Eurovision 2023, the live broadcast of the first semifinal. Marco Mengoni from the dressing room: “I’m calmer” – breaking latest news

To win the passage to the final are: Croatia, Moldova, Switzerland, Finland, Czech Republic, Israel, Portugal, Sweden, Serbia and Norway

The contestants from France, Germany and Italy – three of the Big 5 – arrive on stage for a short interview and a preview of Saturday’s performance from rehearsals. Marco Mengoni shows good English in answering the presenter’s questions: «I’m super happy», she says. And his voice, observes Mara Maionchi, “is of a higher level”

It’s time to say goodbye to Marco Mengoni in his dressing room waiting to see him on stage on Saturday: «For me it’s the second time at Eurovision, this is much better, I’m calmer, I’ve done some things in these 10 years, meditation it helped a lot to enjoy every second of it», he tells Corsi and Maionchi

Rita Ora, with a medley of her songs, is super guest of the evening. The Kosovar-Albanian artist also proposed “Praising you”, her version of “Praise you” by Fatboy Slim

England and Ukraine united on stage with Rebecca Ferguson, from Liverpool, and Alyosha, Ukrainian singer, singing “Ordinary world” by Duran Duran: an intense moment that sums up the spirit of this year’s edition

After all the performances, it’s time to vote and the codes of the 15 contestants are listed, in order of performance. To express your preference, you can call 894.222, send a text message to 475.475.0 or even vote from the app.

The parade of 15 competitors ends with the energy of Finland: Käärijä, rounded in fluorescent green, sings the incandescent «Cha Cha Cha», a song that recalls «Gangnam Style» by the Korean Psy combined with a little «Gasolina »

Mia Nicolai & Dion Cooper represent the Netherlands with «Burning Daylight». Mara Maionchi is not enthusiastic: «well, cheerful», she comments without conviction

The six artists all dressed in pink who compete for the Czech Republic are called Vesna. Their song «My Sister’s Crown» pays homage to femininity, but also contains an anti-war message. The performance in which they wave very long braids of hair is suggestive and pleases the public

The twins competing for Azerbaijan with «Tell me more» are called TuralTuranX. «The Kessler twins also took part in Eurovision», recalls Gabriele Corsi: «Two crazy chicks», says Mara Maionchi, less convinced of the charm of tonight’s two competitors, identical if not for the color of the dress, one on the bass and one on the guitar

Loreen, a Swedish competitor with a powerful voice and very long nails, has already won Eurovision in 2012. She is also a super favorite this year, competing with «Tattoo»: her pathos-charged performance unleashes a great ovation in the audience

Heavy dose of trash and tribal rhythms from Moldova with Pasha Parfeni and his «Soarele şi Luna» (lyrics written by his wife). Barely an hour has passed, but the race is very fast and the competitors follow one after the other without a break

Israeli Noa Kirel is an actress and pop star well known in her country, one of the favorites of this Eurovision. She brings «Unicorn» into the competition which echoes Bowie in the first notes but then opens into a pop dance refrain complete with acrobatic choreography. The public is enthusiastic: «if I do it, the Red Cross will take away from me», says Mara Maionchi

Remo Forrer, a Swiss competitor with a beautiful deep voice, is 21 years old. With his ballad «Watergun» he returns to the theme of war: in the refrain he says «I don’t want to be a soldier»

Famous for their provocative performances (apparently stripping naked from time to time), Croatian band Let 3 offer «Mama ŠČ!», a satire on the absurdity of war and against power. Mustachioed and wearing make-up, in skirts and uniforms, they are the oldest in the race: they unleash rockets and in the end remain in their underwear

Wild Youth, a pop rock band born in Dublin in 2018, represent Ireland with «We are one». Country Cousins-style golden onesie for the singer who, amid pyrotechnic sparks, launches a message of unity: «we can be different, but tonight we are one»

Feathered red dress, blond curls and sparkling for the Portuguese Mimicat with her «Ai Coração». Nickname of Marisa Mena, Mimicat has been singing since she was 9 years old and in Brazil, where she is very successful, she has been nicknamed «The Amy Winehouse of the Tagus»: a bit too much?

The Latvian Sudden Lights, a “canonical” band of vocals, guitar, bass, drums, with their “Aija” go to indie-pop altitude: born in 2012, they had already come close to participating in Eurovision in 2018

Serbian contestant Luke Black veers electronica and techno with “Samo Mi Se Spava”, i.e. “I just want to sleep”, a song that has contributed to his nickname “Serbian Alchemist of Pop”. Maionchi likes it: «he’s good, he’s bad», says Mara

“Dance (Our own party)” is the title of the pop-funk song with a beautiful glittery sax proposed by the Maltese The Busker: it talks about social anxiety and how much better it is at home with a comfortable sweater than at parties. The trio, as the name suggests, started out playing the streets of the island

It’s up to the Italian-Norwegian Alessandra Mele to be first on stage. Solemn and gritty with a diadem and dark green bodice, she sings «Queen of kings», a song «which contains a message of love towards oneself», she explained. «He looked like Loki, Thor’s brother, the way she was dressed», comments Mara Maionchi

Gabriele Corsi remembers it, while the three presenters on stage illustrate the match: Italy can vote tonight. Will you vote for the Norwegian contestant, Alessandra Mele, who was born and raised in Italy?

The first semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 begins in Liverpool: a tour through the streets of the English city introduces the competition, up to the writing, in English and Ukrainian, “Welcome to Liverpool”, with the yellow-blue colors of the flag of Kiev on repeat. King Charles III and his wife are also immortalized in the clip. The initial performance is entrusted to two children who then leave room for the corps de ballet and the first conductor-singer who takes the stage

Marco Mengoni will not perform tonight, having direct access to Saturday’s final. But he met Mara Maionchi and Gabriele Corsi shortly before the start of the semifinal. He said he was excited, but more intent on having a good experience than on winning this Eurovision (the second for him): «What comes comes, the important thing is that you have fun and that there are the right messages», he underlined

Competitors from 15 countries compete for the final this evening: in the order of exit, Norway, Malta, Serbia, Latvia, Portugal, Ireland, Croatia, Switzerland, Israel, Moldova, Sweden, Azerbaijan, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands and Finland. Only 10 of them will qualify for the final on Saturday evening which competitors from the “big 5” already have access to by right, the 5 countries that first supported the European Broadcasting Union (France, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom, Spain), plus last year’s winner Ukraine

This year’s Eurovision takes place in England even if the winning country of the last edition was Ukraine: the ongoing war prevented Kiev from hosting the event and so it was decided that it was the second classified country to organize the race. The onstage hosts are Hannah Waddingham, Julia Sanina and Alesha Dixon. For Italy, on Rai, the comments of Mara Maionchi and Gabriele Corsi will be heard

Everything is ready at the Liverpool Arena: this evening the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 starts with the first semi-final which sees 15 countries competing, voted by the public, juries and by France, Germany and Italy. Only 10 will make it through to the final, scheduled for Saturday 13 May, for which Italy’s Marco Mengoni is already qualified