Today the first round of rehearsals for Eurovision 2019 kicked off in style with nine of the acts taking to the stage for the first time and giving us an idea of how they sound live and how they will stage their song when Eurovision kicks off proper with the first semi final on 14 May.
The first acts to take to the stage were Tamta (Cyprus), D-Mol (Montenegro), Darude ft Sebastian Rejman (Finland), Tulia (Poland), Zala Kralj and Gasper Santl (Slovenia), Lake Malawi (Czech Republic), Joci Papai (Hungary), ZENA (Belarus) and Nevena Bozovic (Serbia). Get a sneak peek at their rehearsals below!
Tamta- Replay (Cyprus)
Tamta looks set to kick off Semi Final 1 with an all singing all dancing performance. Replay looks set to bring the fireworks with four male backing dancers and in the short clip released by Eurovision of the first rehearsal she looks poised to make a slick costume reveal.
D-Mol- Heaven (Montenegro)
D-Mol look set to stay true to form. Their staging looks to be a cheesy hot mess. Dressed all in white, the six members make the stage look busy and messy with their less than polished choreography.
Darude ft Sebastian Rejman- Look Away (Finland)
Sebastian Rejman looks set to be an front runner for the Barbara Dex Award, a title bestowed on the worst dressed act in Eurovision each year. He seems to be dressed in a get up that is part denim hot pants part leather trouser boot. Darude meanwhile is off in the background pretending to DJ and their dancer is perched on a podium.
Tulia- Pali Sie (Poland)
Polish band Tulia look set to perform on a rotating circular podium, dressed in their traditional Polish dresses and with their trademark deadpan facial expressions.
Zala Kralj and Gasper Santl- Sebi (Slovenia)
Zala and Gasper have opted for a futuristic, constellation backdrop. The focus seems to be on the chemistry between the two performers.
Lake Malawi- Friend of a Friend (Czech Republic)
Lake Malawi seem to have relatively straightforward staging with black rectangles framing each member of the band. The performance looks like it will be energetic with lead singer Albert Cerny leaping across the stage.
Joci Papai- Az en Apam (Hungary)
Dressed in a black turtle neck, Joci is keeping it simple in 2019. It’s just him on the stage with a fiery background.
ZENA- Like It (Belarus)
ZENA dons her sexy monographed white leather boots for her rehearsal. Accompanied by two dancers, the stage props are crew boxes.
Nevena Bozovic- Kruna (Serbia)
Simplistic staging for Serbia it would seem. Looks like they want to let Nevena’s vocals speak for itself, as she appears on the stage alone for song ‘Kruna’. She is dressed in a beautiful black gown and there is a hint of a wind machine.
Rehearsals continue tomorrow with the remaining contestants from Semi Final 1: Belgium, Georgia, Australia, Iceland, Estonia, Portugal, Greece and San Marino.
Eurovision NI 