Malmö Messages: The Big Five plus Sweden

We haven’t heard from the big five plus Sweden yet. Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the host Sweden automatically qualify for the final. They had their rehearsal tonight.

The United Kingdom was the first to rehearse. If you think you have ended up in the locker room of a boxing match; this is still the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö. Olly Alexander is wearing red pants and a white shirt. His hands are taped up. Around him are a number of dancers in red shorts and with bare chests. According to eurovision.tv, the camera moves in such a way that it seems as if the room is spinning. It could make you “Dizzy”.

EBU/Sarah Louise Bennett

Isaak, representing Germany, appears to be in a very luxurious living room while singing his song “Always on the run”. We see a fire pit, lots of flames, and the cube coming down again. Isaak himself is dressed in black and is flanked by four backup singers; live singing matters here too.

EBU/Sarah Louise Bennett

Marcus and Martinus are performing “Unforgettable” for Sweden. And as usual, the Swedes have the exact same act on stage as they did during Melodifestivalen. The twins are dressed in blue and black. On the LED screens behind them, and on the cube above them, many colors and patterns are visible. Occasionally, the title of the song also appears. The act is the same, but huge.

EBU/Alma Bengtsson

The contestant for France, Slimane, is dressed in white during his “Mon amour”. He starts lying down and sings the first part of the song on his knees. Later, he stands behind the microphone and steps away from it to sing the last piece a cappella. The smoke machine does its job.

EBU/Sarah Louise Bennett

The Spanish duo Nebulossa rehearsed next. Their song “Zorra” starts from the cube, which is now not hanging but has come all the way down. Mery is wearing pants with wide legs and a blouse with large puff sleeves. The red sofa, which Mery also was standing on during the national final, has come along to Malmö. There is smoke on the floor throughout the performance.

EBU/Corinne Cumming

Angelina Mango will perform for Italy in a red dress. On her arms and legs, we see some sort of plant images. The four dancers emerge from four large cubes to lift Angelina. She stands among them in front of a large throne made of branches. The whole scene is set against a backdrop of a sort of forest with bare trees. In short, there will be much to see during “La Noia.”

EBU/Corinne Cumming

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Vienna 12 points: the joy of being 2nd

Several countries start their second rehearsals in Vienna. As we still don’t have access to the rehearsals, we will do something else. Per entry, we highlight one subject and give you some more information. That can be something about the artist, the song, the lyrics or even something completely different.  🇩🇪 Germany — Sarah Engels, “Fire” Running order: – | Rehearsal: 9 May, 15:00–15:25 CEST Deutschland sucht den Superstar is one of Germany’s longest-running TV talent shows. Since its first broadcast on RTL in 2002, DSDS has introduced many singers to a national audience. One of its most memorable former contestants is Sarah Engels. Her story in the show was not an instant success. She auditioned in 2009 and 2010, but failed to reach the live shows. In 2011, her third attempt changed everything. Sarah reached the final of Deutschland sucht den Superstar and finished second behind Pietro Lombardi. That season also brought strong media attention, partly because Sarah and Pietro became a couple during the competition. For Sarah Engels, DSDS became the platform that launched a lasting music and television career. Her journey shows why casting shows can still matter. A failed audition does not always mark the end. Sometimes, as Sarah proved, it is only the beginning for many artists in Germany today. 🇫🇷 France — Monroe, “Regarde!” Running order: – | Rehearsal: 9 May, 15:35–16:00 CEST France at Eurovision has rediscovered its confidence since Barbara Pravi’s “Voilà” in 2021. The chanson finished second with 499 points and quickly became a modern Eurovision classic. It gave France something it had missed for years: a clear identity and real winning momentum. The years after “Voilà” were not perfect. Alvan & Ahez finished 24th in 2022, while La Zarra ended 16th in 2023. Still, both entries showed France was willing to take risks. In 2024, Slimane restored the country’s place near the top. His emotional performance of “Mon amour” finished fourth with 445 points. In 2025, Louane kept the positive run alive, taking seventh place with “maman”. This year, Monroe’s “Regarde !” keeps France in the top-five conversation. Whether it reaches that result remains uncertain. Yet France now looks like a country that believes in its Eurovision choices again. That confidence may be its strongest result of the decade so far. 🇬🇧 United Kingdom — Look Mum No Computer, “Eins, Zwei, Drei” Running order: – | Rehearsal: 9 May, 16:10–16:35 CEST Before Look Mum No Computer was confirmed for Eurovision 2026, the BBC faced reports about another possible UK act. In January, media claimed that a participant had been dropped. Routine checks had reportedly raised concerns about historic online comments. The Euro Trip Podcast later gave a more careful account. It reported that an unnamed act was told they would not represent the United Kingdom in Vienna. However, the person had not signed a contract. The BBC also said no formal offer had been made. That means the story is not a simple rejection. It suggests the artist was considered, but never officially chosen. Weeks later, the BBC announced Look Mum No Computer, the stage name of Sam Battle. His song “Eins, Zwei, Drei” gives the United Kingdom a strikingly unusual entry. With synth-pop, humour and eccentric British creativity, it marks a clear change of direction for the BBC at Eurovision. 🇦🇹 Austria — Cosmó, “Tanzschein” Running order: 25 | Rehearsal: 9 May, 16:45–17:10 CEST Hosting Eurovision has become more of a curse than an advantage. Since 2015, many host countries have struggled on the scoreboard. Austria finished 26th in 2015. Ukraine came 24th in 2017. Portugal ended last in 2018, while Israel placed 23rd in 2019. The Netherlands also finished 23rd in 2021. The United Kingdom came 25th in 2023. There were brighter results too. Sweden finished fifth in 2016 and ninth in 2024. Italy came sixth in 2022. Switzerland reached tenth in 2025 with Zoë Më and “Voyage”. Still, six of the last ten host countries ended in the bottom five. No host country has won Eurovision since Ireland in 1994. Fans often call this trend the “host country curse”. Some speculate that broadcasters avoid another expensive victory. Whatever the reason, hosting now seems to bring pressure rather than a clear advantage. Recent results make that debate easy to understand for many fans.  

