ESCXTRA are live from Lisbon for day 1 of rehearsals ahead of the Eurovision Song Contest 2018! The countries rehearsing today, in chronological order, are Azerbaijan, Iceland, Albania, Belgium, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Israel, Belarus, Estonia and Bulgaria.
We’re streaming live from the press centre
Furthermore, read our handy guide for a more detailed look at this contest’s rehearsal schedule.
In addition, for our immediate reactions to every single rehearsal, you can follow our live stream from the press centre at the Altice Arena by visiting our YouTube channel.
The latest artist to rehearse is Ari Ólafsson from Iceland. We have just watched their first run through of Our Choice live on screen and here is our initial reaction.
Staging
Ari starts by facing the back of the stage and the camera – very much with the illusion of being alone. The backing singers join him by the time the first chorus begins and then… nothing else happens. The blue lighting changes to red and yellow in the final chorus.
Vocals
His vocals were half decent, he missed one of the big notes in the first run through but this is perfectly normal for the very first rehearsal.
Costumes
Ari is wearing a white suit with red geoprint – a lot of lines! Think of a metro map… that’s basically what it is. It’s… bold. He has a red turtleneck on underneath it. The backing singers are dressed in red and black.
Watch the rehearsal!
Stay tuned for our reaction to Eugent Bushpepa as they rehearse Mall next for Albania. If you want to know what to expect for the rest of the day, check out our rehearsal schedule here. Meanwhile, remember to tune in to our live stream from the press centre for instant reactions to each rehearsal.
