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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Vienna 12 points: the joy of being 2nd

Several countries start their second rehearsals in Vienna. As we still don’t have access to the rehearsals, we will do something else. Per entry, we highlight one subject and give you some more information. That can be something about the artist, the song, the lyrics or even something completely different.  🇩🇪 Germany — Sarah Engels, “Fire” Running order: – | Rehearsal: 9 May, 15:00–15:25 CEST Deutschland sucht den Superstar is one of Germany’s longest-running TV talent shows. Since its first broadcast on RTL in 2002, DSDS has introduced many singers to a national audience. One of its most memorable former contestants is Sarah Engels. Her story in the show was not an instant success. She auditioned in 2009 and 2010, but failed to reach the live shows. In 2011, her third attempt changed everything. Sarah reached the final of Deutschland sucht den Superstar and finished second behind Pietro Lombardi. That season also brought strong media attention, partly because Sarah and Pietro became a couple during the competition. For Sarah Engels, DSDS became the platform that launched a lasting music and television career. Her journey shows why casting shows can still matter. A failed audition does not always mark the end. Sometimes, as Sarah proved, it is only the beginning for many artists in Germany today. 🇫🇷 France — Monroe, “Regarde!” Running order: – | Rehearsal: 9 May, 15:35–16:00 CEST France at Eurovision has rediscovered its confidence since Barbara Pravi’s “Voilà” in 2021. The chanson finished second with 499 points and quickly became a modern Eurovision classic. It gave France something it had missed for years: a clear identity and real winning momentum. The years after “Voilà” were not perfect. Alvan & Ahez finished 24th in 2022, while La Zarra ended 16th in 2023. Still, both entries showed France was willing to take risks. In 2024, Slimane restored the country’s place near the top. His emotional performance of “Mon amour” finished fourth with 445 points. In 2025, Louane kept the positive run alive, taking seventh place with “maman”. This year, Monroe’s “Regarde !” keeps France in the top-five conversation. Whether it reaches that result remains uncertain. Yet France now looks like a country that believes in its Eurovision choices again. That confidence may be its strongest result of the decade so far. 🇬🇧 United Kingdom — Look Mum No Computer, “Eins, Zwei, Drei” Running order: – | Rehearsal: 9 May, 16:10–16:35 CEST Before Look Mum No Computer was confirmed for Eurovision 2026, the BBC faced reports about another possible UK act. In January, media claimed that a participant had been dropped. Routine checks had reportedly raised concerns about historic online comments. The Euro Trip Podcast later gave a more careful account. It reported that an unnamed act was told they would not represent the United Kingdom in Vienna. However, the person had not signed a contract. The BBC also said no formal offer had been made. That means the story is not a simple rejection. It suggests the artist was considered, but never officially chosen. Weeks later, the BBC announced Look Mum No Computer, the stage name of Sam Battle. His song “Eins, Zwei, Drei” gives the United Kingdom a strikingly unusual entry. With synth-pop, humour and eccentric British creativity, it marks a clear change of direction for the BBC at Eurovision. 🇦🇹 Austria — Cosmó, “Tanzschein” Running order: 25 | Rehearsal: 9 May, 16:45–17:10 CEST Hosting Eurovision has become more of a curse than an advantage. Since 2015, many host countries have struggled on the scoreboard. Austria finished 26th in 2015. Ukraine came 24th in 2017. Portugal ended last in 2018, while Israel placed 23rd in 2019. The Netherlands also finished 23rd in 2021. The United Kingdom came 25th in 2023. There were brighter results too. Sweden finished fifth in 2016 and ninth in 2024. Italy came sixth in 2022. Switzerland reached tenth in 2025 with Zoë Më and “Voyage”. Still, six of the last ten host countries ended in the bottom five. No host country has won Eurovision since Ireland in 1994. Fans often call this trend the “host country curse”. Some speculate that broadcasters avoid another expensive victory. Whatever the reason, hosting now seems to bring pressure rather than a clear advantage. Recent results make that debate easy to understand for many fans.  

