Just as the debate around the first semi-final was dying down, it was time to do it all over again in the second semi-final, arguable the stronger of the two.
This afternoon it was time for the last of the three dress rehearsals before the second semi-final kicks off tonight. 17 acts will fight to win one of the 10 places in the final. Who is it we will be seeing again on Saturday?
The postcards made for the Eurovision Song Contest have become an institution in their own right. Sometimes they reflect the life and times of the country that is hosting, sometimes they have a more abstract feel. This year, we repeat the theme of such years as 1996, when the performers are followed about their daily lives.
Fresh from correcting guessing seven out of the ten qualifiers from the first semi-final (be fair, it’s an improvement on last year) it’s time for me to guess who will emerge from then arguably stronger second semi-final on Thursday.
10 jubilant acts qualified for the final last night. Tomorrow evening 17 more will fight for the remaining 10 spots. This afternoon we saw the first dress rehearsal, which will hopfeully give us some indication as to just who has the best chances.
After the first round of press conferences yesterday, it was the turn of the acts appearing in the second semi-final to move into the spotlight and answer questions from media and fans.
Adrian Lulgjuraj and Bledar Sejko gave their second rehearsal with their song, Identitet. The Albanian duo returned to rock the stage with a lively and colourful show using every gimmick possible.
We are now taking a closer look at the rehearsals of the last five countries in the second semi-final. This starts with the popular Norwegian entry, which will be followed by Albania, Georgia, Switzerland and Romania.
Nazmie Selimi participated in the 2009 Festivali i Këngës in Albania with Mendohu dhe njëherë. She has now released her new song, Degjo zemren. The song is currently doing well as part of the 2013 Top Fest competition, one of the biggest music contests in Albania.
The bookmakers have Denmark as their top favourite to win the Eurovision Song Contest next month in Malmö - and so far the fans are pretty much in agreement with this. After the points from five of the fan clubs Emmelie de Forest has a clear first position as the fan favourite of the year.