Eurovision 2026: Semi-final 2 rehearsal videos released
- Laura Bird
- 6 days ago
- 10 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
All artists of semi-final 2 have now completed their second rehearsals for Eurovision 2026.
For the first time this season, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has released rehearsal footage of these performances to the general public. Each snippet contains 30 seconds of "down the lens" footage and live vocals.
It is currently day eight of Eurovision rehearsals, with the last five artists of semi-final 2 completing their second rehearsals today, as well as the big 4 and host entry taking to the stage for the second time.
Videos are provided by the EBU, and we have included the live blog highlights to give you a preview of what the performances may look like beyond the footage that has been provided.
Eurovision is giving fans details of the rehearsals via the official live blog on Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/eurovision/ and videos on their Instagram and Facebook profiles.
All videos, photos and descriptions courtesy of the EBU.
Bulgaria
Eurovision live bloggers said of the performance:
"The opening sequence of the staging brings to mind two iconic Eurovision performances from recent years — Cha Cha Cha and Dizzy. But that’s mainly in a WHAT ON EARTH IS GOING ON WITH THOSE DANCERS kinda way. They’ve gone Bangaranga berserk!"
"It can all be explained by the ancient Bulgarian Kukeri tradition that the song is inspired by — the act of driving away evil spirits and cleansing dark energy."
"DARA is the heroine assigned to perform the ritual. She’d dressed for the occasion in a black skirt, black belt and black knee-high boots, with a short pink top and elbow-length pink gloves. The two colours are brought together via a fur trim which appears on both the belt and the gloves."
"As the intensity of the ‘home’ setting builds, DARA breaks free, leading her dancers out with her."
Azerbaijan
Eurovision live bloggers said of the performance:
"Emerging from a cloud of smoke! If you’re gonna end up on TV, this is the way to do it."
"Billowing fabric is the main ‘prop’ of this performance, and plenty of it. Nothing says drama in the romance department like drapes blowing in the wind within a nighttime home setting. And this is represented both physically (on stage) and visually (on screen)."
"While JIVA performs her love song of lament, she’s dressed in an exquisite gown. Sequins of black, red and blue shimmer throughout her performance, all while black and white footage of her broken relationship plays out on the screen behind her."
"In the final act of the song, the man behind the misery dares to show his face, joining JIVA on stage for a make or break heart-to-heart. It clearly doesn’t end well, as we witness a confined JIVA finally break free from what has been holding her back."
Romania
Eurovision live bloggers said of the performance:
"Alexandra Căpitănescu for Romania has come prepared! You could put this performance out on Thursday 14 May; this was broadcast-ready stuff that Alexandra delivered today."
"The performance of Choke Me is electrifying, even without the constant stream of electrical current coursing through the stage from glowing tubes."
"There are six people on stage for Romania here at the Wiener Stadthalle - our camera-confident singer, her four-member band and a special sixth presence who shall remain nameless for now."
"Black leather is Alexandra's protective gear of choice; a corset with a collar and shoulders, plus strappy extensions coiled around her arms. Knee-high black leather boots complete the outfit, ensuring that Alexandra cuts a formidable figure up there on stage."
Luxembourg
Eurovision live bloggers said of the performance:
“As she sings, the Wiener Stadthalle is turned into a hotbed of life; nature’s elements are flowering all around her and as you would expect from a lady of her status, she’s interacting with all her babies. The butterflies, the birds and the blossoming buds - they're all encouraged to life by Eva.”
“Dressed in suitably earthy tones, Eva Marija has maintained the colour scheme that served her so well at Luxembourg Song Contest.”
“A floaty, layered gown gives our gal an ethereal appearance. She does plenty of running around the stage, covering much of it, and this is a dress that's made for movement.”
“Eva looks amazing up on that stage - we wouldn't have anyone else in charge of our flora and fauna!”
Czechia
Eurovision live bloggers said of the performance:
“The multiple-mirror staging ensures that viewers are treated to lots of visual effects within the three-minute masterpiece that Czechia has put together for us. They just keep coming at you; it’s like a lesson in light and camera trickery.”
“The standout of the CROSSROADS performance today has been Daniel Zizka’s vocals. His delivery sounds exactly as it does on record.”
“Daniel is dressed in a light, baby-blue colour (both shirt and trousers). But we’ve been informed that there are alternative fashion choices to trial, and this may not be the outfit you’ll see on Thursday 14 May.”
“Whatever you end up watching him in though, you're in for a very special performance from Czechia this year. The closing ten seconds in particular are awe inspiring.”
Armenia
Eurovision live bloggers said of the performance:
“To say he’s elated to be leaving his old career behind is an understatement. Literal backflips are being done here. He starts the performance being hung upside down by his colleagues and ends it in a victory pose on top of them.”
“The Armenian singer is full of energy for these three minutes, giving every bpm of Paloma Rumba the movement it deserves. Our hyperactive hero at one point even takes the camera into his own hands; this is how enthusiastic he is to share his message with audiences watching at home.”
“Generous SIMÓN also treats viewers to an outfit reveal. Well, we say outfit reveal. The flimsy fabric that’s subsequently on display would draw debate on whether it could be called an outfit or not.”
“But one thing everyone will agree on - there’s plenty to see! Throughout the performance up until that point, SIMÓN can be found in yassified office attire.”
Switzerland
Eurovision live bloggers said of the performance:
“Veronica Fusaro is playing tug of war with the viewer - her microphone takes the form of a rope and it’s the singer at one end and the cameraman on the other.”
“The rope theme continues with the arrival of four female dancers, draped in blood-red rope and leading Veronica to a giant prop that has been rolled onto the stage. It’s a cube-shaped climbing frame, with more red rope, this time acting acting as prison bars.”
“The staging is of course connected to the message of Veronica’s song; the red-rope netting symbolising the hold that domestic violence victims are kept in by their abusers.”
“In her final escape attempt Veronica breaks out her guitar, falling to her knees and spelling out Alice’s name in red rope - our closing shot.“
“Veronica is rocking the rhinestones on stage at the Wiener Stadthalle. They’re encrusted all over the cropped military jacket of her black trouser suit and run down the side of her legs too. Feather-trimmed shoulders add an extra touch of glam to her outfit.”
Cyprus
Eurovision live bloggers said of the performance:
"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.
"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.
"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
Eurovision live bloggers said of the performance:
"Many of you will have seen the national final performance that led to Atvara winning Supernova in Latvia back in February.
"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."
Denmark
Eurovision live bloggers said of the performance:
"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."
Australia
Eurovision live bloggers said of the performance:
"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!"
Ukraine
Eurovision live bloggers said of the performance:
"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."
Albania
Eurovision live bloggers said of the performance:
"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."
Malta
Eurovision live bloggers said of the performance:
"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."
Norway
Eurovision live bloggers said of the performance:
"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.
"A huge row of red lights is lowered and highered throughout, to maximise the view of what’s unfolding on stage.
"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."
See the latest images from other rehearsals below:
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