Eurovision Song Contest 2024 in Malmö, Sweden

[Dutch 87,765]

10:30 CEST: Rehearsal 1: 🇲🇹 Malta - Sara Bonnici – Loop

First up today it’s Sarah Bonnici from Malta, rehearsing her song Loop. This will open the second Semi-Final on 9th May, and it’s a huge pop diva banger to get the Thursday party started.

This isn’t Sarah’s first Eurovision rodeo - she was a backing dancer at Junior Eurovision in 2010. But now she’s back with Xtina and Britney vibes, not to mention the HUGE dance break.

Talking of which, we have one of the team in the arena today who just so happens to know every move of Sarah’s dance routine (say hello to Remi, he’s French). So he’s able to tell us that the main routine is largely the same other than having been polished up a bit in places. BUT the dance break has had a rework – it still has the flip, but with added shirt removal by the four male backing dancers, and also…blindfolds. There’s also a very impressive salsa-style shoulder lift.

Costume-wise, Sarah is in a sparkly silver bodysuit, and THE CUBES are getting their first LED action of the day. Not that anyone will be looking at the graphics - this is QUITE the show. Photos coming soon!

PYRO UPDATE! Fireworks during the big note in the bridge before the final chorus, and a big firework finish. We are now fully awake.

Edited April 29 by Dutch

[Dutch 87,765]

11:10 CEST: Rehearsal 2: 🇦🇱 Albania – Besa – Titan

Time for Albania’s Besa to rehearse now – this song has had a rework since Besa won the Albanian Festivali i Këngës final back in December - the original song Zemrën N’dorë is now called Titan and is sung in English.

Besa’s costume is bringing the first pointy shoulders of the day, as part of a blue and black pantsuit with gold detailing. She also has two backing singers, and three female dancers in nude bodysuits who perform a contemporary routine. Projections of more dancers on the LED wall and the cubes give it even more scope and drama, so it feels like they fill the stage. Simple, but really effective.

The way this song goes full drum ‘n’ bass in the final chorus gives it a really epic finish, and the tempo of the dancing is ramped up to match. No sign of pyro on this performance.

 

Edited April 29 by Dutch

[Dutch 87,765]

11:50 CEST: Rehearsal 3: 🇬🇷 Greece – Marina Satti – ZARI

It’s Greece’s turn to rehearse now, marking their 50th year at Eurovision. Their entry this year is singer-songwriter Marina Satti with the song ZARI - a fusion of Greek, Arabic and Balkan influences that manages to sound both traditional and super-contemporary.

In terms of staging, Marina brings the same sass and attitude we saw in the official video - the kilt has been swapped for a shiny purple dress with a puffball skirt, paired with black heeled boots. Marina has four backing dancers – three male, one female - who join Marina to fuse precision street dance moves with traditional elements. There’s lots of close-up camerawork – Marina really connects with the TV audience, and it looks great live on stage too.

In terms of graphics, there's loads of colour and energy – with neon pink floating ZARI graphics on the cubes, and grafitti-style visuals on the LED wall bringing that same urban vibe we saw in the official video.

It’s also another track this year with deep bass, so the TA TA TA really vibrates through the floor of the arena. Officially a banger.

 

Edited April 29 by Dutch

[Juanlittlem 33,650]

12 minutes ago, Dutch said:

11:50 CEST: Rehearsal 3: 🇬🇷 Greece – Marina Satti – ZARI

It’s Greece’s turn to rehearse now, marking their 50th year at Eurovision. Their entry this year is singer-songwriter Marina Satti with the song ZARI - a fusion of Greek, Arabic and Balkan influences that manages to sound both traditional and super-contemporary.

In terms of staging, Marina brings the same sass and attitude we saw in the official video - the kilt has been swapped for a shiny purple dress with a puffball skirt, paired with black heeled boots. Marina has four backing dancers – three male, one female - who join Marina to fuse precision street dance moves with traditional elements. There’s lots of close-up camerawork – Marina really connects with the TV audience, and it looks great live on stage too.

In terms of graphics, there's loads of colour and energy – with neon pink floating ZARI graphics on the cubes, and grafitti-style visuals on the LED wall bringing that same urban vibe we saw in the official video.

