Live Blog: Second Semi-Final 2022

We’re done for the night, and ready to grab some sleep before we start getting exciting about the Eurovision 2022 GRAND FINAL – thank you so much for joining us tonight.

There will of course be one more Live Blog, so please join us on Saturday! Buona notte!

…but not the order (yet).

Performing in the first half (running order not yet confirmed):

🇨🇭 Switzerland

🇦🇲 Armenia

🇵🇹 Portugal

🇳🇴 Norway

🇺🇦 Ukraine

🇳🇱 Netherlands

🇨🇿 Czech Republic

🇫🇮 Finland

🇷🇴 Romania

🇫🇷 France

🇩🇪 Germany

🇪🇸 Spain

🇮🇹 Italy (confirmed 9th place)

Performing in the second half (order not yet confirmed):

🇮🇸 Iceland

🇱🇹 Lithuania

🇬🇷 Greece

🇲🇩 Moldova

🇵🇱 Poland

🇦🇿 Azerbaijan

🇧🇪 Belgium

🇪🇪 Estonia

🇦🇺 Australia

🇸🇪 Sweden

🇷🇸 Serbia

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

We’ll find out the order in the coming hours, check in with the eurovision.tv homepage for updates!

We’re off to the press centre for the qualifiers press conference, and at some point we’ll know which half of the Grand Final each act is performing in. This could happen in the next five minutes or in the next hour – at this stage we have no idea but we’ll tell you as soon as we know!

Later the final running order for Saturday night will be announced – usually sometime around 0200 CEST, but who knows. We’ll be fast asleep by then, but there’ll be an article on eurovision.tv as soon as we know, so hover over the homepage if you need to be the first to know!

The first Semi-Final is done, and we have our results! Here’s the list of tonight’s qualifiers for Saturday’s Grand Final:

1. 🇫🇮 Finland – The Rasmus/Jezebel

2. 🇷🇸 Serbia – Konstrakta / In Corpore Sano

3. 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan – Nadir Rustamli / Fade To Black

4. 🇦🇺 Australia – Sheldon Riley / Not The Same

5. 🇪🇪 Estonia – Stefan / Hope

6. 🇷🇴 Romania – WRS / Llámame

7. 🇵🇱 Poland – Ochman / River

8. 🇧🇪 Belgium – Jérémie Makiese / Miss You

9. 🇸🇪 Sweden – Cornelia Jakobs / Hold Me Closer

10. 🇨🇿 Czech Republic – We Are Domi / Lights Off

Serbia’s Konstrakta has qualified for the Grand Final of Eurovision 2022!

Romania’s WRS has qualified for the Grand Final of Eurovision 2022!

Sweden’s Cornelia Jakobs has qualified for the Grand Final of Eurovision 2022!

Australia’s Sheldon Riley has qualified for the Grand Final of Eurovision 2022!

Estonia’s Stefan has qualified for the Grand Final of Eurovision 2022!

Finland’s The Rasmus have qualified for the Grand Final of Eurovision 2022!

Poland’s Ochman has qualified for the Grand Final of Eurovision 2022!

Azerbaijan’s Nadir Rustamli has qualified for the Grand Final of Eurovision 2022!

🇨🇿 Czech Republic’s We Are Domi have qualified for the Grand Final of Eurovision 2022!

Belgium’s Jérémie Makiese has qualified for the Grand Final of Eurovision 2022!

…and it’s time to find out the results! Martin Osterdahl says we’re good to go, and he knows everything.

Who will join Lithuania, Switzerland, Ukraine, Netherlands, Moldova, Portugal, Iceland, Greece, Norway and Armenia as qualifiers for the Grand Final? We’re about to find out…the tension in the Delegation bubble is INTENSE.

Germany’s Malik is a really sound in this competition – a ballad with an Eminem-style rap interlude and some really interesting staging and camerawork. There’s nothing else like it at Eurovision this year, and Malik gives a really confident performance.

It’s time to meet the UK’s Sam Ryder, who who has (arguably) the biggest vocals and (definitely) the biggest prop in the competition. This is a HUGE vocal performance, and a big step forward for the UK at Eurovision too.

Time to meet the remaining members of the Big 5, starting with the QUEEN of booty hypnosis, Chanel from Spain. This is without doubt the most complex dance routine in this year’s competition, and you’ll get to see the full version on Saturday.

in the past few weeks this arena has become our home; says Alessandro. You and us both, mate. We’ve barely seen daylight since April.

But please enjoy this behind the scenes video – it’s been a pleasure and a privilege to play a small part in such an amazing event.

Time to meet two tenors and a baritone, but not in the usual Italian opera tradition. Il Volo are bringing a bit of popera to the PalaOlimpico stage – they’re HUGE on social media and known all over the world.

