The first week of rehearsals is over, now it’s time for the serious stuff as our Eurovision acts of 2024 take to the stage to perform their dress rehearsal shows to a live audience in the arena for the first time . Tonight sees the second of three dress rehearsals for Semi Final 1 , which is open to the general public, who have been lucky enough to get tickets for the show and Press .It’s also the most important rehearsal because although the Semi Final voting is public vote only , should anything technical go wrong with the televoting in any one country , a back up jury vote is then cast . So the juries will be casting an eye on proceedings tonight .

Join me, Sarah,as I bring you our #live blog of the Second Dress rehearsal show , all the way from Malmö arena in Sweden, bringing you my thoughts on the acts as they perform . Those of you who are our regular followers will know the drill by now , to follow the action as it happens, just REFRESH THE PAGE ! Please note that the Dress rehearsal shows ARE NOT televised anywhere, so please don’t try and tune in , you won’t get any joy ! Also we are unable to bring you clips of the goings-on tonight as it’s forbidden for the press to do so.

Just to add too that for the first time in the contest , the countries already qualified to the Final ( Big 5 plus host country ) will perform during the two Semi Finals. Tonight we will see the UK , Germany and Sweden performing ,as these countries were drawn to vote in Semi Final 1 .

The acts performing tonight are ( in running order )

1 Cyprus / Silia Kapsis – Liar

2 Serbia / TEYA DORA – RAMONDA

3 Lithuania / Silvester Belt – Luktelk

4 Ireland / Bambie Thug – Doomsday Blue

🇬🇧 United Kingdom / Olly Alexander – Dizzy

5 Ukraine / alyona alyona & Jerry Heil – Teresa & Maria

6 Poland / LUNA – The Tower

7 Croatia / Baby Lasagna – Rim Tim Tagi Dim

8 Iceland / Hera Björk – Scared of Heights

 🇩🇪 Germany / ISAAK – Always On The Run

9 Slovenia  / Raiven – Veronika

10 Finland / Windows95man – No Rules!

11 Moldova / Natalia Barbu – In The Middle

🇸🇪 Sweden / Marcus & Martinus – Unforgettable

12 Azerbaijan / FAHREE feat. Ilkin Dovlatov – Özünlə Apar

13 Australia / Electric Fields – One Milkali (One Blood)

14 Portugal / iolanda – Grito

15 Luxembourg / TALI – Fighter

The show will be presented by Malin Åkerman and Petra Mede .You’ll know and love Petra by now, as she’s only presented the whole shenanigans three times! Malin is a first time presenter of anything Eurovision.

LIVE BLOG STARTS HERE

You’re a bit too early 🙂 .Come back at 21.00 CEST , 20.00 BST and #join us for our blog tonight. In the meantime, here’s a reminder of why we are in Malmö this year when Loreen took victory for Sweden last year in Liverpool,UK .

Welcome back everyone , in just about 15 minutes or so, we’ll hopefully get through to our link to tonight’s rehearsal show . I’m feeling just a bit excited now. Remember this is the dress rehearsal that matters most as the juries will be watching tonight to decide who their favourites are , just in case there are technical problems tomorrow night with any countries televotes and we have to have a back up jury vote instead.

And we’re off! The usual sound of Te Deum that we know and love 🙂 Starting with a look back at Eurovision winners savouring their victories . We then get a look at tonight’s performers in video clips of them in their own countries .

We then enter the Malmo arena, welcomed by an enthusiastic audience !The stage is formed in a cross with LED cubes in the ceiling .

Eleni Foureira (Cyprus 2018 )starts the proceedings singing Fuego .The crowd love it ! What a performance !

Then we get Erik Saade , who sang for Sweden in 2011 singing Popular . Joined by backing dancers in black leather .

Then Chanel ( Spain 2022) singing Slo Mo . This is some opening, I have to say !The dancers and Chanel as scantily clad as they were in 2022.

Petra and Malin open proceedings. Petra should be well used to this by now!

Unfortunately the online press link keeps breaking up , so please bear with me .

And we’re back, with Cyprus in full swing .

CYPRUS

Silia is joined by her backing dancers, all in white ,They perform a routine choreographed to within an inch of its life . This is a good opener .

By the way , each postcard shows past performers from the country that is performing , then show the up to date performer afterwards.

