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:
Ukraine
LELÉKA – Ridnym
We’ve just seen LELÉKA take the stage at the Wiener Stadthalle, to have three run throughs of Ridnym for Ukraine. And after her Vidbir-winning performance in February, she wants to share a new vision with audiences.
The artist’s staging begins by presenting her with a white catwalk to walk across – towards the talented Yaroslav Dzhus, who is accompanying her on the bandura. It’s a nod to Ukrainian culture that LELÉKA wanted to showcase to the world. To her, the sound brings back the feeling of home.
After the first chorus has been performed, the staging goes dark, with LELÉKA taking centre stage and shifting all the focus towards her. But it’s not long before the colour returns to Vienna… During the next act of the performance we get to see a very special moment while the artist is delivering her show-stopping note.
LELÉKA wears a white dress over white trousers, with small strands of fabric layered and attached in a way that responds well to her movements. Fabric plays a big role in narrating the artist’s story here, through the graphics we see on stage; particularly as it turns to a dramatic red at the end, like the closing of a theatre curtain.
Albania
Alis – Nân
It’s a song of longing and of loss and so we have Alis appearing as a mysterious figure on a dark set, beginning the performance on his knees before rising up among clouds of smoke.
Alis, dressed in black with a shimmering-gem finish, is joined by a cast of many via the graphics being played out behind him. A crowd of women, some wearing traditional Albanian costume, are representing the mothers of Albania waiting for their sons to return home.
Their appearances are interspersed with alternative graphics – the sons singing along to Nân, assuring their mothers that all will be well and that this is just how things are right now.
As Alis’ performance is broadcast, the English-language translation of his song for Albania will be subtitled on screen, just like Lucio Corsi’s entry for Italy was at Basel 2025.
There are elements to the performance that provide enhancements to the storytelling, but those will remain shrouded in mystery for now!…
Malta
AIDAN – Bella
AIDAN spends his time on stage either inside or walking around a giant construction that represents classic architectural design with a modern glow-up (and glow!). It’s a contender for being the biggest prop we have here in Vienna 2026, and based on what we’ve heard elsewhere, it will be!
In parts the arched structure takes on the form of a huge zoetrope, with shots from above showing us the Bella subject of the song dancing around our performer. It’s here we also get the tornado of rose petals that is by now synonymous with Bella. It’s an idea that’s been reimagined from the national final performance and enhanced by the incredible work of a steadicam.
The Maltese singer is wearing archival Versace and cowboy boots. The outfit is on brand for AIDAN, reminiscent of the style he wore for the music video and national final performance of Bella, but this one came into existence first by quite some distance – made by the late Gianni Versace himself for a Versace collection and one of only 20 of its kind that exists in the world.
The final minute of the performance happens all in one shot, with AIDAN at one point giving the illusion of partaking in a romantic dance with the viewers. The trickery that’s been engineered into the construction means that AIDAN is rotating at a thrilling speed.
Norway
JONAS LOVV – YA YA YA
We LOVV a LEWK! And this is a pair of high-waisted pants that are very much a lewk. 90 diamond-shaped panels adorn those trousers, fashioned out of black leather and sequins in a patchwork technique.
Our artist from Norway says he likes being without a top because he feels that the body is a canvas in itself. You’ll notice he has more than a few tattoos on that canvas of his, and he reckons that he’ll end up getting a Eurovision Song Contest tattoo if the results go well enough for him. Does that mean we’ll have to get a JONAS LOVV tattoo in return?
If you watched the Melodi Grand Prix-winning performance of YA YA YA, then the performance on Thursday 14 May won’t hold too many surprises. A huge row of red lights is lowered and highered throughout, to maximise the view of what’s unfolding on stage.
Strobe lights? A stage drenched in red? Where have we heard that before?!
JONAS LOVV spends the final 20 seconds of his staging pointing and posturing among the pyro, ending the performance in a triumphant pose in which the light behind paints him as a revered rock god.
