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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🇧🇬 DARA returns home to a hero’s welcome in Bulgaria Bulgaria celebrated its first ever Eurovision victory in style this week. On Sunday, a red carpet, a “Bangaranga” flash mob at Sofia’s Vasil Levski Airport, and hundreds of fans waving posters and Bulgarian flags, some dressed in traditional kukeri costumes, greeted DARA upon her arrival from Vienna.  Culture Minister Evtim Miloshev and Sofia Mayor Vasil Terziev were among the officials who welcomed her. That was before she disappeared into the sea of supporters gathered at the terminal. DARA addressed the crowd with an emotional speech. She thanked her fans and called on Bulgaria to support its many talented artists. Her music producer Sania Armutlieva told BNT: “There’s no slowing down now. This is her moment.”  DARA secured victory in Vienna on May 16 with the largest winning margin in Eurovision’s 70-year history, receiving 516 points in total, including 312 from viewers. source: brnnews 🇧🇬 Kirkorov claims involvement in “Bangaranga” — co-writer and team deny it The post-contest buzz has not been without controversy. Videos circulated online after the final showing Russian singer Philipp Kirkorov discussing Bulgaria’s Eurovision performance and claiming that his team had participated in preparing DARA’s stage production. Kirkorov is a long-standing public supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to Eurovision’s official credits, Greek composer Dimitris Kontopoulos was among the writers of “Bangaranga.” Kontopoulos has an established history of collaboration with Kirkorov, having worked together on several Russian Eurovision entries in the 2010s. source:  united24media Philipp Kirkorov However, both denied Kirkorov’s involvement in this specific project. Kontopoulos told RFI on May 18 that while Kirkorov has supported him over the years, he was not involved in this particular project. Co-producer Kristian Tarcea also denied any Kirkorov involvement, stating the track was created by four contributors: himself, DARA, Kontopoulos, and a composer named Anna.  Ukrainian stage designer Nicholas Chobb, who worked on the performance, said he first learned of Kirkorov’s claims on social media and could not confirm his participation at any stage of the production process. Neither DARA nor Bulgaria’s public broadcaster BNT publicly commented on Kirkorov’s statements. source: united24media 🇧🇬 Four Bulgarian cities want to host Eurovision 2027 The race for the Eurovision 2027 host city has already begun. Bulgarian Culture Minister Evtim Miloshev confirmed that the Council of Ministers will create an organisational structure for the country’s hosting of the Eurovision Song Contest.  Sofia, Bulgaria Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna and Burgas have all expressed interest in staging the event. The minister indicated that Sofia’s infrastructure gives it an advantage, but called the interest shown by three other major cities a positive sign. He said the most reasonable approach is to consider all options before making a final decision. No timeline for that decision has been announced yet. source: bnrnews 🇱🇺 🇲🇨 In memoriam: Romuald (1938–2026) The Eurovision community lost a unique figure this week. Romuald Figuier, known simply as Romuald, passed away on 14 May 2026. He was 87 years old. Born on 9 May 1938 in Saint-Pol-de-Léon, Finistère, Romuald was a French singer and composer who represented three different countries at Eurovision. He remains the only French-speaking artist to have achieved that distinction. Romuald represented Monaco in 1964 with “Où sont-elles passées?”, finishing third, then Luxembourg in 1969 with “Catherine”, and Monaco again in 1974 with “Celui qui reste et celui qui s’en va”, finishing fourth.  He began his career at the Théâtre des Variétés and later provided the French voice of George Chakiris in “Les Demoiselles de Rochefort” in 1967. Throughout his career he composed numerous songs, many in collaboration with lyricist Magali Fallourd. You can read his full biography in our encyclopedia. source: Le Figaro That’s it for this week’s Eurovision Universe weekly update. Stay tuned for more Eurovision 2026 and Eurovision 2027 news as it develops.

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Eurovision 2026
Martijn

Weekly Update 1

🇧🇬 DARA returns home to a hero’s welcome in Bulgaria Bulgaria celebrated its first ever Eurovision victory in style this week. On Sunday, a red carpet, a “Bangaranga” flash mob at Sofia’s Vasil Levski Airport, and hundreds of fans waving posters and Bulgarian flags, some dressed in traditional kukeri costumes, greeted DARA upon her arrival from Vienna.  Culture Minister Evtim Miloshev and Sofia Mayor Vasil Terziev were among the officials who welcomed her. That was before she disappeared into the sea of supporters gathered at the terminal. DARA addressed the crowd with an emotional speech. She thanked her fans and called on Bulgaria to support its many talented artists. Her music producer Sania Armutlieva told BNT: “There’s no slowing down now. This is her moment.”  DARA secured victory in Vienna on May 16 with the largest winning margin in Eurovision’s 70-year history, receiving 516 points in total, including 312 from viewers. source: brnnews 🇧🇬 Kirkorov claims involvement in “Bangaranga” — co-writer and team deny it The post-contest buzz has not been without controversy. Videos circulated online after the final showing Russian singer Philipp Kirkorov discussing Bulgaria’s Eurovision performance and claiming that his team had participated in preparing DARA’s stage production. Kirkorov is a long-standing public supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to Eurovision’s official credits, Greek composer Dimitris Kontopoulos was among the writers of “Bangaranga.” Kontopoulos has an established history of collaboration with Kirkorov, having worked together on several Russian Eurovision entries in the 2010s. source:  united24media Philipp Kirkorov However, both denied Kirkorov’s involvement in this specific project. Kontopoulos told RFI on May 18 that while Kirkorov has supported him over the years, he was not involved in this particular project. Co-producer Kristian Tarcea also denied any Kirkorov involvement, stating the track was created by four contributors: himself, DARA, Kontopoulos, and a composer named Anna.  Ukrainian stage designer Nicholas Chobb, who worked on the performance, said he first learned of Kirkorov’s claims on social media and could not confirm his participation at any stage of the production process. Neither DARA nor Bulgaria’s public broadcaster BNT publicly commented on Kirkorov’s statements. source: united24media 🇧🇬 Four Bulgarian cities want to host Eurovision 2027 The race for the Eurovision 2027 host city has already begun. Bulgarian Culture Minister Evtim Miloshev confirmed that the Council of Ministers will create an organisational structure for the country’s hosting of the Eurovision Song Contest.  Sofia, Bulgaria Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna and Burgas have all expressed interest in staging the event. The minister indicated that Sofia’s infrastructure gives it an advantage, but called the interest shown by three other major cities a positive sign. He said the most reasonable approach is to consider all options before making a final decision. No timeline for that decision has been announced yet. source: bnrnews 🇱🇺 🇲🇨 In memoriam: Romuald (1938–2026) The Eurovision community lost a unique figure this week. Romuald Figuier, known simply as Romuald, passed away on 14 May 2026. He was 87 years old. Born on 9 May 1938 in Saint-Pol-de-Léon, Finistère, Romuald was a French singer and composer who represented three different countries at Eurovision. He remains the only French-speaking artist to have achieved that distinction. Romuald represented Monaco in 1964 with “Où sont-elles passées?”, finishing third, then Luxembourg in 1969 with “Catherine”, and Monaco again in 1974 with “Celui qui reste et celui qui s’en va”, finishing fourth.  He began his career at the Théâtre des Variétés and later provided the French voice of George Chakiris in “Les Demoiselles de Rochefort” in 1967. Throughout his career he composed numerous songs, many in collaboration with lyricist Magali Fallourd. You can read his full biography in our encyclopedia. source: Le Figaro That’s it for this week’s Eurovision Universe weekly update. Stay tuned for more Eurovision 2026 and Eurovision 2027 news as it develops.

Read More »
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