Basel Bulletin: a treadmill, a boat, a pier and blue

đŸ“· Thomas Ramstorfer

This rehearsal afternoon is about a treadmill, a boat, a pier and blue. Today we started the rehearsals of the second semifinal. We tell you everything we know about the second row of 4 countries in this article.

EBU has decided to release photo’s of it only the day after. But still we can show you (if available) the national final performance or any other live performance so you got an idea what the artists are capable of. Disclaimer: for the description of the performance, we have to do it with what the EBU tells us.

🇩đŸ‡Č Armenia

Armenia’s PARG, also known as Pargev Vardanian, presents a new staging concept for Survivor, distinct from his Depi Evratesil performance. The setup features overhead “lego” lights lowered to two levels, creating a tunnel effect that frames the stage in industrial tones. PARG begins the performance between the two lighting sections, lit by spotlights. The majority of the routine takes place on a treadmill positioned on the frame stage. He sprints during the chanting chorus sections and slows for the middle eight, matching the musical shifts. His outfit now consists of a black vest and loose, studded black leather trousers. During the final chorus, the lighting rig lifts, opening the stage. Pyro includes flame jets and smoke rising from the treadmill.

🇩đŸ‡č Austria

Austria’s JJ, also known as Johannes Pietsch, rehearses Wasted Love, a theatrical entry staged entirely in black and white. JJ performs throughout from within a small wooden boat placed centre stage, featuring a mast and sail. The staging, directed by Sergio Jaen, uses lighting to create stark contrasts between light and shadow, increasing in intensity as the song progresses. During the second chorus, a storm begins, enhanced by wind machines, spinning cameras, and flashing strobes. JJ incorporates expressive, wind-resisted choreography without leaving the boat. As the drum and bass section builds, the LED wall displays crashing waves and storm clouds. At the end, a lighthouse appears on the LED wall, while an overhead shot shows the boat surrounded by a swirling vortex. JJ wears a long black leather coat with metallic detailing.

đŸ‡ŹđŸ‡· Greece

Greece’s Klavdia rehearses Asteromáta, a ballad accompanied by symbolic staging elements. The performance opens with Klavdia standing on a pier, which leads to a large central rock where she sings most of the song. A second performer, a female dancer, joins her briefly during the second verse before moving away, visually reinforcing the song’s theme of separation. Klavdia wears a long, fitted gown adorned with small jewels, appearing either black or dark navy under different lighting. Overhead camera shots create the illusion of water around the pier, which transitions into volcanic imagery and burning trees on the LED wall as the song intensifies. At the end, blue lighting effects respond to Klavdia’s gestures, and the lego lights descend in layered formation above the stage.

đŸ‡±đŸ‡č Litouwen

Lithuania’s Katarsis close the day with TAVO AKYS, maintaining the core visual concept of their national final performance. The stage features the same elements—blue outfits, bleak digital landscapes, an exploding house, and flying debris during the final chorus—but expanded across the LED wall and floor for added scale. The band members are more spread out on the Basel stage, and during the second verse, lead singer Lukas moves to the frame stage alongside guitarists Alanas and Emilija. The overall structure and flow remain consistent with the original, though the Basel staging adds enhanced lighting and effects. A wind machine and varied camera angles contribute to the build-up. At the end, descending lights form a wing-like shape as strobes flash and the performance concludes in white light.

 