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Eurovision 2026
Martijn

Vienna 12 points: the joy of being 2nd

Several countries start their second rehearsals in Vienna. As we still don’t have access to the rehearsals, we will do something else. Per entry, we highlight one subject and give you some more information. That can be something about the artist, the song, the lyrics or even something completely different.  🇩🇪 Germany — Sarah Engels, “Fire” Running order: – | Rehearsal: 9 May, 15:00–15:25 CEST Deutschland sucht den Superstar is one of Germany’s longest-running TV talent shows. Since its first broadcast on RTL in 2002, DSDS has introduced many singers to a national audience. One of its most memorable former contestants is Sarah Engels. Her story in the show was not an instant success. She auditioned in 2009 and 2010, but failed to reach the live shows. In 2011, her third attempt changed everything. Sarah reached the final of Deutschland sucht den Superstar and finished second behind Pietro Lombardi. That season also brought strong media attention, partly because Sarah and Pietro became a couple during the competition. For Sarah Engels, DSDS became the platform that launched a lasting music and television career. Her journey shows why casting shows can still matter. A failed audition does not always mark the end. Sometimes, as Sarah proved, it is only the beginning for many artists in Germany today. 🇫🇷 France — Monroe, “Regarde!” Running order: – | Rehearsal: 9 May, 15:35–16:00 CEST France at Eurovision has rediscovered its confidence since Barbara Pravi’s “Voilà” in 2021. The chanson finished second with 499 points and quickly became a modern Eurovision classic. It gave France something it had missed for years: a clear identity and real winning momentum. The years after “Voilà” were not perfect. Alvan & Ahez finished 24th in 2022, while La Zarra ended 16th in 2023. Still, both entries showed France was willing to take risks. In 2024, Slimane restored the country’s place near the top. His emotional performance of “Mon amour” finished fourth with 445 points. In 2025, Louane kept the positive run alive, taking seventh place with “maman”. This year, Monroe’s “Regarde !” keeps France in the top-five conversation. Whether it reaches that result remains uncertain. Yet France now looks like a country that believes in its Eurovision choices again. That confidence may be its strongest result of the decade so far. 🇬🇧 United Kingdom — Look Mum No Computer, “Eins, Zwei, Drei” Running order: – | Rehearsal: 9 May, 16:10–16:35 CEST Before Look Mum No Computer was confirmed for Eurovision 2026, the BBC faced reports about another possible UK act. In January, media claimed that a participant had been dropped. Routine checks had reportedly raised concerns about historic online comments. The Euro Trip Podcast later gave a more careful account. It reported that an unnamed act was told they would not represent the United Kingdom in Vienna. However, the person had not signed a contract. The BBC also said no formal offer had been made. That means the story is not a simple rejection. It suggests the artist was considered, but never officially chosen. Weeks later, the BBC announced Look Mum No Computer, the stage name of Sam Battle. His song “Eins, Zwei, Drei” gives the United Kingdom a strikingly unusual entry. With synth-pop, humour and eccentric British creativity, it marks a clear change of direction for the BBC at Eurovision. 🇦🇹 Austria — Cosmó, “Tanzschein” Running order: 25 | Rehearsal: 9 May, 16:45–17:10 CEST Hosting Eurovision has become more of a curse than an advantage. Since 2015, many host countries have struggled on the scoreboard. Austria finished 26th in 2015. Ukraine came 24th in 2017. Portugal ended last in 2018, while Israel placed 23rd in 2019. The Netherlands also finished 23rd in 2021. The United Kingdom came 25th in 2023. There were brighter results too. Sweden finished fifth in 2016 and ninth in 2024. Italy came sixth in 2022. Switzerland reached tenth in 2025 with Zoë Më and “Voyage”. Still, six of the last ten host countries ended in the bottom five. No host country has won Eurovision since Ireland in 1994. Fans often call this trend the “host country curse”. Some speculate that broadcasters avoid another expensive victory. Whatever the reason, hosting now seems to bring pressure rather than a clear advantage. Recent results make that debate easy to understand for many fans.  

Read More »
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