Piero and Ignazio are on the stage and Gianluca has joined remotely because he has Covid, which makes him ILL VOLO.

Sigh. Tough crowd. Anyway, they’re singing 'Grande Amore’, and it’s taking the roof off the PalaOlimpico.

The voting is closed, it’s too late now, the decision is made and there’s nothing you can do about it. The lights are off, we’ve faded to black, and we’re tired of dodging all your calls. If you shout at us we’ll just say 'I am what I am’ seventeen times. And…breathe…

While the votes come in, Laura Pausini and Mika are going to sing together for the first time. Laura’s changed her dress to some ethereal white chiffon, like she’s the angel that will conquer Ochman’s ghosts.

They sing Sting’s classic Fragile, then the tempo changes to People Have The Power by Patti Smith. It’s an uplifting moment, and their voices work really well together.

…AND THE VOTING IS OPEN! You can vote by SMS, or use the Eurovision app, which you can download now. You have about fifteen minutes, so now is not the time to rethink the number of sequins in your wardrobe. Later.

Can’t remember what you’ve just watched? Enjoy the recap!

This year’s Semi-Finals are going out with a banger from Czech Republic, with We Are Domi singing Lights Off. Ironically it uses every light in the arena, and just leaves us wanting this show to go on forever, please. The guitarist who’s made his own guitar so he can play it like a cello is definitely a vibe.

🇨🇿 Czech Republic – We Are Domi / Lights Off

We Are Domi – Lights Off – Czech Republic 🇨🇿 – Official Music Video – Eurovision 2022

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Next up it’s Sweden’s Cornelia Jakobs, singing her heartfelt pop ballad Hold Me Closer. It’s one of the more stripped-back staging options this year, recreating her winning performance at Sweden’s Melfest. Cornelia makes clever use of the space and the cameras to connect with the audience, and her voice is really distinctive – we’ve seen some outstanding vocal performances at this year’s Eurovision, and Sweden is no exception.

🇸🇪 Sweden – Cornelia Jakobs / Hold Me Closer

Cornelia Jakobs – Hold Me Closer – Sweden 🇸🇪 – Official Music Video – Eurovision 2022

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…but he really shouldn’t, because this is a great performance from Belgium. It’s one of the most effortlessly cool performances in this year’s contest – Jérémie takes the big stage in his stride, backed up by four incredible dancers. We love the nods to Michael Jackson in the dance moves, and we really want that silver jacket.

🇧🇪 Belgium – Jérémie Makiese / Miss You

Jérémie Makiese – Miss You – Belgium 🇧🇪 – Official Music Video – Eurovision 2022

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Vladana is up next, with perhaps the most unusual costume this year – a blue dress with an twinkly bustier and a huge LED disc on her back. As the song builds the lights get brighter and more powerful, like her voice is some kind of dynamo. By the end she could probably power the arena, the final chorus is HUGE.

🇲🇪 Montenegro – Vladana / Breathe

Vladana – Breathe – Montenegro 🇲🇪 – Official Music Video – Eurovision 2022

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This huge operatic ballad from Poland’s Ochman has many watery elements but resist any urge to take a bathroom break because the vocal and staging are stunning. He makes great use of lighting effects, and also has four haunted backing dancers – it’s somehow beautiful and uplifting AND kind of creepy, which isn’t something we see at Eurovision every day.

🇵🇱 Poland – Ochman / River

Ochman – River – Poland 🇵🇱 – Official Music Video – Eurovision 2022

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Are you ready to dance? Because Romania’s WRS definitely is, and he’s bringing QUITE the show. Hola, mi bebébé means 'hey my baby’ in Spanish, and we’ve taken to saying it to pretty much everyone, just as a general Eurovision greeting. Llámame means 'call me’, which he definitely should, just to tell us where his backing dancers bought those Speedo crop tops.

If you are not up and dancing right now, you must be dead inside.

🇷🇴 Romania – WRS / Llámame

WRS – Llámame – Romania 🇷🇴 – National Final Performance – Eurovision 2022

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Time for a short breather, and a dive into what the Sound of Beauty sounds like. If you’ve just turned in and are wondering what’s going on right now, we can’t help you.

For us right now it’s artists warming up their voices in their dressing room, the multi-language chat by the coffee machine in the Delegation Bubble, the cheer of the Eurovision crowd in a packed arena, the busy hum of the press centre, the sound of people singing whatever random Eurovision lyrics are currently stuck in their head. In fact that’s pretty much our Sound of Beauty all year round. Also dogs.

It’s time for a song of hope from Estonia’s Stefan, who channels a bit of Avicii and a bit of Måns Zelmerlöw in a way that is uniquely Stefan. This is an uplifting anthem for our times, and Stefan makes great use of the whole stage, bounding around like he’s having the time of his life. A lot of clapping along is happening in the delegation bubble.