Related news

Uncategorized

70 years of Eurovision: politics and heart problems

The Eurovision Song Contest is celebrating its 70th anniversary. That is a wonderful milestone. We at Eurovision Universe love diving into the history of the contest. That is why we are taking a closer look at the contests of the past 70 years. 2016 MĂ„ns Zelmerlöw hosted the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest together with the inevitable Petra Meede. The contest was held at the Globe Arena in Stockholm. Bulgaria, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Ukraine returned. Portugal and Romania did not participate. The songs Bojan Jovović of the Montenegrin group No Name returned in a different band, Highway. Greta SalomĂ© took the stage for Iceland for the second time. The Bosnian Deen also participated for a second time. Kaliopi was once again the Macedonian candidate. Bulgaria sent Poli Genova again, who was much more successful with “If Love Was A Crime” than during her first participation. Poli managed to achieve a record for Bulgaria: a fourth place. Donny Montell tried for a second time for Lithuania, and Ira Losco took the stage for Malta again. The latter set aside her winning national final song in search of a better track, and found it in “Walk on Water”. All in all, a festival with a lot of experience. There were famous names as well. Ireland sent Nicky Byrne, former member of the boy band Westlife. In vain; he did not make it to the final. Sergey Lazarev was already a huge star in Russia and the surrounding countries. The fact that he participated was therefore remarkable. He was also considered the favorite for the final victory. The images on the LED screens made it seem as if Sergey was in a kind of music video. While singing “You Are The Only One,” it looked as if he was sitting on boulders and jumping from one block to another. The Belarusian Ivan attracted attention. He wanted to appear on stage naked and with a wolf. The EBU did not allow that. Eventually, the wolf appeared on the LED screen. Ivan did too, naked, but neatly covered. Mental health issues plagued the Norwegian singer Agnete: she did not appear at press conferences. And perhaps she didn’t mind too much that she didn’t make it to the final. She called her performance a victory in itself. The final The final was opened by Laura Tesoro from Belgium. No one in Belgium had any confidence in a good outcome for Laura. That is, until they saw Laura’s act and confident performance in Stockholm. Laura achieved a respectable tenth place. The Dutchman Douwe Bob did something special during his performance. In the song “Slow Down,” he inserted a ten-second silence to emphasize the lyrics. Swedish participant Frans managed to score a modest European hit with his song “If I Were Sorry.” The Pole MichaƂ Szpak scored surprisingly high with the televoter, something that caused much grumbling about the Polish diaspora. South Korean-born Dami Im represented Australia, where she had lived for almost her entire life. “Sound of Silence” was in contention for the final victory right up to the very end. ZoĂ« also stood out; this Austrian sang her song “Loin d’Ici” entirely in French. Final Battle The EBU had decided to change the voting method. Those exciting ‘twelve points’ were now the points from the professional jury. The televoter points were added together and announced by the presenters from bottom to top. This kept the festival exciting until the very last moment. The Australian Dami Im was the favorite with the professional jury, but the Russian Sergey Lazarev won with the televoter. Ultimately, the country that came second with both juries won: Ukraine. Jamala The Ukrainian Jamala had previously participated in the national final. With her song “1944”, she won for the first time. This song was about the deportation and murder of the Crimean Tatars by Stalin in 1944. “When strangers are coming, they come to your house, they kill you all and say: we’re not guilty”. Ukraines song was about a historical fact but could hardly be viewed separately from the Russian occupation of Crimea in 2014. The Russians were of course not amused that this particular song prevented them from achieving a second victory. 2017 Eurovision went to Kyiv again. The event was held at the International Exhibition Centre. For the first time, three men hosted it: Oleksandr Skichko, Volodymyr Ostapchuk, and Timur Miroshnychenko. Portugal and Romania participated again, but Bosnia and Herzegovina withdrew. Russia was going to participate, but Ukraine presented a list of Russian artists who had performed in Crimea. By doing so, they had violated Ukrainian law and were not allowed into the country. It took some searching, but eventually the Russians found someone who *had* performed in Crimea but was not on the list. The singer was the severely physically disabled Julia Samoylova. It was thought that the Ukrainians would not refuse someone in a wheelchair at the border. However, Samoylova was not allowed into the country. The Russians subsequently withdrew. The songs Tamara Gachechiladze had almost participated before, as a member of the group 3G. At the time, she sang “We Don’t Wanna Put In”. Now she was allowed to participate. Omar Naber already competed for Slovenia in 2005, and now again. And for the second time, he failed to reach the final. Valentina Monetta participated for San Marino for no less than the fourth time. The Estonian duo had also participated before, but not together: Koit Toome in 1998, Laura PĂ”ldvere in 2005. The ‘epic sax guy’ also competed once again as a member of The Sunstroke Project. With a 4th place finish, the group was very successful this time. Francesco Gabbani from Italy was number 1 in the odds for a long time. His “Occidentali’s Karma” and the monkey act were perhaps starting to wear thin. He finished only sixth. There was another country with an animal (or part of an animal) on stage. The Azerbaijani Dihaj was accompanied by a dancer with a

