Day 3: start of the 2nd semi rehearsals

Day three of rehearsals: the second semifinal has started. Nobody knows about the stage anymore. We try to keep you informed. For the time being, we’ll stick to the nine countries that rehearsed.

FINLAND: Expectations were obviously high with a big name like The Rasmus in da’ house. In black and yellow rain gear, the stars stood on stage between huge black balloons. Eurovision.tv praises the professionalism of the band members.

ISRAEL: It was quite exciting whether Israel would participate or not. However, the security issues died down. And so Michael Ben David stood on stage in white, surrounded by his dancers. Remarkable: eurovision.tv reports that there is good singing. That has not been done so far.

SERBIA: Konstrakta’s act is little different from what we saw during the national final. She has the healthy hair of Megan Markle, which she also sings about. She washes her hands regularly. The dancers around her carry towels. Everything to stay “In corpore sano”, in a healthy body.

AZERBAIJAN: It was to be expected: Azerbaijan has a standout act. Nadir Rustamli sings from a sort of staircase that looks like a grandstand. There is also a dancer in that stand. Halfway through the act, the stand is split in two and the dancer and singer can see each other.

GEORGIA: Circus Mircus represents Georgia. And clowns belong to a circus. A singer in a leather jacket and flying goggles, a man with an eye patch and a belly organ and a bassist who seems to have borrowed the hat from the Ukrainians. That last man has a beard of flowers. Many colors can be seen on stage. Surreal is how even the official site describes it.

MALTA: Emma Muscat performs in a dress covered with silver. She is flanked by four dancers. Later during the act, she sits behind a huge piano. She also uses the so-called B-stage, just in front of the green room. The sun springs into action and gives off its golden light during this act.

SAN MARINO: You can expect a striking act from Achille Lauro. He wears body stocking, cowboy boots and hat, a black boa and he is at a red rodeo. While you’d expect that with the title “Stripper,” the clothes don’t come off. Where there is smoke there is fire: that certainly applies to this act, which ends with a lot of pyro technics.

AUSTRALIA: Of course Sheldon Reily wears his jeweled mask. Surprising is the huge white suit he is also wearing. At the bottom of the suit is a huge tow. Eurovision.tv compares it to a wedding dress that drags on the floor. It almost seems as if Sheldon is staying in the clouds.

CYPRUS: Andromache is singing in a purple dress with what looks like a huge fan behind her. The dancers move around that fan. The fan is also used to display the graphics. Different colors are visible.