🇪🇪 Estonia – Stefan / Hope

STEFAN – Hope – Estonia 🇪🇪 – Official Music Video – Eurovision 2022

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Time for some serious drama and a definite change of style and pace. North Macedonia’s Andrea delivers her heartfelt ballad on an empty stage with really clever use of the stage lighting and the lift bridges over the water feature – It’s a hypnotic performance that has huge depth and power. It’s also one of the more understated outfits this year, but we LOVE it. Such a strong look.

The sound of…🇲🇰 North Macedonia

🇲🇰 North Macedonia – Andrea / Circles

Andrea – Circles – North Macedonia 🇲🇰 – Official Music Video – Eurovision 2022

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A change of tempo now, with Ireland’s Brooke singing a Blondie-esque uptempo track That’s Rich. She’s been the MOST fun in the delegation bubble, and she takes all that positivity and joy onto the Eurovision stage.

Brooke, we have a question. How do you BURN flowers? We feel like they’d just smoke a bit. Maybe just shred the petals and trample on them a bit?

🇮🇪 Ireland – Brooke – That’s Rich

Brooke – That’s Rich – Ireland 🇮🇪 – Official Music Video – Eurovision 2022

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…here comes Cyprus, who have brought one of the most effective props of this year’s competition – a curved shell that acts as a focal point for Andromache’s performance, a dance platform for her two dancers, and a backdrop for a watery light show.

This is a great mid-tempo bop from Cyprus with a clap-along chorus and a really nice mix of contemporary pop and distinctively Cypriot elements – it definitely feels like summer in the Delegation bubble…

🇨🇾 Cyprus – Andromache / Ela

Andromache – Ela – Cyprus 🇨🇾 – Official Music Video – Eurovision 2022

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Australia’s Sheldon Riley sees Azerbaijan’s school bleachers and raises them two huge flights of stairs. He’s wearing a dramatic white outfit that weighs 40 kilos and features about 180,000 crystals. Not The Same is a very personal story, sung beautifully from behind a Swarovski crystal mask. Australia always bring something new to Eurovision, and this performance is no exception.

🇦🇺 Australia – Sheldon Riley / Not The Same

Sheldon Riley – Not The Same – Australia 🇦🇺 – Official Music Video – Eurovision 2022

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Brace yourself – San Marino’s Achille Lauro is about to bring some glam rock to the Eurovision stage. He’s a huge Italian star, and his black sparkly bodystocking is custom-made by Gucci, because of course it is.

This is another performance where we tend to run out of words, but in essence, it’s sponsored by cowboy accessories, feathery pom-poms, a red mechanical bull called Roberta and ALL the pyro. Welcome to Eurovision, please drink everything.

🇸🇲 San Marino – Achille Lauro / Stripper

Achille Lauro – Stripper – San Marino 🇸🇲 – National Final Performance – Eurovision 2022

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Time for a short interlude, where Laura Pausino takes a moment to explain Festival di Sanremo, and there’s a handy video guide for those who’ve never experienced it. It was the inspiration for the Eurovision Song Contest, and it also acts as Italy’s Eurovision selection show. It’s the longest-running annual TV music competition in the world – Laura Pausini won it when she was just 18, and of course Mahmood & BLANCO won it this year.

How do you follow that? With some life-affirming pop from Malta’s Emma Muscat, who includes the phrase I Am What I am seventeen times just in case you were in any way unclear on this matter. It’s the kind of uplifting, polished performance we’ve come to expect from Malta, and everyone in the Delegation Bubble is clapping along.

🇲🇹 Malta – Emma Muscat / I Am What I Am

Emma Muscat – I Am What I Am – Malta 🇲🇹 – Official Music Video – Eurovision 2022

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And now for something completely different AGAIN, from Georgia’s Circus Mircus. It’s a surreal pop/rock anthem with a really catchy chorus that we’ve been humming for weeks. The vibe is steampunk Willy Wonka, and features a tiny puppet show and a man with a plant-based beard. Look, sometimes there just aren’t enough words, so you just have to go with it.

🇬🇪 Georgia – Circus Mircus / Lock Me In

Circus Mircus – Lock Me In – Georgia 🇬🇪 – Official Music Video – Eurovision 2022

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So on Tuesday we had one male solo artist, and tonight we have…eight, across the musical spectrum from pop to glam rock. This is our first power ballad of the night from Azerbaijan’s Nadir Rustamli, and it features some really clever use of bleacher-style steps, camerawork and lighting to create a powerful and evocative performance. Hold on for the high note at the end.