It’s also another track this year with deep bass, so the TA TA TA really vibrates through the floor of the arena. Officially a banger.

Hmmm, cant wait to see the pics 'cause neon pink?!

[Dutch 87,765]

CEST 12:30: Rehearsal 4: 🇨🇭 Switzerland – NEMO – The Code

Time for Switzerland’s Nemo to rehearse now - they are a musician, singer and songwriter with a big following in Switzerland. The Code is a mix of rap, drum ‘n’ bass and opera, and we’ve seen over pre-party season that Nemo has the vocal range to deliver all three.

The video for this track gave us hope that Nemo might bring something super-creative to the Eurovision stage, and they have NOT disappointed – Nemo is wearing an outfit made of pink and white fur (with matching fur boots!), and their main prop is a white circular platform two or three metres in diameter. It tips and pivots in all directions – Nemo climbs it, slides down it, dances on it, jumps off it – the whole thing is a showcase of balance, precision timing and codebreaking ambition.

Not something we’ve EVER seen at Eurovision before - welcome to the show, Nemo fans

 

Edited April 29 by Dutch

[Dutch 87,765]

Well.

[Juanlittlem 33,650]

9 minutes ago, Dutch said:

Well.

Cute, could be better

 

10 minutes ago, Dutch said:

CEST 12:30: Rehearsal 4: 🇨🇭 Switzerland – NEMO – The Code

Time for Switzerland’s Nemo to rehearse now - they are a musician, singer and songwriter with a big following in Switzerland. The Code is a mix of rap, drum ‘n’ bass and opera, and we’ve seen over pre-party season that Nemo has the vocal range to deliver all three.

The video for this track gave us hope that Nemo might bring something super-creative to the Eurovision stage, and they have NOT disappointed – Nemo is wearing an outfit made of pink and white fur (with matching fur boots!), and their main prop is a white circular platform two or three metres in diameter. It tips and pivots in all directions – Nemo climbs it, slides down it, dances on it, jumps off it – the whole thing is a showcase of balance, precision timing and codebreaking ambition.

Not something we’ve EVER seen at Eurovision before - welcome to the show, Nemo fans

Curious to see this

[SwissMonster 28,199]

8 minutes ago, Dutch said:

Well.

Well sksjsj…it will throw some people off ngl, but it IS better then some of the dresses they wore in previous performances, lesbe real. Also Conchita or the Toy chanteuse had lets say non-GP-friendly looks. Its still ironic that they are the performer that gets the most attention on what their outfit is when you think about the message of the song. But yeah casual viewers won‘t have all that knowledge so lets hope everything else will overshadow the outfit debate  

[SwissMonster 28,199]

17 minutes ago, Dutch said:

their main prop is a white circular platform two or three metres in diameter. It tips and pivots in all directions – Nemo climbs it, slides down it, dances on it, jumps off it – the whole thing is a showcase of balance, precision timing and codebreaking ambition.

Not something we’ve EVER seen at Eurovision before - welcome to the show, Nemo fans

This still could go either way. Lord 

This stesses me out especially:

18 minutes ago, Dutch said:

showcase of balance, precision timing and codebreaking ambition.

 

I need the first shots asap 

[Juanlittlem 33,650]

1 minute ago, SwissMonster said:

This still could go either way. Lord 

This stesses me out especially:

I need the first shots asap 

It makes me think of the pendulum thing theyve been posting on their stories oops

[SwissMonster 28,199]

2 minutes ago, Juanlittlem said:

It makes me think of the pendulum thing theyve been posting on their stories oops

Yesss, it was obviously a hint to the staging, which again, doesn‘t make me less nervous help 

[SwissMonster 28,199]

https://x.com/eurovisionnewz/status/1784907789179015498?s=46&t=txAfbLnQoUzDkHu-xUt8dg
 

Okay this shot alone looks greattt tho 

[SwissMonster 28,199]

https://x.com/eurospaincom/status/1784907527525736736?s=46&t=txAfbLnQoUzDkHu-xUt8dg

Call me biased but this looks gooood I‘m sorry. Very different from all other stagings this year

[SwissMonster 28,199]

now don‘t be shy and change up the outfit 

[Juanlittlem 33,650]

Not too crazy about Switzerland's staging. I guess we'll have to wait to see how it looks on camera.