Hello dear fans and readers!

After several weeks since the National Final season ended , the big fortnight is here and it’s time to get on with the serious business of Eurovision 2026, taking place, as we all know by now , in Vienna, Austria . While some of us are already out in Vienna, taking in all things Austrian , there are those of us,like myself who will still be providing coverage from the comforts of our own homes and we are looking forward to taking you through the next couple of weeks .

But there’s no Ireland this year? I hear you shout ! Don’t worry, they might not be in Vienna but as it’s the 70th anniversary show this year, we will be featuring them in some way when we have a look back at the last 70 years as they do have a significant part in the contest’s history!

As with previous years, we don’t have access to the press centre in Vienna or the online press centre until next week, so until then, we are reliant on the EBU live blog of rehearsals that has been set up on REDDIT ,

You can find the link for the EBU live blog of the first day of rehearsals, which was yesterday HERE .

Over the next few days, I’ll be giving my views on the rehearsals as reported and seen in the pictures . Note that the first rehearsals are only technical rehearsals, which gives the artists the opportunity to make any adjustments or change anything they think needs improvement , so all we will get at the moment is pictures courtesy of the EBU.

Day One saw the first rehearsals of those performing in the first half of Semi Final one .

Moldova -Satoshi “Viva Moldova”

From the official EBU picture, Satoshi looks like he’s having the time of his life on stage and the staging itself looks very colourful . His stage outfit looks very sporty too ! This will be a great opener to Semi Final one , I can;t wait to see actual live footage .

Sweden-Felicia ” My system”

Looking at the EBU pictures , nothing much seems to have changed from Melodifestivalen . Except it’s reported that Felicia will make much more personal use of the laser beams and a large image of her actually comes from the backdrop towards the audience ( this I need to see !) I do worry about those laser beams though, as there are lots of them .There may be a lot of viewers put off who have a problem with flashing lights and strobe effects !

Croatia -Lelek “Andromeda”

Reports coming out about this are that this is quite impressive staging. The band are donned in deep red robes ,apparently and the stage backdrop alternates from a cave to an enchanted forest . This is one I am definitely looking forward to seeing.

Greece -Akyla “Ferto”

This has been a big fan favourite since being chosen to represent Greece this year , will it live up to the reputation it’s built up ? Well, early indications are that we will get a lot of fun on stage . Akyla is dressed in a tiger outfit , which wouldn’t look out of place at my grandson’s birthday parties but it looks he’s got a few surprises up his sleeve. Looking forward to seeing live footage of this .

Portugal -Bandidos do Cante “Rosa”

This wasn’t my favourite when it won FDC but it might win the hearts and minds who like a good old fashioned gentle song. After Greece , this will be a real come back down to earth . Reports say that the band are lined up rather like footballers singing a national anthem before a big game but the staging is quite effective with the backdrop showing , in the words of the song title , roses blooming!

Georgia-Bzikebi “On Reply”

In honour of their Junior Eurovision win many moons ago, the band have opted to wear yellow and black outfits. The staging looks a bit dark and intimidating as you see three figures, representing the group members in a futuristic cyber borg type look . Fans of science fiction will love it I’m sure !

Finland -Lina Lampenuis and Pete Parkkonen “Liekinheitin“

This was already pretty much Eurovision ready at UMK and they clearly have seen no need to change much , except their outfits ! As in UMK , there will be fire, lots of sprinting and action packed performing . Will this be a runaway winner? I will reserve judgement until being able to see the actual footage of the rehearsals .

So that’s Day One . I’ll be back tomorrow and will give my thoughts on Day 2 , where we have those performing in the second half of semi final 1 .

Let us know what you think of Eurovision 2026 by leaving us a comment below and you can find us on our Facebook, X , Instagram and Bluesky feeds .

Author : Sarah Rudman

Source : EBU ,Reddit