🇦🇿 Azerbaijan – Nadir Rustamli / Fade To Black

Nadir Rustamli – Fade To Black – Azerbaijan 🇦🇿 – Official Music Video – Eurovision 2022

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You know how we promised a diverse range of musical genres this evening? It’s time for Serbia’s Konstrakta, with one of the more unusual songs in this year’s Eurovision. Il Corpore Sano, is far more than the opening line about Meghan Markle’s hair – it’s a commentary on the Serbian healthcare system and impossible beauty standards, and some subtitles have been added for non-Serbian speakers.

The combo of Konstrakta’s washbowl and her grandmother’s chair was probably the most talked-about prop of the year until Sam Ryder turned up with an enormous spaceship. Don’t you hate it when that happens?

🇷🇸 Serbia – Konstrakta / In Corpore Sano

Konstrakta – In Corpore Sano – Serbia 🇷🇸 – Official Music Video – Eurovision 2022

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From rock to anthemic pop from Israel’s Michael Ben David, with our first big dance routine of the night. I.M is an incredibly polished vocal and dance performance, and the Delegation bubble is up and dancing. It’s a long night, and we might have gone too early, but we don’t care.

🇮🇱 Israel – Michael Ben David /I.M

Michael Ben David – I.M – Israel 🇮🇱 – Official Music Video – Eurovision 2022

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First up tonight is Finland’s The Rasmus, singing Jezebel. It’s a rock banger sung in yellow rainwear in a set made from suspended black balloons. The black and yellow colour scheme is the same as Norway’s Subwoolfer, but this song has a VERY different vibe. We’re definitely kicking this second Semi-Final off with a bang, and the singalong has already begun in the Delegation Bubble. Our first bare chest of the evening, but also definitely not the last.

🇫🇮 Finland – The Rasmus/Jezebel

The Rasmus – Jezebel – Finland 🇫🇮 – Official Music Video – Eurovision 2022

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Laura Pausini and Mika take to the the stage – Laura’s wearing Croatia’s gown from Tuesday, which is Latvia levels of recycling, and Mika’s very much in yellow. Not just yellow, but YELLOW. With Alessandro in black, we’re getting a DoReDos from Moldova 2018 vibe.

Are we ready to get this party started? Of course we are.

We open with a fun skit from Allessandro Catelan, who is experiencing the international vibe and lifting the lid on the Big Brains who make all the big decisions backstage. When he hears the drums, he opens his arms. He’s not making it into Chanel’s dance troupe any time soon, but he’s throwing himself into the spirit of the occasion.

Remember – when you hear the drums, OPEN YOUR ARMS. At any time, forever.

We think this might be the most romantic location for a proposal ever. Congratulations to this lovely couple from Ireland, from all of your Eurovision family.

Just a few pictures of some of the Eurofans arriving at the PalaOlimpico in Turin. Have a great night, guys!

1. 🇫🇮 Finland – The Rasmus/Jezebel

2. 🇮🇱 Israel – Michael Ben David /I.M

3. 🇷🇸 Serbia – Konstrakta / In Corpore Sano

4. 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan – Nadir Rustamli / Fade To Black

5. 🇬🇪 Georgia – Circus Mircus / Lock Me In

6. 🇲🇹 Malta – Emma Muscat / I Am What I Am

7. 🇸🇲 San Marino – Achille Lauro / Stripper

8. 🇦🇺 Australia – Sheldon Riley / Not The Same

9. 🇨🇾 Cyprus – Andromache / Ela

10. 🇮🇪 Ireland – Brooke – That’s Rich

11. 🇲🇰 North Macedonia – Andrea / Circles

12. 🇪🇪 Estonia – Stefan / Hope

13. 🇷🇴 Romania – WRS / Llámame

14. 🇵🇱 Poland – Ochman / River

15. 🇲🇪 Montenegro – Vladana / Breathe

16. 🇧🇪 Belgium – Jérémie Makiese / Miss You

17. 🇸🇪 Sweden – Cornelia Jakobs / Hold Me Closer

18. 🇨🇿 Czech Republic – We Are Domi / Lights Off

…we don’t know WHY Georgia’s Circus Mircus have a mascot who looks like an alien Gina G, but we’re here for it.

📺 Watch the Second Semi-Final Live Stream on YouTube or find out how to watch in your region 📺

OR you can watch the show LIVE on the Eurovision TikTok page, featuring an exclusive backstage camera that will capture all the footage of the artists getting ready to go on stage.

Good evening Europe, and welcome back to the Live Blog for the second Eurovision Semi-Final! Once again it’s Heidi and the Live Blog team camping out in the Delegation Bubble in Turin’s PalaOlimpico, giving you all the backstage breaking news and a minute-by-minute account of the live show, which starts at 21:00 CEST.

By the early hours of tomorrow we’ll have 1) a full line-up for the Grand Final and confirmation of the running order. We don’t know the exact timings, but we’ll confirm the finalists here on the Live Blog, and the running order will be published on eurovision.tv as soon as it’s available. Stay with us!