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All semi-finalists have now finished their first rehearsals

07 May 2019 at 18:10 CEST
Norway 2019 backstage Andres Putting
Day 4 of rehearsals has come to an end in Tel Aviv, with a total amount of 35 competing semi-finalists having stepped on the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest stage. Today we saw Roko (Croatia), Michela (Malta), Jurij Veklenko (Lithuania), Sergey Lazarev (Russia), Jonida Maliqi (Albania), KEiiNO (Norway), Duncan Laurence (The Netherlands), Tamara Todevska (North Macedonia) and Chingiz (Azerbaijan) rehearse their entries.

The countries in the second half of the second Semi-Final got to perform at Expo Tel Aviv for the first time. They will be performing on Thursday 16 May.

1. Croatia - Roko with The Dream

First on stage today was Roko for Croatia. He will be joined on stage by 2 angels who drop onto the state and then take off at the end. There is plenty of energy in the performance with 2017 Eurovision entrant Jacques Houdek providing the backing vocals.

READ MORE: Check out the full review of Croatia's first rehearsal here.

2. Malta - Michela with Chameleon.

Malta were the second delegation on stage for their rehearsal this morning. Michela opens her performance through a window to a projected bedroom where she seemingly opens a door which makes the room fill with water. From there on, the bedroom becomes an underwater playground. Later the performance enters the jungle, where a Chameleon would feel right at home.

READ MORE: Check out the full review of Malta's first rehearsal here.

3. Lithuania - Jurij Veklenko with Run With The Lions.

Third up today was Jurij Veklenko, a 2-time former Eurovision backing vocalist who finally got to take the spotlight for himself. Dressed in black, Jurij gave an intimate performance of Run With The Lions on an understated stage with colours of black and gold.

READ MORE: Check out the full review of Lithuania's first rehearsal here.

4. Russia - Sergey Lazarev with Scream.

Up next came Sergey Lazarev, winner of the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest televote and once again representing Russia this year. He performs Scream alone on stage but he appears via 8 mirrors that simultaneously become different LED screen versions of the lead singer as the song progresses through space, storms and rain.

READ MORE: Check out the full review of Russia's first rehearsal here.

5. Albania - Jonida Maliqi with Ktheju tokës

Finishing the morning's rehearsal, Jonida Maliqi rehearsed the Albanian entry Ktheju tokës. Dressed in black and gold, she performed the song in her native language. The song is about emigration and a path is mapped out by an eagle as fire and rain are displayed around the stage.

READ MORE: Check out the full review of Albania's first rehearsal here.

6. Norway - KEiiNO with Spirit In The Sky

KEiiNO take us from the dark northern mountainous Nordic night to the fiery break of day in their performance. The Norwegian trio make full use of the stage before meeting in the middle as the song gathers power. With smoke swirling around the stage and jets of fire from the pyrotechnic display, of Spirit In The Sky lives up to its title.

READ MORE: Check out the full article review of Norway's first rehearsal here.

7. The Netherlands - Duncan Laurence with Arcade.

Duncan Laurence's first rehearsal for the Netherlands was slick from start to finish. Whilst many delegations have gone for red as a leading colour and black or white clothing, Duncan's performance of Arcade turns everything blue. Sat at the electric grand piano, he delivers a performance that centres on the vocals and lyrics of the song.

READ MORE: Check out the full review of the Netherlands' first rehearsal here.

8. North Macedonia - Tamara Todevska with Proud.

Tamara Todevska moves from backing singer to centre-stage as she represents North Macedonia in her own right this year. The singer is Proud and her song is performed with the use of 6 mirrors on stage. Wearing a striking silk green dress with black sleeves and upper body, she commands the stage with confidence and a smile.

READ MORE: Check out the full review of North Macedonia's first rehearsal here.

9. Azerbaijan - Chingiz with Truth.

The last of the semi-finalists to rehearse is Azerbaijan's Chingiz. His heart is beating outside his chest via intriguing projections. The Azeri singer is supported on stage by 2 robot arms and there are plenty of CGI graphics on the giant video screen as a female's head appears in 3D and the robots mend Chingiz' broken heart.

READ MORE: Check out the full review of Azerbaijan's first rehearsal here.

What's next?

Tomorrow rehearsals will temporarily come to a halt. Expo Tel Aviv will be closed for Yom HaZikaron, Israel's official remembrance day. Rehearsals will start again on Thursday 9 May when the first 16 countries in the first Semi-Final return to the stage for their second round of rehearsals. We will cover these with a fresh set of photo galleries and a YouTube preview from the official show's video feed.

Who were your favourites from today's rehearsals? Let us know in the comments below!