First bookmaker favourites hit the Eurovision 2019 stage

We have now seen almost 3 quarters of this year's Eurovision Song Contest entries on stage as the first 9 entrants from the second Semi-Final completed their first of 2 rehearsals today. As always with first rehearsals, the artists and their delegations have been working tirelessly to perfect their vocal and visual displays of their entries. They consult with the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest production team to get the very best out of their entry and give themselves the very best chance of success in the world's longest running international televised music competition.

READ MORE: Find out more about the rehearsal process here.

1. Armenia - Srbuk with Walking Out.

Day 3 of rehearsals in Tel Aviv kicked off with Srbuk Walking Out for Armenia. Her solo performance had the stage and camera operators working to full capacity as her performance included some fast-paced graphics and CGI (computer generated imagery) for her presentation.

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

2. Sarah McTernan with 22.

Second on stage today was Ireland's Sarah McTernan with a colourful performance of her Eurovision entry 22. Dressed in red with 2 backing dancers in pink, Sarah interacts with her onstage 50s-style American diner counter and the giant video screen.

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

3. Latvia - Carousel with That Night.

Latvia will perform 5th in the second Semi-Final but swapped rehearsal times with Moldova today, so Carousel were the third country to rehearse. The 3-piece band with Sabine Zuga as lead singer demonstrated an enchanting presentation of their song That Night with 3 run-throughs of the song.

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

4. Switzerland - Luca Hänni with She Got Me.

Luca Hänni took to the stage to complete the last of this morning's rehearsals with an energetic display from him and his backing dancers. The staging took on a whole new concept from the official music video with a modern young look and urban choreography. The vibrant entry was lifted further with CGI and pyros.

READ MORE: Check out our full review of Switzerland's first rehearsal here.

5. Moldova - Anna Odobescu with Stay.

Anna Odobescu was the fifth artist to rehearse today, though she will sing third in the second Semi-Final. Dressed in white dress with tulle train and accompanied by a sand artist working live on stage to create the imagery for the giant video screen, Anna delivered a strong vocal performance of Stay.

READ MORE: Check out our full review article of Romania's first rehearsal here.

6. Romania - Ester Peony with On A Sunday.

Ester Peony made an impact with her first rehearsal. Dressed in black, white collar and boots, Ester takes us on a journey from deep under water to a world of fire. There is plenty of ferocity in the performance as Ester tries to take Romania back to the Grand Final after the nation missed out on qualification for the first time last year.

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

7. Denmark - Leonora with Love Is Forever.

Leonora's rehearsal featured a chair that now seats 5 people. The performance is an upgrade on the staging that won her the ticket to the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest at the national Danish final Melodi Grand Prix earlier this year.

READ MORE: Check out our full review of Denmark's first rehearsal here.

8. Austria - PÆNDA with Limits.

PÆNDA will perform 9th in the second Semi-Final but swapped rehearsal slots with Sweden today. Sporting her trademark blue hair, the Austrian hopeful performed on a dazzling dark stage with glittering light sticks around her to visually support her song about finding time to take care of yourself and knowing your own Limits.

Read More: Check out the full review of Austria's first rehearsal here.

9. Sweden - John Lundvik with Too Late For Love.

Last but not least, John Lundvik took to the stage to rehearse Sweden's 2019 Eurovision Song Contest entry. Just as in his Swedish national final performance at 'Melodifestivalen' , he was joined by his 4 gospel singers for his presentation of Too Late For Love.

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

Tomorrow, the last 9 countries that will compete in the second Semi-Final of the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest will grace the Expo Tel Aviv stage. They are Croatia, Malta, Lithuania, Russia, Albania, Norway, The Netherlands, North Macedonia and Azerbaijan.

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