Yesterday was the last blog for the rehearsals of the semi finalists, and today we bring the first looks of the contestants for the Eurovision Song Contest 2026.
The countries set for the Second Semi-Final in Eurovision 2026, had their first rehearsals yesterday in the Wiener Stadthalle, in Vienna.
In this article we bring you excerpts from Eurovision’s official Reddit account’s live blog and the first looks:
Cyprus
Antigoni – JALLA
Antigoni has rehearsed JALLA for Cyprus here in Vienna. She’s been telling us along that she’s “dancing on the table” and this morning the ancient Cypriot prophecy came true.
We all remember where we were when Ivi Adamou danced on the table for Cyprus at Baku 2012, but for 2026 the Cypriot delegation have scaled the idea up in a major way. This table is so huge, there is room for four dancers to get up there with her. This table is so huge, Antigoni and her dancers can use it as a catwalk (and the choreo is stun, they even have plates!). This table is so huge, the chairs don’t go at it, they go on it.
And what’s a big table without the right table setting? This one’s got a table runner made of an LED strip, which assists in creating arguably the most visually stunning part of the performance – the “you want more?…” bit of the song. It’s followed by a purposeful strut from Our ‘Tig, and it’s finally time to leave the table and make full use of the Wiener Stadthalle catwalk – accompanied by the kind of fire and pyro that’s normally reserved for the rock numbers!
Antigoni is dressed in a short, white, beaded Aphrodite dress, looking like she’s all set for a Nicosia night out in July. The song is performed in front of a backdrop that features giant, ancient pillars lit in blue.
Latvia
Atvara – Ēnā
Many of you will have seen the national final performance that led to Atvara winning Supernova in Latvia back in February. And if you’ve seen it, it’s probably been more than once as it’s definitely a performance you wanna keep coming back to. We watched it again before we left the hotel this morning. How else would we be starting our day?
And so it makes sense that not a lot has changed from that memorable Supernova performance. The Latvian delegation confirmed that it was enjoyable to simply scale the staging up in size for the Eurovision Song Contest. Though with that, we did notice a couple of elements had changed in the upgrade.
The gems sewn onto her dress have multiplied, with them now spreading further down the side to her waste and almost covering her left arm. There is also more glass – enough shards to fill the Wiener Stadthalle. Watching this performance is going to make the health and safety officials sweat!
If you’ve got tickets to Vienna 2026 next week, it’s going to be a real treat to catch Atvara sing this live in front of you.
Denmark
Søren Torpegaard Lund – Før Vi Går Hjem
Søren Torpegaard Lund has rehearsed Før Vi Går Hjem for Denmark. And it’s a performance that has been boxed up and shipped all the way from Melodi Grand Prix to the 70th Eurovision Song Contest. Like, literally so – they didn’t even disassemble there to rebuild here. When something’s right, you don’t wanna risk losing that magic!
The blockbuster box performance has had a few of its elements elevated. Søren has dressed up for the occasion. Black leather trousers are topped with an aquamarine shirt that’s – in the words of MUNA – silk chiffon! We do get an outfit reveal though… that shirt is subsequently ripped off to display the stun n’ sparkly black mesh top underneath.
Red tube lights inside the box light up and intensify as the staging progresses, meaning that things start to look really hot in there by the time the second chorus has rolled around. Even hotter than the thrusting that’s most definitely been scaled up during the first verse.
As he steps out of his sweat box towards the end of the performance, a storm engulfs the stage floor and the screen behind him. But the heat is soon turned up again… The graphics below and behind him transform into a blazing fire for the final 20 seconds.
Søren’s vocals while he dances are already the stuff of legend, But his vocal warm-ups between run throughs were jaw-dropping! Men please sig den her aften aldrig vil ende
Australia
Delta Goodrem – Eclipse
Meteorological experts will tell you you’re not meant to stare directly at an eclipse, but Eurovision experts are saying that you shouldn’t – and won’t be able to – take your eyes off Delta Goodrem’s performance for Australia!
There’s a lot of sparkle to be enjoyed here. From the mic stand to the graphics on both the stage floor and the screen, Team Australia have taken the light and shadow theme of their Eurovision entry Eclipse and are setting out to have a lot of fun playing with it.
Delta is wearing a custom couture gown which we’ve been told is adorned with approximately 7,000 (!!!) Swarovski crystals, therefore paying homage to Vienna’s signature sparkle. Around 500 hours of work went into crafting this chiffon beauty, and that shines through splendidly.
The Vienna connection was an important one for Delta and the Australian delegation to make. Not only is Delta Goodrem a classically trained pianist and therefore holds Vienna’s musical heritage in high regard (she’s also invited a harpist to join her on stage), but the Austrian capital also played host to Australia’s first Eurovision participation back in 2015, for the Contest’s 60th edition, and so it made sense for them to mark the 70th in a special way.
Delta’s staging evolves from a moon world to a sun world, culminating in an epic moment that will take the concept of the song to extraordinary new heights. And we can’t tell you exactly what just yet, but she’s using a pyro effect that no other country will be at Vienna 2026!