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Eurovision 2026

Vienna 12 points: Eurovision semi final 2 takes the stage

Day three of first rehearsals at the 70th Eurovision Song Contest is underway in Vienna. The first seven countries of Semi-Final 2 step onto the Wiener Stadthalle stage for the very first time today, Monday 4 May. First rehearsals remain closed to press, three approved images per country will be published approximately 24 hours after each performance. The official Eurovision subreddit is providing live descriptions throughout the day. Eurovision Universe sought additional detail through national broadcaster coverage, social media, and press reports. All five countries below compete in Semi-Final 2 on Thursday, 14 May. 🇧🇬 Bulgaria — DARA, “Bangaranga” Running order: 1 | Rehearsal: 4 May, 10:30–11:00 CEST | Second rehearsal: 8 May DARA opened the entire Semi-Final 2 rehearsal block on Monday morning, and by all accounts she did not ease anyone in gently. The performance draws directly from the ancient Bulgarian Kukeri tradition. That is a ritual of driving out evil spirits through masked, chaotic movement. The staging makes this explicit. DARA’s dancers move in deliberately exaggerated, almost unsettling ways across the opening, creating a visual sense of controlled mayhem. DARA herself stands apart from the chaos: dressed in a black skirt, black belt, black knee-high boots, a short pink top and elbow-length pink gloves. By the performance’s final moments, the ritual fully resolves into spectacle. Staging is directed by Fredrik Rydman, who confirmed the concept in social media posts by DARA ahead of Vienna. DARA, born Darina Yotova in Varna in 1998, rose to prominence on The X Factor Bulgaria in 2015 and co-wrote “Bangaranga” alongside Anne Judith Wik, Dimitris Kontopoulos, and Monoir. Bulgaria returns to Eurovision after a three-year absence and competes 1st in Semi-Final 2. Sources: BNT / Instagram @darnadude / Wikipedia 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan — JIVA, “Just Go” Running order: 2 | Rehearsal: 4 May, 11:10–11:40 CEST | Second rehearsal: 8 May JIVA’s staging opens with JIVA stepping out of smoke in a shimmering gown that catches light in darker tones. Behind her, monochrome imagery on the LED screens depicts fragments of a relationship in decline, a visual counterpart to the ballad’s lyrical arc. The choreography remains restrained throughout, keeping focus on JIVA’s vocal delivery rather than on movement. Broadcaster ITV selected JIVA, real name Jamila Hashimova, through an internal process that reviewed 186 submitted songs and ultimately evaluated three finalists. ITV confirmed that “Just Go” is an entirely original composition by Azerbaijani-American writer Fuad Javadov and pushed back publicly against social media claims suggesting AI involvement in the songwriting process. For what it’s worth…. JIVA won the third season of The Voice of Azerbaijan in 2025. Azerbaijan competes 2nd in Semi-Final 2. Sources: ITV / AzerNews / Instagram @jiva_jh 🇷🇴 Romania — Alexandra Căpitănescu, “Choke Me” Running order: 3 | Rehearsal: 4 May, 11:50–12:20 CEST | Second rehearsal: 8 May Romania’s rehearsal brings a staging concept that broadcaster TVR has confirmed is largely rebuilt from scratch. Creative Director Jan Bors, former Head of Delegation for Czechia, told TVR that the Vienna performance is cinematic, fast-paced, and true to the rock identity of the song, retaining only minimal elements from the SelecÈ›ia NaÈ›ională performance. Alexandra Căpitănescu performs with her full four-piece live band: Bogdan Stoican on guitar, Matei Cohal on bass, Thomas Cîrcotă on piano and Luca Șofron on drums. The band hinted in an April YouTube livestream that additional elements may appear on stage beyond the five core performers. Căpitănescu won The Voice of Romania in 2023 and is currently completing a Master’s degree in physics in Bucharest. She co-wrote “Choke Me”, which she describes as a metaphor for being overwhelmed by self-doubt and inner pressure, with Călin Grajdan, Elvis Silitră, and Ștefan Condrea. Romania returns to Eurovision after a two-year absence and competes 3rd in Semi-Final 2. Sources: TVR / Wikipedia / Instagram @alexandra.capitanescu 🇱🇺 Luxembourg — Eva Marija, “Mother Nature” Running order: 4 | Rehearsal: 4 May, 12:45–13:15 CEST | Second rehearsal: 8 May Eva Marija brings nature’s imagery and movement to the Wiener Stadthalle stage. Her staging transforms the arena into a flowering visual world: butterflies, birds, and blossoming elements animate around her as she covers much of the stage. She wears a floaty, layered gown in earthy tones, trading the more structured outfit from the Luxembourg Song Contest for something that suits the song’s ethereal quality. Eva moves extensively across the catwalk, and her team has enhanced the staging well beyond the national final version. Eva Marija KavaÅ¡ Puc was born in Luxembourg City in 2005 to Slovenian parents, speaks six languages, and is currently finishing a songwriting degree at the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance in London. She took both the jury and public vote at the Luxembourg Song Contest in January. Eva co-wrote “Mother Nature” with Julie Aagaard, Maria Broberg, and Thomas Stengaard during an RTL songwriting camp. Luxembourg competes 4th in Semi-Final 2. Sources: RTL / Wikipedia / Culture Fix / Instagram @evamarija 🇨🇿 Czechia — Daniel Žižka, “CROSSROADS” Running order: 5 | Rehearsal: 4 May, 13:25–13:55 CEST | Second rehearsal: 9 May The day before his Vienna rehearsal, broadcaster ÄŒT posted a clip on social media showing Daniel Žižka working with a large mirror prop in a Prague studio. That is the first concrete visual hint at what Artistic Director Ruy Okamura has been building for three months. According to the official Eurovision subreddit, that mirror prop is central to the Wiener Stadthalle staging: Žižka performs in and around it, with the reflective surfaces used to multiply and fragment his image across the stage. The performance is restrained and singer-focused. Speaking to Czech outlet iDNES ahead of the contest, Žižka described his goal as giving “CROSSROADS” as much space as possible to speak for itself, adding that the team had pursued a more intimate visual message. Okamura told the Czech delegation’s press team the approach was designed to be rather unusual for the Eurovision stage. Žižka, 23, studied musical theatre at the Jaroslav Ježek Conservatory in Prague before moving into indie pop songwriting. “CROSSROADS” was

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May 4, 2026 No Comments
Eurovision 2026
Martijn

