries with the worst scores from the previous year had to sit on the sidelines for a year. They had to make way for Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Russia, and Slovakia. Proud Ireland hosted the Song Contest again, this time simply in Dublin, at the Point Theatre. The hosts were Cynthia Ní Mhurchú and Gerry Ryan. The interval act was the most talked-about ever: River Dance. A dance written by Bill Whelan, but which later grew into an internationally acclaimed act. The songs Marie Bergman represented Sweden, in a duet with Roger Pontare. Marie had also participated in 1971 and 1972. Evridiki returned for Cyprus. Former Bobbysocks member Elisabeth Andreasson sang, also in a duet, for Norway. And the Icelandic Sigga, who had participated in a group twice, now took part solo. That was quite a challenge. Her duo partner from two years earlier, Sissa, was actually supposed to sing the song “Nætur,” but she was sidelined by the Icelandic broadcaster. Portugal caught attention with Sara Tavares. She had won a singing competition in her own country; back then, she imitated Whitney Houston. Her song “Chamar a musica” impressed the audience. Germany opted more for a lot of cheerfulness. The all-female trio Mekado, formed especially for the occasion, performed the cheerful “Wir geben ‘ner Party.” It was sung in German, but with many international terms. And it was a song by Ralph Siegel and Bernd Meinunger. The aforementioned Elisabeth Andreasson sang a duet with the much younger (and sadly enough deceased very young) Jan Werner Danielsen: “Duett,” a mystical song. Friderika Bayer from Hungary sang the serene “Kinek mondjam el vétkeimet?” For a moment, it seemed Hungary was going to win. The first juries all gave their 12 to the debuting country. Ultimately, Friderika finished fourth. Youddiph also came from Eastern Europe. She represented Russia with “Vechny strannik,” but above all with her dress. She constantly changed it into a different dress, keeping the viewer mesmerized and focused on it. The Polish Edyta Górniak had dressed much more simple. The song, too, stood out for its simplicity. It came in second. Because Ireland won, of course. That was how it was done in those days. Paul Harrington & Charlie McGettigan Rumour has it that Ireland had sent two middle-aged men with a ballad because they didn’t want to win again. If that was the case, that plan was not exactly successful. For it was precisely as anti-heroes that Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan made a huge impression. Halfway through the voting, they took a lead with their “Rock ‘n’ roll kids” that they never relinquished. The crowd went wild; Ireland was celebrating one big party. Except perhaps at the Irish broadcaster RTÉ, which now found itself facing the organization of the contest once again. Charlie McGettigan recently made the news by wanting to return his trophy, following in the footsteps of Nemo (2024). He, too, could not live with Israel’s participation. However, he could not find his trophy. Understandable, because anyone who looks closely at the award ceremony will see that only composer Brendan Graham received a trophy. 1995 Once again, a number of countries had to make way so that others could return. However, Italy and Luxembourg, both on the reserve bench the previous year, did not return. 23 countries participated in this festival. It was hosted by Mary Kennedy. The songs Arzu Ece participated for Turkey for the second time, having entered the Eurovision stage six years earlier as a member of the group Pan. She was the only artist returning. Justyna Steczkowska participated for Poland. Although she did not finish high, she did attract attention due to the atonal singing during her song. Also noteworthy: Eddie Friel for Ireland. His song “Dreamin’” was such a shameless copy of Julie Felix’s “Moonlight” (just listen to the two songs) that disqualification loomed. Anabel Conde was the participant for Spain. She finished in second place. The group Magazin represented Croatia, with opera singer Lidija Horváth as an additional vocalist. Whereas all group members sang at the national final, now only Lidija and group singer Danijela were visible. The rest had faded into the background. Danijela would not stay with Magazin for much longer. And then there was Alexandros Panayi: he was the fan favorite for Cyprus with “Sti fotia”. He would later often travel with Greece and Cyprus as a backing vocalist or vocal coach. One of the favorites was the Swede Jan Johansen with the ballad “Se på mej”. Another notable ballad was that of Slovenia, “Prisluhni mi”. Neither song won. And then we do not want to leave Iceland unmentioned. After many attempts in national finals, the broadcaster there had selected Bo Halldórsson. He sang the beautiful ballad “Núna”. Later, his daughter Svala would also represent her country. We mention him because Bo Halldórsson passed away last week at 74. Secret Garden Norway won with a remarkable song. The winning “Nocturne” contained only 25 words. The group, Secret Garden, was built around Rolf Løvland, who wrote the winning song 10 years earlier, and his girlfriend Fionualla Sherry. As a violinist, she played a leading role in the song. Singer Gunnhild Tvinnereim, along with the other group members, had only a supporting role. Remarkably: although Ireland did not win, Fionualla Sherry was indeed Irish. And so Ireland won again, but then without winning.

Read More »
April 14, 2026 No Comments
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