Liverpool live: Sweaty sweaters, video games and red feathers

Every participant has it’s second rehearsal today. That means we already know a lot and we can just say whether there are (major) changes or not. Different from other years, no independent journalists or fan media can join the rehearsals. What you read is what Eurovision.tv wants us to know.

photo credits: EBU/Sarah Louise Bennett/Corinne Cummings/Chloe Hashemi

Norway

The Norwegian act is the same as in the first rehearsal. According to the reporters of eurovision.tv she hit the high notes. Alessandra is currently 6th at the bookmakers, which means she might do well for Norway this year.

Malta

The Maltese act is one were a lot happens. And singer Dav jr. even wears two sweaters. He takes one off during the show. According to him that is quite…. sweaty. Dav already took part in the national final in 2020. However, he says it is now the right time to go to Eurovision. The day after he was eliminated from the X-Factor 2020, his father passed away, so that was not a good moment for Eurovision.
Unfortunately the bookmakers are not happy about Malta yet. Hopefully they are wrong this time!

Serbia

Sometimes it is difficult to know what will happen on tv when you are in the hall. That is why only now a lot of on-screen video game references came up in the reports. It fits in the act: somebody who just wants to sleep as there are so many bad things going on in the world. The song is written during the COVID19 lockdowns. Currently, Serbia is no. 17 in the betting odds.

Latvia

At least they have their outfits now, so it seems the luggage problem is solved. The band members are all wearing jackets and blouses with long, thin ties over it. Lead singer Andrejs Reinis Zitmanis wears a beige jacket, the others have darker cloths. Currently Latvia does not do well in the betting odds with a 35th place. However, we can not exclude a place in the final.

Portugal

Enthusiasm for the uptempo song Portugal brings on stage. There have not been many changes at all in the Portuguese entry. Mimicat still wears the feather dress that impressed in the first rehearsal. Portugal is currently 26th in the betting odds, which makes it likely that Mimicat will go through to the final.

Ireland

About Ireland, the same information is given by eurovision.tv as they did Monday: the members of Wild Youth are having fun on stage. Ireland is currently 24th at the betting odds. However, if you look at the qualifiers of semifinal one, they are 14th. A strange contradiction, and it makes the line on the official website quite cynical: “…and they look like they’re having the best time ever – the Irish delegation should be really happy”.

Croatia

Croatia’s Let 3 is having their second rehearsal, and their performance looks just as impressive on the big screen as it did in the hall, says eurovision.tv. However, the visual spectacle appears even more impressive and vibrant than before. The colors are now more intense and psychedelic, and the removal of clothing is now even more detailed and noticeable due to the high definition visuals. Judge for yourself if you should be happy with that. The betting ods give Croatia a 15th place.

in collaboration with Eurovision Artists

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Related news

Eurovision 2026

Eurovision 2026 reactions after second semi-final

The Eurovision 2026 reactions continued immediately after Thursday night’s second semi-final in Vienna. Bulgaria, Ukraine, Norway, Australia, Romania, Malta, Cyprus, Albania, Denmark and Czechia qualified for Saturday’s Grand Final. Azerbaijan, Luxembourg, Armenia, Switzerland and Latvia did not make it through. Since Eurovision will only reveal the detailed ranking after the final, the “winners” of the night are again the ten qualifiers. Social media quickly filled with tears, hugs and short messages from the green room. Qualifiers celebrate their Grand Final place Bulgaria’s DARA was the first name announced, and her disbelief was clear. In a filmed reaction, she said she “could not believe” it, while also underlining how much she loved being on stage with “Bangaranga”. Ukraine’s LELÉKA reacted with a softer kind of joy. She said she felt happy, hopeful and “lightful” after taking “Ridnym” to the final. Australia’s Delta Goodrem also moved quickly into gratitude mode. After qualifying with “Eclipse”, she called the moment “pure magic” and thanked fans for every vote, message and bit of love. Norway’s Jonas Lovv sounded equally relieved. Speaking to Norwegian press, he said the result felt “insanely” good and joked that his celebration plan was to go straight to bed. Malta’s AIDAN gave one of the most emotional reactions of the night. He said he was “genuinely so happy” and pointed out that the Maltese language was back on the Eurovision stage after 54 years. Denmark’s Søren Torpegaard Lund described himself as overwhelmed and happy, while Czechia’s Daniel Zizka said he was grateful, tired and still trying to understand what had happened. Albania’s Alis also remained emotional after “Nân” reached the final. Cyprus’ Antigoni thanked everyone who supported “JALLA” and said she had felt confident Cyprus could qualify. Romania’s Alexandra Căpitănescu also celebrated online after “Choke Me” secured Romania a place in the Grand Final. For all ten qualifiers, the mood immediately shifted from nerves to preparation for Saturday. Non-qualifiers thank fans and look back For the five non-qualifiers, the Eurovision 2026 reactions were more reflective. Luxembourg’s Eva Marija looked back with pride after “Mother Nature” missed the final. She said she had given everything, was proud of herself and felt grateful for the Eurovision adventure. Azerbaijan’s JIVA ended her performance by thanking Europe, but “Just Go” did not qualify. Armenia’s SIMÓN, Switzerland’s Veronica Fusaro and Latvia’s Atvara also stayed in the semi-final. Their latest Eurovision messages focused on the performance itself, the meaning behind their songs and the support around them. That made their reactions quieter, but not less meaningful. The second semi-final therefore showed the familiar two sides of Eurovision: pure celebration for the qualifiers and gratitude, disappointment and pride for those whose Vienna journey ended before Saturday.

