Today the Eurovision Turquoise carpet event took place in Basel, officially signalling the start of Eurovision week. Due to there being no access for press to rehearsals as has been the case in previous years, we have been following the short clips of rehearsals via Tik Tok.It’s difficult to make full predictions but I am going to have a go ,bearing in mind that we haven’t seen the full performances yet.So without any further delay, here we go.

 Iceland: VÆB – RÓA

Iceland have more or less kept to the performance they did in the National Final. Some people in social media comments have tried to compare it to something you would see at Junior Eurovision, which seems a bit harsh. The problem Iceland have is that they are first to perform and this could go against them with stronger entries coming later.

My Prediction : Non -qualifier.

Poland: Justyna Steczkowska – GAJA

I have to say that I am envious of the stamina that Justyna has, considering she is in her 50’s ! She’s selling us a dramatic performance , with a lot going on on stage. I do worry though that the staging might be a little too busy , detracting us from Justyna herself . Often too much can be as bad as too little. She’s also got the draw of death , performing second . Polish diaspora votes may help her to get through .

Prediction : Borderline qualifier

Slovenia -Klemen ” How much time do we have left ?”

Now this is a beautiful song, which will have some meaning for many people out in Europe. I would love to see this qualify but sadly, Klemen is early on in the running order and sandwiched between Poland’s uptempo number and then Estonia . I feel that he may sadly not make it .

Prediction : Non qualifier

Estonia-Tommy Cash “Espresso Machiatto”

From what we have seen of the short clip of rehearsal, Tommy starts his performance holding a paper cup , standing in front of a stage prop, built to look like a cafe . I am curious to see how this performance continues. Based on the bit that we have seen and the fact that it’s a fan favourite, I am sure this will qualify .

Prediction : Will qualify

Ukraine: Ziferblat – Bird of Pray

I am usually a fan of the Ukrainian entries but this year, I am struggling to get into their song .The staging is very reminiscent of something out of the 1970’s ( which may appeal to those fans , who like myself are of the generation who grew up in that era) and it just seems bland in comparison to previous Ukrainian entries.Could soon be forgotten as Sweden are on after Ukraine .

Prediction: I would usually have this as a non qualifier but because it’s Ukraine and the Semi finals are decided by a public vote and there’s a large Ukrainian diaspora throughout Europe, I feel they may well make it to the final.

Sweden: KAJ – Bara Bada Bastu 

It’s no surprise that Kaj have more or less stuck to the routine that won them Melodifestivalen and with a bigger stage to work with, they have made some enhancements to the staging .They are leading in the polls and understandably so, it’s irritatingly catchy but you have to wonder, would Kaj have got the same reaction if they had represented their home country, Finland , rather than Sweden?This is certain to get through, even though they are on quite early in the running order.

My Prediction : Certain qualifier

 Portugal: NAPA – Deslocado

I have to say that I was really surprised that Portugal went for NAPA , considering all the very good entries that they had to pick from at FDC this year.It’s a pleasant enough song, very similar to some of the Beatles songs of the late 60’s and if you’re a fan of this kind of music then this is the song to vote for.Otherwise, it’s not really a Eurovision song,perfect for radio. But then similar things were said about Black Mamba in 2021 and they qualified and did quite well in the Grand Final. Could NAPA have a similar effect? Coming on after Sweden may not do them any favours.

My Prediction : Non qualifier

Norway: Kyle Alessandro – Lighter 

Looking at the brief rehearsal clip, Kyle’s performance is similar to his Melodi Grand prix one . It will probably wake people up after the gentle Portuguese performance ,

Prediction :Should do enough to qualify, even though their Nordic neighbours except Sweden and Iceland are in the other semi final

Belgium: Red Sebastian – Strobe Lights

Red Sebastian , as his name suggests, has kept the red coloured staging but he now has more to work with on a bigger stage . On watching the rehearsal clip, it all looks very slick .

Prediction : Qualifier

Azerbaijan: Mamagama – Run With U

I can’t help but feel that Azerbaijan have lost their way a bit over the last few years and really can’t see this year being any different. Mamagama give us a decent song but from what I have seen of the short clip, it lacks a bit of power to sell it to the televoting public. It’s a nice radio type song but I feel not a song for Eurovision.

Prediction : Non qualifier.

San Marino: Gabry Ponte – Tutta L’Italia 

From what I have seen of the short clip , Gabry Ponte is going to give us quite a lively performance. The stage props are designed to make us feel as if we are in Italy . It feels a bit like a football anthem though and compared with the promotion video , the stage looks quite empty.

Prediction : Non qualifier

Albania: Shkodra Elektronike – Zjerm

It seems a long time ago now since Shkodra Electronica won their national final and in the last few weeks, seem to have a lot of people who have a high regard for them . From the short clip we have seen, they have chosen red and black as their main staging colours, and Bea, lead singer, looks stunning in her red , sparkly dress .

Prediction : Qualifier

Netherlands: Claude – C’est La Vie

The preview video was a video to pull at the heart strings. However, from what I have seen in the short clip of Claude’s rehearsal, I feel a bit underwhelmed and slightly disappointed as it all seems a bit bland. Claude is on stage with two backing contemporary dancers and violinists. However, the simplicity that comes across may well work in Claude’s favour , against some of the more uptempo numbers .Difficult to make a judgement on this one until we see the whole performance but as things stand, I could see this possibly being a shock non -qualifier .

Prediction: Will qualify but probably more based on the fact that it’s already a fan favourite .

 Croatia: Marko Bošnjak – Poison Cake

Is it just me or does Marko look a bit like Luke Black ( Serbia 2023) on that stage? Apart from the very large coat he has on . This is coming across as a very in your face performance and this could do better than we think it will, although it’s certainly no Rim Tim Tagi Dim !I had this as a non qualifier before rehearsals , but am now not so sure .. This could go either way.

Prediction : Qualifier but borderline

 Cyprus: Theo Evan – Shh

From what bit the clip has given away, it looks like we’re in for a big performance from Theo , as expected . I am curious to see how the rest of the performance goes.

Prediction : Qualifier

So, based on my predictions, the 10 qualifiers from Semi Final 1 would be :

Poland, Estonia, Ukraine, Sweden , Norway, Belgium, Albania , Netherlands, Croatia, Cyprus .

Let us know what you think of my predictions . Who do you think the 10 qualifiers will be ? Do you think we are in for any shocks?

You can reply by leaving a comment in our comments box , or you can find us on our FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, X and BLUESKY feeds.

I will be looking at Semi Final 2 later this week. In the meantime, please do keep a look out on our website for the rest of our coverage of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Basel .

Author : Sarah Rudman

Source : EBU , Tik Tok.