Gooseberry season? No way, countries are making plans!

The 70th Eurovision Song Contest officially kicked off today in Vienna. First rehearsals remain closed to press — only three approved images per country will be released. Meanwhile, the official Eurovision subreddit is providing live descriptions of each performance. Eurovision Universe tried to find more information than the Eurovision blog provides us. We hope we succeeded in that. All countries below compete in Semi-Final 1 on Tuesday, 12 May. 🇲🇩 Moldova – Satoshi, “Viva Moldova!” Running order: 1 | Rehearsal: 10:30–11:00 CEST Moldova opened the entire contest on Saturday morning, and Satoshi hit the Wiener Stadthalle stage first among all 35 competing nations. In the lead-up to today’s rehearsal, he spoke openly to Moldovan state broadcaster Moldova 1 about his methodical preparation. “We record every rehearsal and analyse our performance, repeating exactly the movements we will make. We don’t have a rigid choreography, but we do have set positions. I feel quite confident. Things are happening as we planned.” Moreover, producer Roman Burlaca confirmed sweeping changes to the staging. Costumes are completely new, LED visuals have been upgraded, special effects added. A surprise “repeatable element” will be built in, though Burlaca stayed tight-lipped: “You will see it soon and understand.” Additionally, Satoshi announced on his Facebook page that the official music video was directed by Roman Burlaca, recorded by Nicu Lungu, and features the JOC National Ballet. Moldova performs 1st in Semi-Final 1 on 12 May. Moldova1 + 2 🇸🇪 Sweden – FELICIA, “My System” Running order: 2 | Rehearsal: 11:10–11:40 CEST According to the official Eurovision Reddit live blog, the performance opens with a smoke machine parting to reveal FELICIA, mask firmly on, before lasers engulf the entire stage. Crucially, Vienna brings something entirely new: in the second verse, FELICIA physically battles the lasers with her bare hands before taming them to frame her poses. Furthermore, the synths near the song’s climax make the arena floor physically vibrate. As a finale, a giant projection of FELICIA climbs out of the screens and into the audience. Swedish press were enthusiastic ahead of Vienna. Matilda Källén of Dagens Nyheter called the staging “maxed out, well-choreographed, and ready for Eurovision,” while Johan Hammerby of Hallandsposten dubbed it “world-class.” 🇭🇷 Croatia – LELEK, “Andromeda” Running order: 3 | Rehearsal: 11:50–12:20 CEST According to the Eurovision Reddit live blog, the performance opens with a walk down the full catwalk from the Green Room to the main stage. The five members then perform in deep blood-red robes, a visual step up from their Dora-winning look. LED screens carry the audience from a cave through a forest before closing with a wormhole sequence. Croatia Week described “Andromeda” as an atmospheric, cinematic ethno-pop track with powerful vocals, dramatic builds, and elements drawing from Croatian and Bosnian historical and cultural themes. This addresses generational trauma, resistance, and the strength of women across generations. At the heart of the song lies the tradition of sicanje. As Croatia Week explains, sicanje is a practice in which Croatian Catholics in parts of Bosnia, Herzegovina and Dalmatia tattooed crosses on their skin as a mark of identity and protection, particularly during times of oppression or the threat of forced conversion. Ahead of Vienna, HRT Magazine reported that LELEK themselves described the pressure of being favourites as “wind in our backs rather than a burden,” adding: “We don’t even want to imagine how it will be. We want to absorb the first emotion when we go on stage.” Furthermore, Telegrafi noted that the song’s lyrics, written by Tomislav Roso, with music by Filip Lacković, Lazar Pajić and Zorja Pajić, sparked international attention even before the Vienna rehearsals began, including a debate in Turkey over the song’s historical references.  Croatia Week + 3 🇬🇷 Greece – Akylas, “Ferto” Running order: 4 | Rehearsal: 12:45–13:15 CEST Greece enters Vienna as one of the strongest favourites, yet the delegation is actively keeping the full staging under wraps, a strategy that immediately recalls Joost Klein (Netherlands, 2024), who famously refused to reveal his “Europapa” staging until the live show in Malmö. Today’s Reddit live blog confirmed that Akylas performs in an orange and black outfit with furry boots and a distinctive hat, building a video game-like world on stage. Then he stops, removes his shades, and addresses his mother directly. However, key elements of the staging deliberately remain hidden. Speaking to ERT before flying to Vienna, Akylas said: “I don’t feel stressed, mainly excitement. We have studied everything and I believe that we will perform very well.” Creative director Fokas Evangelinos added: “It is a three-minute story with a beginning, middle and end, full of humour and emotion.” True to that approach, when a fan asked on Instagram after the stand-in rehearsal how it went, Akylas replied with just three words: “We’re doing very well.” No spoilers. No details. Exactly as planned.  🇵🇹 Portugal – Bandidos do Cante, “Rosa” Running order: 5 | Rehearsal: 13:25–13:55 CEST Portugal closed the opening rehearsal block. The group departed Lisbon Airport at 08:00 on 1 May, arriving in Vienna with their first Wiener Stadthalle rehearsal scheduled for the very next morning. In the days before arriving, broadcaster RTP actively posted on social media that the staging of “Rosa” has been reworked for Vienna, though the group deliberately kept the exact changes under wraps. The Portugal Post described “Rosa” as a performance that translates Alentejo heritage into something resonant across language barriers. That heritage is Cante Alentejano. This is a traditional vocal style the Alentejo region carries proudly.It even is UNESCO-recognised Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Bandidos do Cante offer something genuinely different: five voices, one tradition, and a song that quietly demands your full attention.  Lidador Noticias + 3 🇬🇪 Georgia – Bzikebi, “On Replay” Running order: 6 | Rehearsal: 15:00–15:30 CEST Georgia’s Eurovision 2026 rehearsal brought Bzikebi back to the big stage with a clear nod to their Junior Eurovision past. The trio wore black and yellow, but in a much more futuristic version than in 2008: yellow catsuits