Vienna 12 points: Eurovision semi final 2 takes the stage

Day three of first rehearsals at the 70th Eurovision Song Contest is underway in Vienna. The first seven countries of Semi-Final 2 step onto the Wiener Stadthalle stage for the very first time today, Monday 4 May. First rehearsals remain closed to press, three approved images per country will be published approximately 24 hours after each performance. The official Eurovision subreddit is providing live descriptions throughout the day. Eurovision Universe sought additional detail through national broadcaster coverage, social media, and press reports. All five countries below compete in Semi-Final 2 on Thursday, 14 May. 🇧🇬 Bulgaria — DARA, “Bangaranga” Running order: 1 | Rehearsal: 4 May, 10:30–11:00 CEST | Second rehearsal: 8 May DARA opened the entire Semi-Final 2 rehearsal block on Monday morning, and by all accounts she did not ease anyone in gently. The performance draws directly from the ancient Bulgarian Kukeri tradition. That is a ritual of driving out evil spirits through masked, chaotic movement. The staging makes this explicit. DARA’s dancers move in deliberately exaggerated, almost unsettling ways across the opening, creating a visual sense of controlled mayhem. DARA herself stands apart from the chaos: dressed in a black skirt, black belt, black knee-high boots, a short pink top and elbow-length pink gloves. By the performance’s final moments, the ritual fully resolves into spectacle. Staging is directed by Fredrik Rydman, who confirmed the concept in social media posts by DARA ahead of Vienna. DARA, born Darina Yotova in Varna in 1998, rose to prominence on The X Factor Bulgaria in 2015 and co-wrote “Bangaranga” alongside Anne Judith Wik, Dimitris Kontopoulos, and Monoir. Bulgaria returns to Eurovision after a three-year absence and competes 1st in Semi-Final 2. Sources: BNT / Instagram @darnadude / Wikipedia 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan — JIVA, “Just Go” Running order: 2 | Rehearsal: 4 May, 11:10–11:40 CEST | Second rehearsal: 8 May JIVA’s staging opens with JIVA stepping out of smoke in a shimmering gown that catches light in darker tones. Behind her, monochrome imagery on the LED screens depicts fragments of a relationship in decline, a visual counterpart to the ballad’s lyrical arc. The choreography remains restrained throughout, keeping focus on JIVA’s vocal delivery rather than on movement. Broadcaster ITV selected JIVA, real name Jamila Hashimova, through an internal process that reviewed 186 submitted songs and ultimately evaluated three finalists. ITV confirmed that “Just Go” is an entirely original composition by Azerbaijani-American writer Fuad Javadov and pushed back publicly against social media claims suggesting AI involvement in the songwriting process. For what it’s worth…. JIVA won the third season of The Voice of Azerbaijan in 2025. Azerbaijan competes 2nd in Semi-Final 2. Sources: ITV / AzerNews / Instagram @jiva_jh 🇷🇴 Romania — Alexandra Căpitănescu, “Choke Me” Running order: 3 | Rehearsal: 4 May, 11:50–12:20 CEST | Second rehearsal: 8 May Romania’s rehearsal brings a staging concept that broadcaster TVR has confirmed is largely rebuilt from scratch. Creative Director Jan Bors, former Head of Delegation for Czechia, told TVR that the Vienna performance is cinematic, fast-paced, and true to the rock identity of the song, retaining only minimal elements from the SelecÈ›ia NaÈ›ională performance. Alexandra Căpitănescu performs with her full four-piece live band: Bogdan Stoican on guitar, Matei Cohal on bass, Thomas Cîrcotă on piano and Luca Șofron on drums. The band hinted in an April YouTube livestream that additional elements may appear on stage beyond the five core performers. Căpitănescu won The Voice of Romania in 2023 and is currently completing a Master’s degree in physics in Bucharest. She co-wrote “Choke Me”, which she describes as a metaphor for being overwhelmed by self-doubt and inner pressure, with Călin Grajdan, Elvis Silitră, and Ștefan Condrea. Romania returns to Eurovision after a two-year absence and competes 3rd in Semi-Final 2. Sources: TVR / Wikipedia / Instagram @alexandra.capitanescu 🇱🇺 Luxembourg — Eva Marija, “Mother Nature” Running order: 4 | Rehearsal: 4 May, 12:45–13:15 CEST | Second rehearsal: 8 May Eva Marija brings nature’s imagery and movement to the Wiener Stadthalle stage. Her staging transforms the arena into a flowering visual world: butterflies, birds, and blossoming elements animate around her as she covers much of the stage. She wears a floaty, layered gown in earthy tones, trading the more structured outfit from the Luxembourg Song Contest for something that suits the song’s ethereal quality. Eva moves extensively across the catwalk, and her team has enhanced the staging well beyond the national final version. Eva Marija KavaÅ¡ Puc was born in Luxembourg City in 2005 to Slovenian parents, speaks six languages, and is currently finishing a songwriting degree at the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance in London. She took both the jury and public vote at the Luxembourg Song Contest in January. Eva co-wrote “Mother Nature” with Julie Aagaard, Maria Broberg, and Thomas Stengaard during an RTL songwriting camp. Luxembourg competes 4th in Semi-Final 2. Sources: RTL / Wikipedia / Culture Fix / Instagram @evamarija 🇨🇿 Czechia — Daniel Žižka, “CROSSROADS” Running order: 5 | Rehearsal: 4 May, 13:25–13:55 CEST | Second rehearsal: 9 May The day before his Vienna rehearsal, broadcaster ÄŒT posted a clip on social media showing Daniel Žižka working with a large mirror prop in a Prague studio. That is the first concrete visual hint at what Artistic Director Ruy Okamura has been building for three months. According to the official Eurovision subreddit, that mirror prop is central to the Wiener Stadthalle staging: Žižka performs in and around it, with the reflective surfaces used to multiply and fragment his image across the stage. The performance is restrained and singer-focused. Speaking to Czech outlet iDNES ahead of the contest, Žižka described his goal as giving “CROSSROADS” as much space as possible to speak for itself, adding that the team had pursued a more intimate visual message. Okamura told the Czech delegation’s press team the approach was designed to be rather unusual for the Eurovision stage. Žižka, 23, studied musical theatre at the Jaroslav Ježek Conservatory in Prague before moving into indie pop songwriting. “CROSSROADS” was

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May 4, 2026 No Comments
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