SERBIA

Teya’s in a long black dress stood alone on stage with a prop resembling a rock behind her .There’s dark staging with lightening effects . At the end of the performance she produces a ramonda flower.It’s dark , moody but performing in second slot may affect Teya’s chances .

Lithuania

The Lithuania postcard has Donny Montell and the Roop . Silvester has replicated his National Final performance . Joind by his backing dancers, he’s in red and the staging is mainly red .

IRELAND

I have been waiting to see this in full! Bambie is in her full Maleficent gear and joined by a rather stern looking male backing dancer .The stage lighting changes to various colours throughout the performance . She moves around with her backing dancer. There’s strobe effects too . The staging has some replicas of the preview video This has gone down big in the hall !

We have a bit of banter from Petra and Malin now , they are reminding us it’s the 68th contest this year !Petra’s in the audience asking them to check out her knowledge of Eurovision in the past ….she’s failing miserably !Malin reminds us to download the Eurovision App.

We’re getting the first of the Big 5 performances now . Here’s the UK .

Puppet on a String and Sam Ryder feature on our postcard .

UK

The staging of this is amazing ! Olly and his backing dancers are in boxing gear inside what is a locker room with dirty white walls. There’s lots of camera angle shots to give the impression of the boys being thrown around the locker room , it’s all very clever . There’s pyros and space effects . This has gone down well in the arena, with people clapping along to it !

Ukraine

Staging is gold and brown, there’s a rock which Jerry climbs on .Alyona is in a futuristic looking long coat and Jerry in a long , flowing dress. Alyona does her rap during the song. There’s fire drop effects . This will do well.

Poland

Another galactical staging , with the moon in the LED backdrop . There’s tower props on stage .The LED floor looks like a giant chess board. Luna’s out fit is a white and red two piece suit with pointed sleeves and she’s joined by a backing dancer completely covered in white ( face included ) who interacts with her . The LED backdrop gives an image of a red horse which Luna gives the impression that she is riding .The performance ends with pyros .

CROATIA

The big favourite to win . Baby Lasagna more or less replicates the National final performance.Big cheer when he comes on .The neon light cats still feature in the stage background, there’s dancing too. There ‘s various colours in the staging, pyros galore ,strobe effects. They are really engaging the audience, they are singing along to the chorus !! The neon light cats are also dancing in time with Baby Lasagna . I have to say, this is the full package and will take some beating !

ICELAND

Hera is all in gold and looking elegant .She’s stood on a podium surrounded by strobe lighting , then she takes the steps down onto the stage.Her backing singers then join her, they are within the LED effects in what looks like red triangles .They then join her on stage towards the end of the performance .It’s an ok performance but for me a bit too safe in what is a strong semi final .

We have Malin matching up Eurovision songs with classic films . Arcade being one to The 7th Seal and Dancing Lasha tumbai to Fanny and Alexander the other.

GERMANY

Isaak starts off in what looks like a living room made of black pipes with a burning fire inside .Fire then appears all a round the “rooms ” and we get pyros . Isaak interacts with different parts of the room,I guess this is what he is on the run from .Towards the end of the song, he’s joined on stage by his backing singers and the LED cubes light up and fade at the end of the performance. I like it !

I have to say the crowd in the arena tonight are great . Good reactions to the performances .

SLOVENIA

More strobe effects and Raiven is dressed in a black all in one , rather revealing suit !She’s joined by four backing dancers in “nude” body suits who strut and move around her . The LED backdrop gives a cloud effect, there’s smoke coming from the floor. It’s a sultry performance . Could this get Slovenia into the final ?

FINLAND

The giant denim egg features from which Windows95 man emerges .Dressed in thongs and a t shirt with the windows motif .There’s chaotic dancing, and moving around the stage and at the end Windows 95 appears in shorts . I still maintain that this is nothing like Kaarija last year . This may qualify if by the time Finland appear there’s a fair few drunken viewers who love a song with a bonkers element to it !

Moldova

Natalia’s in a long , flowing white dress , which is quite revealing at the top!. She’s alone on stage with a backdrop looking like water with bubbles.The LED floor effects show flowers growing around her feet, with a blossoming tree in the background . It’s actually quite a catchy tune ! Natalia then get her violin out and as she plays it the stage backdrop has two angels wings either side of her , as if she is wearing them. This has gone down well in the arena. The staging has certainly improved the performance and I think this might help Moldova’s chances tomorrow night .