Read More »
Uncategorized
Martijn

70 years of Eurovision: politics and heart problems

The Eurovision Song Contest is celebrating its 70th anniversary. That is a wonderful milestone. We at Eurovision Universe love diving into the history of the contest. That is why we are taking a closer look at the contests of the past 70 years. 2016 MĂ„ns Zelmerlöw hosted the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest together with the inevitable Petra Meede. The contest was held at the Globe Arena in Stockholm. Bulgaria, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Ukraine returned. Portugal and Romania did not participate. The songs Bojan Jovović of the Montenegrin group No Name returned in a different band, Highway. Greta SalomĂ© took the stage for Iceland for the second time. The Bosnian Deen also participated for a second time. Kaliopi was once again the Macedonian candidate. Bulgaria sent Poli Genova again, who was much more successful with “If Love Was A Crime” than during her first participation. Poli managed to achieve a record for Bulgaria: a fourth place. Donny Montell tried for a second time for Lithuania, and Ira Losco took the stage for Malta again. The latter set aside her winning national final song in search of a better track, and found it in “Walk on Water”. All in all, a festival with a lot of experience. There were famous names as well. Ireland sent Nicky Byrne, former member of the boy band Westlife. In vain; he did not make it to the final. Sergey Lazarev was already a huge star in Russia and the surrounding countries. The fact that he participated was therefore remarkable. He was also considered the favorite for the final victory. The images on the LED screens made it seem as if Sergey was in a kind of music video. While singing “You Are The Only One,” it looked as if he was sitting on boulders and jumping from one block to another. The Belarusian Ivan attracted attention. He wanted to appear on stage naked and with a wolf. The EBU did not allow that. Eventually, the wolf appeared on the LED screen. Ivan did too, naked, but neatly covered. Mental health issues plagued the Norwegian singer Agnete: she did not appear at press conferences. And perhaps she didn’t mind too much that she didn’t make it to the final. She called her performance a victory in itself. The final The final was opened by Laura Tesoro from Belgium. No one in Belgium had any confidence in a good outcome for Laura. That is, until they saw Laura’s act and confident performance in Stockholm. Laura achieved a respectable tenth place. The Dutchman Douwe Bob did something special during his performance. In the song “Slow Down,” he inserted a ten-second silence to emphasize the lyrics. Swedish participant Frans managed to score a modest European hit with his song “If I Were Sorry.” The Pole MichaƂ Szpak scored surprisingly high with the televoter, something that caused much grumbling about the Polish diaspora. South Korean-born Dami Im represented Australia, where she had lived for almost her entire life. “Sound of Silence” was in contention for the final victory right up to the very end. ZoĂ« also stood out; this Austrian sang her song “Loin d’Ici” entirely in French. Final Battle The EBU had decided to change the voting method. Those exciting ‘twelve points’ were now the points from the professional jury. The televoter points were added together and announced by the presenters from bottom to top. This kept the festival exciting until the very last moment. The Australian Dami Im was the favorite with the professional jury, but the Russian Sergey Lazarev won with the televoter. Ultimately, the country that came second with both juries won: Ukraine. Jamala The Ukrainian Jamala had previously participated in the national final. With her song “1944”, she won for the first time. This song was about the deportation and murder of the Crimean Tatars by Stalin in 1944. “When strangers are coming, they come to your house, they kill you all and say: we’re not guilty”. Ukraines song was about a historical fact but could hardly be viewed separately from the Russian occupation of Crimea in 2014. The Russians were of course not amused that this particular song prevented them from achieving a second victory. 2017 Eurovision went to Kyiv again. The event was held at the International Exhibition Centre. For the first time, three men hosted it: Oleksandr Skichko, Volodymyr Ostapchuk, and Timur Miroshnychenko. Portugal and Romania participated again, but Bosnia and Herzegovina withdrew. Russia was going to participate, but Ukraine presented a list of Russian artists who had performed in Crimea. By doing so, they had violated Ukrainian law and were not allowed into the country. It took some searching, but eventually the Russians found someone who *had* performed in Crimea but was not on the list. The singer was the severely physically disabled Julia Samoylova. It was thought that the Ukrainians would not refuse someone in a wheelchair at the border. However, Samoylova was not allowed into the country. The Russians subsequently withdrew. The songs Tamara Gachechiladze had almost participated before, as a member of the group 3G. At the time, she sang “We Don’t Wanna Put In”. Now she was allowed to participate. Omar Naber already competed for Slovenia in 2005, and now again. And for the second time, he failed to reach the final. Valentina Monetta participated for San Marino for no less than the fourth time. The Estonian duo had also participated before, but not together: Koit Toome in 1998, Laura PĂ”ldvere in 2005. The ‘epic sax guy’ also competed once again as a member of The Sunstroke Project. With a 4th place finish, the group was very successful this time. Francesco Gabbani from Italy was number 1 in the odds for a long time. His “Occidentali’s Karma” and the monkey act were perhaps starting to wear thin. He finished only sixth. There was another country with an animal (or part of an animal) on stage. The Azerbaijani Dihaj was accompanied by a dancer with a

Read More »
Follow Us: