Even after being ill for the past week, Alexander Rybak had a strong and intense execution in the first rehearsal before Thursday’s Eurovision Semi-final.
Rybak will be the first artist to play in the second semi-final and was also first for Wednesday’s rehearsal.
He has written this year’s Norwegian contribution, “That’s How You Write A Song”.
This year’s Eurovision Song Contest is hosted in Portugal after Salvador Sobral sang the country to the top last year with the song “Amar pelos dois”. This year, 43 countries participate, which is tangent to the 2008 and 2011 record.
Iceland and Finland were the Nordic countries who were on stage in the first semi-final on Tuesday, though only Finland got through to the next round. Other countries who got through to the final were Austria, Estonia, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Albania and Ireland.
In the second semi-final, Alexander Rybak is going to compete against Denmark and Sweden among others. Also competing will be Russia’s singer Julija Samojlova, who was denied entry to Ukraine in last year’s competition with a background in the Crimean conflict.
“The big five” in the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) – France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK – will join the organising country in the final on Saturday.
© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today