Day 2 of first rehearsals are done, and we now get the chance to see photos of the performances and excerpts from yesterday’s Reddit live blog.
The Eurovision Song Contest’s official Reddit account is running a live blog daily from the rehearsals with the latest developments. The rehearsals began with Moldova, and ending the day with Finland, with each performance being more exciting than the other.
In this article we bring you excerpts from Eurovision’s official Reddit account’s live blog:
Lithuania
Sólo Quiero Más sings Lion Ceccah, rehearsing for Lithuania. And after three run-throughs in the Wiener Stadthalle, we feel like we’ve witnessed a classic of the golden era of cinema!
Even before you take the silver make-up into consideration, this performance is going to be one of the most striking for viewers of Vienna 2026. Here is an artist who knows how to entertain TV audiences – from his choreographed movements and his creative concept to, of course, his vocal display.
We get two awe-inspiring outfits for the price of one from Lithuania. And regardless of whether he’s being engulfed by a giant hooded cloak or cutting a spiky figure in a gothically tailored suit, Lion Ceccah exudes style; always wearing the fashion and never letting it wear him.
It’s a dramatic performance from Lion Ceccah, but it’s not without its moments of comedy. Just after the halfway point of the song, his theatrics are amplified to a level of high camp! English-language subtitles are briefly introduced to convey his moment of self-awareness, before the performance momentarily turns to black and white ahead of a very different kind of ‘outfit reveal’. We’re already gripped for the inevitable sequel one day.
San Marino
It’s SENHIT for San Marino now, rehearsing Superstar at the Wiener Stadthalle. She’s brought along four dancers and an extra-special guest. The calibre of guest that can truly convey the message of her song – global Superstar himself, Boy George.
In the First Look photos released tomorrow, you’ll see SENHIT rock a mirrorball-themed jumpsuit. And she looks absolutely radiant in it. But FYI this might not be the outfit she’ll be wearing during the First Semi-Final. There are more rehearsals to come and therefore more costumes to trial, too. Options darling, we need options.
There’s a prop. Of course there’s a prop. There’s a second prop, too. Of course there’s a second prop. But we’ll keep details on both hush hush for now…
This staging is so camp, even the spotlights have been programmed to shine in rainbow. And they are pointed not only inward towards our star performers, but outward into the audience too – so that everyone is illuminated. The stage is packed full of chrome and mirror too (and that’s just the outfits!), so the glow of the spotlights will travel even further.
At the end of the performance, our two superstars walk hand in hand down the catwalk and off into the rainbow sunset, leaving flumes of pyro blasting behind them in their rear-view mirror.
Poland
You might have watched the performance of Pray that saw ALICJA win the Polish pre-selection in March, but you can pretty much forget all about that. The only element that has stayed the same is her clothing. ALICJA has come to Vienna with something fresh and new.
The Eurovision staging of this song centres around a prop – which we’ve promised we won’t discuss in detail!
What we can say is that it’s a prop that may look simple when stood on its own (yet monumental, regardless), but once ALICJA and her four backing dancers start interacting with it, that’s when it transforms into something very special. The director of this show really knew what they were doing here, which is evident in how the camera work picks up the light and shadows around ALICJA and co’s movement. Though we must add that it’s not only when the prop is in use that the camera work shines; during her solo gospel-themed intro, there are some really incredible shots.
Another thing we have to single out for praise are the exquisite clothes that the backing dancers have been dressed in. We’re talking some super-stylish stuff here – gleaming white shirts tucked into high-waisted, wide-legged black trousers, with a cummerbund ensuring that the transition is seamless. If the Eurovision Song Contest Awards introduces a Best Dressed Backing Troupe category at the end of the year, this team is looking like the one to beat!
Serbia
If you’re a LAVINA fan you’ll no doubt have watched the PZE pre-selection performance – and probably many times, as it’s quite something to behold! For the Eurovision Song Contest, Kraj Mene maintains a similar tone, but pretty much everything has been elevated to some degree.
The costumes are bigger this time, for a start. Still black, of course – this is LAVINA we’re talking about. But the fur-trimmed cloak of lead singer Luka is now adorned with oversized metal embellishments. His all-new shoulder armour is so big, he can fit two swords in it. One on each side. This is the level of enormity we’re talking about here.
As you can imagine, there’s a considerable amount of weight being carried around here, so it’s not long before he throws it off himself, maintaining all his strength for the performance he’s about to give viewers. That’s not the last we’ll see of a sword, however! Fans will remember one from LAVINA’s PZE performance, but now it’s come back bigger, stronger and more prominent. This sword has been stabbed down into a rock, giving it a platform to serve as a mic stand for Luka. It’s what he deserves, let’s be honest.
Even the iconic claw effect of Luka’s hand has been enhanced. The nails are longer and they waste no time in beckoning the camera to follow along as the singer staggers to his feet from a starting position of being slumped on the stage floor.
This performance packs pyro, and plenty of it! This is the first pyro of the season where we’ve actually felt the heat on our face. And it just happened to coincide with the first growl that Luka screams into the mic. So that was a multi-sensory attack from our LAVINA lads. You won’t find any complaints here, though. We wouldn’t dare.
