Saturday May 2, 2026. The start of the rehearsals for Eurovision song contest 2026 in Vienna after building the stage and having the stand in rehearsals the past week after weeks and months of planning and rehearsing the staging, lights, choreography and special effects and creative ideas by the artists and their teams at home while Vienna team has been programming and putting everything on computers second by second as so it is these days. If back in the day the nervous bit was could the local orchestra play the song the way wanted now it is Can they handle the visuals the way the team has planned? Times change. As usual there are several teams or people doing the creative work for various teams and behind the stagings there are many already very familiar names. Let's have a look.
Black Skull Creative, a British show-making company is behind several acts this year.
Albania is among them and there won't be the signature red color this year for Albania but a prop and subtitles. And visually stunning.
They will also do Australia with a staging that apparently has caused quite a many problems for the production team for its demands with such a visual feats you just don't want to blink and lose a second of it.
Austria is also on their team and the masked creatures will remain with more props and the performance we saw in national final elevated in every possible way.
They also do Malta and Aidan's stylist is Tom Eerebout (CV includes Kylie Minogue, Rita Ora etc). Their performance seems to be the most stunning if they nail it, if they don't a high risk. Black Skull creative will also do Montenegro's camera work and lighting while the staging otherwise will remain more or less the same with dancers.
They will also do San Marino that will have a big prop and big reveal as Boy George appears.
Fredrik Rydman (he has staged already two winners among others, (Heroes and The Code along with Cha cha cha, Jezebel, No rules and Maman) and Sacha Jean Baptiste (been doing Eurovision since 2011 incl. Fuego, Tout l'universe and the winner Tattoo) are doing Bulgaria this year , said to be the most epilectic entry this year. Easy to believe.
Sasha does also Cyprus. Antigoni will have four dancers (Anna Chatzikyriakou, Konstantina Spyrou, Natalia Michael and Sophia Papakonstantinou). Her dress is designed by NatarGeorgiou. Apparently the yellow car is there?
She also does Sweden. No major changes in sight there from national final performance.
Fredrik will do also Switzerland,
Belgium will have four dancers Max Lukaina, Axel Remezo, Julien Maniquet and Tom Van de Weghe choreographed by Elena Gambardella.
Croatia is choreographed by Jasmin Cvišić, who already did Konstrakta in 2022 for Serbia.
Czechia is done by Ruy Okamura. He's responsible for the staging, the video, photos, communication - the whole act. His previous CV includes the music videos for Lights off, Who the hell is Edgar, The Code and Voyage. Apparently this is black and white just like Austria last year?
Georgia will be choreographed by Sagiv Kapel who did also Firefighter in 2024.
Greece will be staged by Fokas Evangelinos who has done already 20 since Shake it in 2004 to Asteromáta last year. There will be Parthena Chorozidou, Michalis Michailidis, Christos Nikolaou, and Konstantinos Karypidis on stage with Akylas.
Italy will be choreographed by Marcello Sacchetta whose CV includes names like Justin Bieber, Will.I.Am, Pharrel Williams and David Guetta. This Napoletan dancer came up with the hand gestures and the music video for Per sempre si. Apparently there will be dancers and a wedding theme.
Lithuania's performance will be most technically complex in their Eurovision history including a costume-like sculpture.
Poland will have four dancers with new choreography by Adam Beta and a new prop on stage.
Romania will be staged by former Czech head of delegation Jan Bors and will be cinematic and fast. .
United Kingdom will have his newly built synthesizers and most props of the year on stage and an element of risk on stage, whatever that means!
Staying more or less the same as national final but updated and elevated for the Eurovision stage with minor changes are Denmark (more pyros, adjusted outfit, same box brought in but updated), Finland (new outfits, new smaller confession booth due to narrower catwalk), Latvia (new dress), Luxemburg, Moldova (new outfits and new visuals in the backdrop), Portugal, Serbia (minor changes but amplified to maximum)
Ukraine will have a new staging concept.
No details as yet for Armenia, Azerbaijan, Estonia, France ("very theatrical"), Germany, Israel, Norway.
So, not sign yet that the UMK team Reija Wäre, Sergio Jaen, Ari Levelä and Matti Myllyaho would be involved in any other countries staging like last year for example being part of the winning Austrian entry.....
Tomorrow May 2, 2026 rehearsal schedule:
10.30-11.00 MOLDOVA
11.10-11.40 SWEDEN
11.50-12.20 CROATIA
12.45-13.15 GREECE
13.25-13.55 PORTUGAL
15.00-15.30 GEORGIA
15.40-16.10 FINLAND
Back in the day we would have had a press conference after each rehearsal but not anymore.
Photos from the rehearsal will be published by Ebu from the closed doors rehearsals the day after.
A short preview video will be released by Ebu after the second rehearsals.
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