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Eurovision 2026
Martijn

Vienna 12 points: the joy of being 2nd

Several countries start their second rehearsals in Vienna. As we still don’t have access to the rehearsals, we will do something else. Per entry, we highlight one subject and give you some more information. That can be something about the artist, the song, the lyrics or even something completely different.  🇩🇪 Germany — Sarah Engels, “Fire” Running order: – | Rehearsal: 9 May, 15:00–15:25 CEST Deutschland sucht den Superstar is one of Germany’s longest-running TV talent shows. Since its first broadcast on RTL in 2002, DSDS has introduced many singers to a national audience. One of its most memorable former contestants is Sarah Engels. Her story in the show was not an instant success. She auditioned in 2009 and 2010, but failed to reach the live shows. In 2011, her third attempt changed everything. Sarah reached the final of Deutschland sucht den Superstar and finished second behind Pietro Lombardi. That season also brought strong media attention, partly because Sarah and Pietro became a couple during the competition. For Sarah Engels, DSDS became the platform that launched a lasting music and television career. Her journey shows why casting shows can still matter. A failed audition does not always mark the end. Sometimes, as Sarah proved, it is only the beginning for many artists in Germany today. 🇫🇷 France — Monroe, “Regarde!” Running order: – | Rehearsal: 9 May, 15:35–16:00 CEST France at Eurovision has rediscovered its confidence since Barbara Pravi’s “Voilà” in 2021. The chanson finished second with 499 points and quickly became a modern Eurovision classic. It gave France something it had missed for years: a clear identity and real winning momentum. The years after “Voilà” were not perfect. Alvan & Ahez finished 24th in 2022, while La Zarra ended 16th in 2023. Still, both entries showed France was willing to take risks. In 2024, Slimane restored the country’s place near the top. His emotional performance of “Mon amour” finished fourth with 445 points. In 2025, Louane kept the positive run alive, taking seventh place with “maman”. This year, Monroe’s “Regarde !” keeps France in the top-five conversation. Whether it reaches that result remains uncertain. Yet France now looks like a country that believes in its Eurovision choices again. That confidence may be its strongest result of the decade so far. 🇬🇧 United Kingdom — Look Mum No Computer, “Eins, Zwei, Drei” Running order: – | Rehearsal: 9 May, 16:10–16:35 CEST Before Look Mum No Computer was confirmed for Eurovision 2026, the BBC faced reports about another possible UK act. In January, media claimed that a participant had been dropped. Routine checks had reportedly raised concerns about historic online comments. The Euro Trip Podcast later gave a more careful account. It reported that an unnamed act was told they would not represent the United Kingdom in Vienna. However, the person had not signed a contract. The BBC also said no formal offer had been made. That means the story is not a simple rejection. It suggests the artist was considered, but never officially chosen. Weeks later, the BBC announced Look Mum No Computer, the stage name of Sam Battle. His song “Eins, Zwei, Drei” gives the United Kingdom a strikingly unusual entry. With synth-pop, humour and eccentric British creativity, it marks a clear change of direction for the BBC at Eurovision. 🇦🇹 Austria — Cosmó, “Tanzschein” Running order: 25 | Rehearsal: 9 May, 16:45–17:10 CEST Hosting Eurovision has become more of a curse than an advantage. Since 2015, many host countries have struggled on the scoreboard. Austria finished 26th in 2015. Ukraine came 24th in 2017. Portugal ended last in 2018, while Israel placed 23rd in 2019. The Netherlands also finished 23rd in 2021. The United Kingdom came 25th in 2023. There were brighter results too. Sweden finished fifth in 2016 and ninth in 2024. Italy came sixth in 2022. Switzerland reached tenth in 2025 with Zoë Më and “Voyage”. Still, six of the last ten host countries ended in the bottom five. No host country has won Eurovision since Ireland in 1994. Fans often call this trend the “host country curse”. Some speculate that broadcasters avoid another expensive victory. Whatever the reason, hosting now seems to bring pressure rather than a clear advantage. Recent results make that debate easy to understand for many fans.  

Read More »
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