Onto the next automatic qualifier performance tonight and it’s the host country, Sweden.

SWEDEN

They’ve kept the grid staging from Melfest .Marcus and Martinus in blue/black suits , joined by their backing dancers . This is choreographed to within an inch of its life . There’s a backdrop featuring what looks like an electronic station time table and the word Unforgettable .This will be a great starter in the Grand Final for sure .

Azerbaijan

The LED graphics depict a large silvery glittery head lifting up,looks like out of water . There’s arm waving then silvery hands appear on the LED floor and then a large , cupped hand appears. It’s all very ethnic and great to hear Azerbaijan sing in their own language . Will the rest of Europe “get ” it though ?

Australia

Zaachariaha is in a white outfit , with a kind of head dress ,Michael in silver and grey.There’s a swirling gold pattern in the LED backdrop and on the floor .We get three backing singers/dancers . The sixth performer is dressed as an Aborigine and plays a didgeridoo. It’s another, very ethnic song . The crowd seemed to like it .

PORTUGAL

iolanda is joined on stage by her backing dancers, they are all in white . The backing dancers move and dance around iolanda.They are wearing mesh facial masks .This is a beautiful song , with elements of fado . Towards the end of the performance, the white cube comes down from the ceiling . It’s lovely but I do fear for it being in such a strong semi .

LUXEMBOURG

Tali and her backing dancers start in what looks like a box on stage .There’s a big cat feature in the background , the performance is another choreographed to within an inch of it’s life .Tali’s vocals are faultless. Will Luxembourg get into the final at their first appearance in the contest in 30 years?

And that’s it ! we have seen them all . Malin and Petra are back telling us the voting rules and about to open the voting .

The Dummy voting is opened ( the real voting comes tomorrow night!)

And we have our first recap of the songs . Cyprus seems a long time ago now !

We’re back now with Petra telling us that Sweden have lost 55 times as well as winning 7 times over the years ! Now introducing us to the first interval act this evening, none other than Johnny Logan !They show a clip of his two wins in 1980 and 1987 before he comes onto the stage and sings his version of Loreen’s Euphoria .

I have to say , Johnny still has it when it comes to the vocals. Ageing hasn’t done him any harm at all !

Petra greets the Luxembourg team . Tali says the crowd was “amazing”. She rates Poupée de cire Poupée de son as her favourite Luxembourg entry . Tali is too young to remember the last time Luxembourg were in the contest , in fact, she wasn’t even born !

We now have time fillers . We are treated to the delights of pics from the Turquoise carpet ceremony yesterday.

Now a second recap of the songs . Just to remind you this is only a practice voting and not the real thing, that’s tomorrow night !

We are now told the vote is about to close ! The countdown happens , I am disappointed it’s not in Swedish !

We get a look at the acts who will be competing in Semi 2 on Thursday .

Ahhhhh, we’re getting a plug for the Eurovision App now , we’re told there is some secretive back stage information in it ! Get downloading folks !

Malin tells us now about Nicole and Hugo ( Belgium 1973), apparently the first act to sing and dance at the same time , but still came last . She sends a tribute to Nicole,who died recently and says thoughts are with Hugo.

Ahhh, the traditional look back at Eurovision history, always good time fillers !Ranging from the 70’s to the present day .

Petra in the Green room now going around the performers .

We have the next interval act now and it’s Benjamin Ingrosso , who sang for Sweden in 2018.I won’t spoil things for you and reveal, the details of the performance.You’ll see it all tomorrow night.

Petra and Malin are back and tell us that when Eurovision first started in 1956 there were only 7 countries in it . Once again we have a film of past Eurovision songs . Obviously another time filler .

Looks like we are coming to the mock results .

At this point , we will leave the blog now but tomorrow you’ll get to see everything we have seen tonight and the real voting results , We will also be blogging the Second Semi Final Dress rehearsal on Wednesday evening, so please #joinus then .

It’s goodnight from me and thank you for staying with us , despite the technical hitch with my internet service at the start of the show .

Goodnight all.

Author: Sarah Rudman

Source : EBU SVT