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

EBU warning Israel after voting campaign

📷EBU/Corinne Cumming The EBU warning to Israel concerns broadcaster KAN and its promotion of “Michelle” by Noam Bettan. The song is Israel’s Eurovision 2026 entry. The warning followed promotional videos in which viewers were urged to use all ten votes for Israel. Eurovision director Martin Green said the EBU contacted the delegation soon after the videos appeared. The campaign was then removed from the relevant platforms. According to the EBU, such a direct voting appeal does not fit the contest rules. It also goes against the spirit of fair competition. KAN said the campaign was the artist’s own initiative. The broadcaster also denied that illegal funding was involved. Rule changes after Israel debate The EBU warning to Israel is notable because it comes in the first year under stricter Eurovision rules. These changes followed the debate after Eurovision 2025. That year, Israel’s Yuval Raphael finished second overall and won the public vote. Several broadcasters and commentators then raised questions about promotion, voting transparency and organised support. As a result, the EBU changed parts of the voting system. The maximum number of votes per payment method was reduced from 20 to 10. Professional juries also returned to the semi-finals. In addition, the EBU tightened its rules on disproportionate promotion. This is especially relevant when governments or third parties are involved. Israel’s Eurovision entries have also faced repeated scrutiny over lyrics. In 2024, Eden Golan’s original song “October Rain” was rejected by the EBU. The lyrics were seen as too political for the contest. A second version, “Dance Forever”, was also not accepted in its first form. Israel eventually competed with the revised song “Hurricane”. This year, Israel’s 2026 entry was approved only after extra checks and reported minor changes. Taken together, the warning, the rule changes and the lyric interventions show a clear pattern. Israel remains part of Eurovision, and KAN denies deliberate rule-breaking. Still, Israel again seems to test how far the rules go. Time after time, the country appears to search for the edges of what is allowed.           

Read More »
Eurovision 2026
Martijn

EBU warning Israel after voting campaign

📷EBU/Corinne Cumming The EBU warning to Israel concerns broadcaster KAN and its promotion of “Michelle” by Noam Bettan. The song is Israel’s Eurovision 2026 entry. The warning followed promotional videos in which viewers were urged to use all ten votes for Israel. Eurovision director Martin Green said the EBU contacted the delegation soon after the videos appeared. The campaign was then removed from the relevant platforms. According to the EBU, such a direct voting appeal does not fit the contest rules. It also goes against the spirit of fair competition. KAN said the campaign was the artist’s own initiative. The broadcaster also denied that illegal funding was involved. Rule changes after Israel debate The EBU warning to Israel is notable because it comes in the first year under stricter Eurovision rules. These changes followed the debate after Eurovision 2025. That year, Israel’s Yuval Raphael finished second overall and won the public vote. Several broadcasters and commentators then raised questions about promotion, voting transparency and organised support. As a result, the EBU changed parts of the voting system. The maximum number of votes per payment method was reduced from 20 to 10. Professional juries also returned to the semi-finals. In addition, the EBU tightened its rules on disproportionate promotion. This is especially relevant when governments or third parties are involved. Israel’s Eurovision entries have also faced repeated scrutiny over lyrics. In 2024, Eden Golan’s original song “October Rain” was rejected by the EBU. The lyrics were seen as too political for the contest. A second version, “Dance Forever”, was also not accepted in its first form. Israel eventually competed with the revised song “Hurricane”. This year, Israel’s 2026 entry was approved only after extra checks and reported minor changes. Taken together, the warning, the rule changes and the lyric interventions show a clear pattern. Israel remains part of Eurovision, and KAN denies deliberate rule-breaking. Still, Israel again seems to test how far the rules go. Time after time, the country appears to search for the edges of what is allowed.           

Read More »
Follow Us: