Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Serbia, Portugal, Slovenia.... SVT really milked it by announcing all these Maybes first.... Ukraine, Lithuania... five non-English songs in a row, wow! Finland next as predicted. Another surprise Cyprus before favorites Croatia and Ireland... and finally..... Luxemburg! Here they are the qualifiers for the final. Out are Poland as I feared after seeing it as it was shaky vocals and quite a messy staging. The song is happy and fun though but it wasn't enough. Maybe simplier staging and choreography could have helped it? Iceland and Moldova as was expected, sadly Azerbaijan but then again the song is great, the staging wasn't and finally sadly also Australia. Also here the staging was very basic and close to nothing. It just wasn't enough even if I like the song.  For Finland this is fourth final in a row, something that has happened only once before from 2006 (when we won) to 2009. But in this new streak we have a 2nd and 6th place! Finland's fellow underdog Portugal do...

Oh dear, here it is. The prediction. That has turned a bit trickier now that only televoters are voting in the semi-finals plus this semi-final is very even. I would say we only have 3-5 sure finalists and only two sure non-finalists while all the others are somewhere in there in-between land. The live performance will be crucial and not only, but more than ever how they come across the tv-scree and how they connect with viewers at home. Those about 99,9% of viewers who have no idea what they are about to hear and see. The fandom bubble is a world apart.  I would say the sure finalists are only Ukraine and Croatia. Lithuania and Ireland will pretty surely make it, as well as Finland and Poland. Luxemburg should make it in this semi-final. Australia and Portugal should get enough votes to make it through as well. But then Cyprus might suffer from taking the stage after Eleni Foureira and Chanel, Serbia right after could result just boring and dark and a bit depressing. Slovenia suff...

The first semi-final is over and we have finalists! I predicted 8/10 and exactly those I toyed around switched places: I had Latvia and Azerbaijan in and Serbia and Czechia out. Oh well... All in all good show. Great stage, beautiful use of colors and lights, not too many pyros for the sake of having pyros. Pretty nice hosting trio, but Hannah Waddingham is right there with Filomena Caurela and Petra Mede becoming a legend! Good opening and intervals, nothing extraoridnary but decent and enjoyable. Nicely Ukraine remembered here and there and a lot of Käärijä as well in both background in green room and in the little dance instructor segment. Can't wait for Saturday! The fever is high and it's real. Loved his It's crazy it's party outro in his performance, and the first bit in the box was pretty amazing! Oh by the way Finland has never made it to the final three years in row since the semis started! In the first half of the gran final will perform Finland (sigh), Switze...

Why this is getting harder every year? This said I haven't seen so little rehearsal material or read descriptions since the dawn of internet back in the 2004 or so. Therefor my predictions are more based on the first impression rather than staging or fandom's polls and stuff. Let's see how this goes! Norway: I still don't get the hype around this but I guess they're surely IN Malta: As much I'd like to see them in I'm sad to say they're just borderline... and OUT . Serbia: Somehow I want to believe they're one of those fan favorites OUT . Latvia: Like Norway I don't quite get it but I think they might just squeeze IN . Portugal: Still a bit confused about this but in the end I believe they are IN . Ireland: How they it nicely? The outfit was the last drop to make them surely OUT . Croatia: On the contrary here the outfits and staging have made them IN , whether you like it nor. Switzerland: The fandom didn't believe so but I have had them IN...

How time flies! Just awhile ago we were still in the middle of national selections and song/artist reveals and now King Charles III and consort Camilla have officially opened the stage and tomorrow morning Norway's queen of kings Alessandra will take the stage for the very first rehearsals followed by everyone in the first semi-final until Sweden's Loreen. Finland's Käärijä will rehearse for the first time on Monday but was already ready and packed for shipping: Read more here. In this post I will gather together from various social media etc sources artists departure or arrival photos so keep coming back as this will be updated..... Team Serbia leaving.... ... and arriving in Liverpool Team Malta on the plane Team Azerbaijan ready to go (They're early!) Turan or Tural with Alex P at destoination Cyprus has arrived to Liverpool Team Latvia ready to go Team Moldova ready to hop on a plane Switzerland ready to get on a plane. Hopefully with no waterguns! Mimicat rolling d...

Last night seven acts had to say goodbye to their dreams and hopes for the Eurovision glory, some of them expected, some not so much. Below are some comments by the artists published post-show in social medias while the others have kept silent so far..... Enjoy the videos once more!