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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Blast from the past

Blast from the past: Ireland 1986

We know a lot about Eurovision and we want to share this knowledge with you! Therefore we’d like to bring you a blast from the past. Today, we go back to 1986, when Luv Bug represented Ireland with the song “You Can Count On Me”. Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest Ireland debuted at Eurovision in 1965 and holds a joint‑record seven victories, remaining the only country to win three in a row (1992–94). The winners are: Dana (1970); Johnny Logan (1980, 1987); Linda Martin (1992); Niamh Kavanagh (1993); Paul Harrington & Charlie McGettigan (1994); and Eimear Quinn (1996). Johnny Logan also wrote Linda Martin’s winner. Recent scores show a mixed picture: in 2024, Bambie Thug’s “Doomsday Blue” placed 6th in the Grand Final with 278 points after finishing 3rd in its semi‑final;  in 2025, Emmy’s “Laika Party” finished 13th in Semi‑Final Two and did not qualify; and in 2023, Wild Youth missed the final. Before that, Ireland last qualified in 2018, when Ryan O’Shaughnessy’s “Together” finished 16th; 2021–23 all ended in the semi‑finals. The 2024 result was Ireland’s best in more than two decades overall for the country. Despite fluctuations, Ireland remains the record‑holder with seven wins, now shared with Sweden. Johnny Logan Irish National Song Contest 1986 The Irish national final in those days was called The Irish National Song Contest. A total of 9 different artists each sang one song. The contest was held on 30 March in the RTVÉ TV Studios in Dublin. Eleven regional juries made the decision. Fran Meen, “Here In The Night“, 12 pts, 5th Luv Bug, “You Can Count On Me“, 35 pts, 1st Theresa Lowe, “Only The Lonely Survive“, 2 pts, 8th The Rockets, “Life In The City“, 3 pts, 6th John Spillane & Mandy Murphy, “Ringo“, 3 pts, 6th Honor Heffernan, “Honey“, 19 pts, 3rd Loudest Whisper, “Johnny, Where Are You Now?“, 22 pts, 2nd Linda Martin, “If I Can Change Your Mind“, 14 pts, 4th Jim Walsh, “I’ll Never Love Again“, 0 pts, 9th   Linda Martin was already a familiar name in 1986, because 2 years earlier she represented Ireland. With a song penned by Johnny Logan, she would win in 1992. Also this year’s song was written by Johnny. Luv Bug Luv Bug is an Irish pop group from Newry, County Down. The group was formed in 1977 by siblings June, Hugh and Max Cunningham with Ricky Meyler and Majella Grant. After early charting singles on the Irish charts, including a cover of “Red Light Spells Danger” (1984) and the homegrown hits “Look at Me I’m Dancing” and “On My Own,” the band won Ireland’s National Song Contest in March 1986. That victory sent Luv Bug to the Eurovision Song Contest in Bergen with “You Can Count On Me” , a career‑defining moment that reached Ireland’s top five. Formed as a teenage band, Luv Bug turned professional in 1982 with manager Michael Magill and built a reputation as a live act across Ireland. Through the late 1980s the group toured widely, released an album, and briefly recorded for Virgin under the alias Heart of Ice. They returned to Ireland’s Eurosong in 1992 with “Close to Your Heart,” placing behind eventual Eurovision winner Linda Martin. Notably, Luv Bug were the first Northern group to represent the Republic at Eurovision. Today they remain an in‑demand live act for events and festivals across Ireland. You Can Count On Me “You Can Count On Me” was Ireland’s 1986 Eurovision entry, performed by Luv Bug and written by Kevin Sheerin. The song placed fourth in Bergen with 96 points after winning Ireland’s National Song Contest earlier that spring on RTÉ television. Musically it’s classic mid‑’80s pop: a bright, radio‑friendly ballad with synth gloss and warm backing vocals, balanced by Noel Kelehan’s live orchestral arrangement. The hook‑driven chorus and polished production helped it stand out on the night, and the single became an Irish hit, reaching No. 2 in Ireland. 

