Behind the Scenes: Here's how First Rehearsals work for the artists...

If you’ve been following the First Rehearsals of the Eurovision Song Contest via our Live Blog and TikTok, you’ll have no doubt seen our artists as they take to the stage for the very first time. But what do the acts get up to from the moment they set foot in the PalaOlimpico? For the first time, we take you backstage to give you an insight into their schedule.

📺 Watch: Brooke’s Closer Look (What Artists do for their First Rehearsal)

Samya Hafsaoui is the charming backstage reporter that a lot of you will already be familiar with over on the official Eurovision Song Contest YouTube channel right now.

In her latest video she offers viewers a glimpse into the tight schedule that our intrepid artists have to navigate; it’s a journey for the acts which viewers at home never get to see.

Our host followed Ireland’s Brooke from breakfast onwards…

Brooke is on stage first today, and so to meet the rehearsal schedule slot of 10:00, she needs to arrive at the venue for 08:50 to clear a security check and safety instruction. Following that, she’s shown to her dressing room where she has 40 minutes to perfect the desired glam in anticipation of that first run-through.

At 09:40, our star is needed beside the stage (in full costume) for the fitting of the in-ear piece. Then, in the final 15 minutes before she takes to the Turin stage for the first time ever, Brooke is given a final backstage briefing from the stage crew; instructions on entering and exiting the stage, and one last check to see if all is in place, for both the artist and the crew.

It’s now time for that all-important first rehearsal: each act has 30 minutes. In that time, they can expect to perform the song three times. It’s a set of rehearsals for the performer to get comfortable with the stage, the sound and the camera angles; a window during which they can familiarise themselves with all of the above, before coming back even more confident and prepared for the second rehearsals, which traditionally take place around four days later.

Coming off stage at 10:30 doesn’t mean the end of Brooke’s opportunity to perfect her performance, however. At 10:40, she’s requested in the viewing room, where Brooke and the Irish delegation will have 20 minutes to look back over the recording of the performances, to see what could potentially be improved upon, if anything.

It’s an important moment for the artist as it’s their first chance to see just how they look on that big Eurovision stage.

After that first period of going through the Eurovision Song Contest 'raison d’être’, next up is the really fun bit – the extra curricular activities. In 2022, the Eurovision Content Team has come up with a gauntlet of activities to keep fans and participants entertained!

The Content Studio is a whirlwind of social media content production that will be used in the coming days to promote the Contest – and the participants – across TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Reddit, Twitter and, of course, right here on Eurovision.tv. This takes artists around 35 minutes from start to finish.

First up, is a two-minute session of signing vinyls and programmes; using only the glitteriest of pens, as you can well imagine. Next, our photographer Corinne Cumming snaps some exclusive portrait shots of each act, which we’ll be using across the website and Instagram. Artists do not have to be in full stage costume for this, and can wear an outfit of their own choosing.

Videographers Olivia and Femke will then film '66 Questions’ (a Vogue-inspired Q&A) and other video materials to be used across YouTube.

📺 Watch: MammaMia! Content Time! (Tour of the Content Studio)

Next up our artists are filmed for TikTok, Instagram and Facebook. These shorts incorporate singing, high-note reaching (or perhaps just aiming), pizza posing, a Vespa ride, and, of course, some patriotic flag waving.

As if that weren’t exhausting enough, from here our participants are ushered into the Press Conference room, in which a more traditional selection of questions will be posed during a 20-minute window of online Press Conferences. The artists are then taken back down to the lounge area of the Delegation Bubble, where they can relax, refresh and sometimes partake in more opportunities for content outside of the official Eurovision channels.

The artists are then free to make the most of all that the city of Turin has to offer for the rest of their day. When they next return to the PalaOlimpico, they’ll be even more prepared for their live performance, and their new fans will have gotten to know them just that much better!

📺 Watch: All 40 Songs of the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest

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