Day 4: new sun troubles, a Swedish circle and many more

Today is the day of the stage again. Today the EBU has made an official statement about it: “During the technical tests in Turin, the production team has experienced challenges with how long it takes to adjust the “sun” to different positions in the time between the different performances. Together with the host station RAI it was therefore decided that the sun will remain in the same position during all 40 songs, to ensure a fair competition for all participating countries.”. What position that is, is still being discussed. So to be continued again. It is certain that a number of countries now have to make changes in their staging.

Meanwhile, 9 countries rehearsed for their performance in the second semifinal.

IRELAND: Brooke takes the stage in a bright blue suit. During her performance she is assisted by four dancers. They start the song lying on the floor! Ireland uses many floor projections. Brooke is also praised by Eurovision.tv for her strong voice. Pyrotechnics are used at the end of her performance.

NORTH MACEDONIA: Andrea stands alone on the podium for North Macedonia. She sings her song completely wrapped in black leather. In her performance she uses the lifting bridges over the water. Shadows of hands are visible on the LED screens. The sun is not only orange but also white and blue.

ESTONIA: Stefan starts his performance on the B stage. He is accompanied only by his guitar. Later in the song, he goes wild: then he uses the entire stage to present his performance. The two cowboys from the national final stayed home.

ROMANIA: WRS from Romania wears glittering wetlook trousers. He also wears a red blouse, but according to Eurovision tradition, that goes off. He turns out to be wearing a sleeveless shirt with glitter underneath. There is a lot of dancing. As a result, the Romanian likely gets a lot of attention from the crowd.

POLAND: The Polish competitor Ochman is also in black, he wears a black suit. He is assisted by four dancers, who seem to represent some kind of water spirits. Flashing light effects can be seen during the performance. The waterfall on the stage is also used… what else could we expect with a song about a river?

MONTENEGRO: Vladana has her entire performance on the B stage. She wears a blue dress during her performance. The background is also blue, with splashes of white as graphics. Vladana mainly remains in one place.

BELGIUM: The Belgian Jérémie Makiese impressed with his song. Jérémie is flanked by four dancers. He himself wears blue-grey trousers, a black shirt and a silver jacket, while the dancers wear black jackets. At the end of the act all the light falls on Jérémie, who is standing on a platform on which flames are projected.

SWEDEN: Cornelia Jakobs ranks high among the bookmakers. As the Swedes always do, Cornelia Jakobs also puts on the same act as during the national final Melodifestivalen. The starry sky at the beginning, the large, first green and then red, circular plate right behind Cornelia, even the silver-black clothing and the bare feet are the same.

CZECH REPUBLIC: The Czech group We Are Domi is the last to rehearse today. The group uses a lot of light, which makes you feel like you’re in a disco. Funny effect: the ‘sun’ on stage looks like a vinyl album here. Eurovision.tv mentions the cello-string guitar: the guitarist made it himself.

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Eurovision 2026

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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