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Blast from the past
Martijn

Blast from the past: Ireland 1986

We know a lot about Eurovision and we want to share this knowledge with you! Therefore we’d like to bring you a blast from the past. Today, we go back to 1986, when Luv Bug represented Ireland with the song “You Can Count On Me”. Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest Ireland debuted at Eurovision in 1965 and holds a joint‑record seven victories, remaining the only country to win three in a row (1992–94). The winners are: Dana (1970); Johnny Logan (1980, 1987); Linda Martin (1992); Niamh Kavanagh (1993); Paul Harrington & Charlie McGettigan (1994); and Eimear Quinn (1996). Johnny Logan also wrote Linda Martin’s winner. Recent scores show a mixed picture: in 2024, Bambie Thug’s “Doomsday Blue” placed 6th in the Grand Final with 278 points after finishing 3rd in its semi‑final;  in 2025, Emmy’s “Laika Party” finished 13th in Semi‑Final Two and did not qualify; and in 2023, Wild Youth missed the final. Before that, Ireland last qualified in 2018, when Ryan O’Shaughnessy’s “Together” finished 16th; 2021–23 all ended in the semi‑finals. The 2024 result was Ireland’s best in more than two decades overall for the country. Despite fluctuations, Ireland remains the record‑holder with seven wins, now shared with Sweden. Johnny Logan Irish National Song Contest 1986 The Irish national final in those days was called The Irish National Song Contest. A total of 9 different artists each sang one song. The contest was held on 30 March in the RTVÉ TV Studios in Dublin. Eleven regional juries made the decision. Fran Meen, “Here In The Night“, 12 pts, 5th Luv Bug, “You Can Count On Me“, 35 pts, 1st Theresa Lowe, “Only The Lonely Survive“, 2 pts, 8th The Rockets, “Life In The City“, 3 pts, 6th John Spillane & Mandy Murphy, “Ringo“, 3 pts, 6th Honor Heffernan, “Honey“, 19 pts, 3rd Loudest Whisper, “Johnny, Where Are You Now?“, 22 pts, 2nd Linda Martin, “If I Can Change Your Mind“, 14 pts, 4th Jim Walsh, “I’ll Never Love Again“, 0 pts, 9th   Linda Martin was already a familiar name in 1986, because 2 years earlier she represented Ireland. With a song penned by Johnny Logan, she would win in 1992. Also this year’s song was written by Johnny. Luv Bug Luv Bug is an Irish pop group from Newry, County Down. The group was formed in 1977 by siblings June, Hugh and Max Cunningham with Ricky Meyler and Majella Grant. After early charting singles on the Irish charts, including a cover of “Red Light Spells Danger” (1984) and the homegrown hits “Look at Me I’m Dancing” and “On My Own,” the band won Ireland’s National Song Contest in March 1986. That victory sent Luv Bug to the Eurovision Song Contest in Bergen with “You Can Count On Me” , a career‑defining moment that reached Ireland’s top five. Formed as a teenage band, Luv Bug turned professional in 1982 with manager Michael Magill and built a reputation as a live act across Ireland. Through the late 1980s the group toured widely, released an album, and briefly recorded for Virgin under the alias Heart of Ice. They returned to Ireland’s Eurosong in 1992 with “Close to Your Heart,” placing behind eventual Eurovision winner Linda Martin. Notably, Luv Bug were the first Northern group to represent the Republic at Eurovision. Today they remain an in‑demand live act for events and festivals across Ireland. You Can Count On Me “You Can Count On Me” was Ireland’s 1986 Eurovision entry, performed by Luv Bug and written by Kevin Sheerin. The song placed fourth in Bergen with 96 points after winning Ireland’s National Song Contest earlier that spring on RTÉ television. Musically it’s classic mid‑’80s pop: a bright, radio‑friendly ballad with synth gloss and warm backing vocals, balanced by Noel Kelehan’s live orchestral arrangement. The hook‑driven chorus and polished production helped it stand out on the night, and the single became an Irish hit, reaching No. 2 in Ireland. 

Read More »
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