Read More »
Eurovision 2026
Martijn

Eurovision 2026 reactions after second semi-final

The Eurovision 2026 reactions continued immediately after Thursday night’s second semi-final in Vienna. Bulgaria, Ukraine, Norway, Australia, Romania, Malta, Cyprus, Albania, Denmark and Czechia qualified for Saturday’s Grand Final. Azerbaijan, Luxembourg, Armenia, Switzerland and Latvia did not make it through. Since Eurovision will only reveal the detailed ranking after the final, the “winners” of the night are again the ten qualifiers. Social media quickly filled with tears, hugs and short messages from the green room. Qualifiers celebrate their Grand Final place Bulgaria’s DARA was the first name announced, and her disbelief was clear. In a filmed reaction, she said she “could not believe” it, while also underlining how much she loved being on stage with “Bangaranga”. Ukraine’s LELÉKA reacted with a softer kind of joy. She said she felt happy, hopeful and “lightful” after taking “Ridnym” to the final. Australia’s Delta Goodrem also moved quickly into gratitude mode. After qualifying with “Eclipse”, she called the moment “pure magic” and thanked fans for every vote, message and bit of love. Norway’s Jonas Lovv sounded equally relieved. Speaking to Norwegian press, he said the result felt “insanely” good and joked that his celebration plan was to go straight to bed. Malta’s AIDAN gave one of the most emotional reactions of the night. He said he was “genuinely so happy” and pointed out that the Maltese language was back on the Eurovision stage after 54 years. Denmark’s Søren Torpegaard Lund described himself as overwhelmed and happy, while Czechia’s Daniel Zizka said he was grateful, tired and still trying to understand what had happened. Albania’s Alis also remained emotional after “Nân” reached the final. Cyprus’ Antigoni thanked everyone who supported “JALLA” and said she had felt confident Cyprus could qualify. Romania’s Alexandra Căpitănescu also celebrated online after “Choke Me” secured Romania a place in the Grand Final. For all ten qualifiers, the mood immediately shifted from nerves to preparation for Saturday. Non-qualifiers thank fans and look back For the five non-qualifiers, the Eurovision 2026 reactions were more reflective. Luxembourg’s Eva Marija looked back with pride after “Mother Nature” missed the final. She said she had given everything, was proud of herself and felt grateful for the Eurovision adventure. Azerbaijan’s JIVA ended her performance by thanking Europe, but “Just Go” did not qualify. Armenia’s SIMÓN, Switzerland’s Veronica Fusaro and Latvia’s Atvara also stayed in the semi-final. Their latest Eurovision messages focused on the performance itself, the meaning behind their songs and the support around them. That made their reactions quieter, but not less meaningful. The second semi-final therefore showed the familiar two sides of Eurovision: pure celebration for the qualifiers and gratitude, disappointment and pride for those whose Vienna journey ended before Saturday.

Read More »
Follow Us: