Status: 05/10/2023 01:52 a.m
The first big show of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 took place in Liverpool. Ten of the 15 acts of the first ESC semi-final are one round ahead and will be in the final on Saturday.
On Tuesday evening, 15 candidates had their first ESC appearance of the season in Liverpool. For ten of them, the dream of winning the Eurovision continues. They were able to convince the audience and made it to the grand finale.
These acts are on after the first ESC semi-final
Eliminated in first semi-final 2023
Käärijä and Loreen – A semi-final full of favourites
It’s just after 11 p.m. when the announcement of the ten final acts begins. There aren’t really any big surprises. We will see two of our Nordic neighbors again in the final on Saturday. Sweden with Loreen and Finland are favorites with bookmakers anyway. They do justice to this role.
The Finn Käärijä sets the brilliant end of the evening. The dazzling singer from the land of tango shows a different form of ballroom dancing, supported by his offbeat hit ballet: his “Cha Cha Cha”, a mixture of electronic body music and electro-pop, embodies pure joie de vivre. Seeing you again in the final is definitely a pleasure.
Loreen’s advancement is also no surprise. In 2012, the Swede triumphed with “Euphoria” in Baku – with “Tattoo” she definitely wants to get the trophy again. The 39-year-old compensates for the somewhat weaker song with a lot of physical exertion: Loreen first lies under an LED panel, which she finally pushes up.
Noa Kirel reaches the final “phenomenal female”
The Norwegian Alessandra is also relieved after reaching the final. The crowned and veiled singer crowned herself Queen with her feminist anthem “Queen Of Kings.” Noa Kirel from Israel also made it into the final with perfect dance moves. Simply “phenomenal feminine”, as she sings in the chorus herself.
Vesna sing about the power of women
Women in power: Vesna from the Czech Republic sing very subtly against the aggressors of this world.
This first semi-final is a women’s evening anyway. “We are not your dolls,” sing Vesna from the Czech Republic. In their Slavic folk-pop song “My Sister’s Crown”, Patricie, Tanita, Bára, Olesya, Markéta and Tereza conjure up the power and strength of women – also subtly against the aggressors of this world. The ESC is said to be free of politics, but in view of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, this cannot be completely ignored.
Great Britain stands in for Ukraine
Because Liverpool only stepped in – for the first time in the history of the contest, a runner-up takes over the organization. Last year had that Kalush Orchestra won – also thanks to the solidarity of Europe. That was an important moment for Ukraine, says Ukrainian commentator Timur Miroshnychenko. Last year he commented on the ESC from an air raid shelter. Now he follows the competition 2,500 kilometers away from the war.
Emotional moments remind of the fate of Ukraine
The audience is repeatedly reminded why the ESC is taking place in Liverpool. The emotional appearance of the former Ukrainian ESC participant also contributes to this Aljosha as an interval act. Joining forces with British singer Rebecca Ferguson, she performs her personal story with a re-imagining of the Duran-Duran hit “Ordinary World”. A beating heart and wings in the Ukrainian national colors underline the musical moment that unites both countries.
‘Praising You’ – Rita Ora shines as an interval act
Rita Ora is a big ESC fan. In Liverpool, the British singer performs as an interval act.
Rita Ora is also a fan of the European idea. The singer comes from Pristina and grew up with the ESC. She describes herself as a “European girl from Eastern Europe”. This year the competition is even more special “because we show respect to Ukraine.” In Liverpool she shortened the waiting for the voting results with a medley and her current song “Praising You”.
“United by Music”: The motto of this year’s ESC runs like a musical thread through this evening.
26 participants start in the final on Saturday
In addition to the participating countries, Germany, Italy and France, as the so-called Big Five countries, were also allowed to vote in the first semi to see which acts made it to the final. According to the current rules, only the audience has voted since this year. The juries only come into action again in the final.
On Thursday at 9 p.m. in the second semi-final, 16 acts will compete to secure one of the ten remaining starting places for the final. The Big Five countries Germany, France, Great Britain, Spain and Italy are already set for the final evening. They carry the main financial burden of the Eurovision Song Contest. In addition, Ukraine, for which Great Britain hosts the ESC, also has a permanent place in the final as last year’s winner. Go for Germany Lord Of The Lost with “Blood & Glitter” at the start.
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