Live from Turin: press conference of the finalists of semi-final 1
The ten qualifiers for semi-final 1 of the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 have been announced. After tonight’s performances, the artists head to the press conference room in Turin to give us their take on the show. Join our live blog from tonight’s press conference, which you can watch live on the Eurovision YouTube channel here.
The following countries qualified for the semi-finals:
LIVE COVERAGE | Live Blog Completed
23:23 CET // The press conference should start in a few minutes.
23:37 CET // Laura Carusino opens the press conference.
23:38 CET // The first 5 artists welcomed are Marius Bear, Monika Liu, Rosa Linn, Systur and Maro.
23:39 CET // Q: “What went through your mind when you found out you qualified?” Marius Bear explained that he tries to convey his emotions through his performance. He is happy that the qualifying pressure is now gone. Marius, who is half-Australian, invites all Australia to watch the final on Sunday morning.
23:41 CET // Switzerland will perform in the first half of the Grand Final.
11:42 p.m. CET // Q: “How do you feel about qualifying?” Rosa Linn says she is very proud and happy to qualify since Armenia has not been in the final for four years. She hopes to make her family members happy after going through a bereavement.
23:45 CET // Armenia will play in the first half of the Grand Final.
23:46 CET // The next question is for Systur from Iceland. The sisters feel very passionate about transgender rights, especially because Sigga’s son has come out as transgender, and they believe that everyone should have the right to express themselves in their own way. Qualifying for the final despite its weakness at the bookmakers means a lot for the group. However, the main goal for them was to bring people hope and show their support for Ukraine.
23:50 CET // Iceland will perform in the second half of the Grand Final.
23:51 CET // Monika Liu from Lithuania brings the first Lithuanian-language song to the final. She intends to make Lithuanians proud of their language, even though she has received negative comments about singing in her mother tongue. Monika does not care about the place she will get in the final, she is happy to be there. She also draws attention to the situation in Ukraine.
23:54 CET // Lithuania will perform in the second half of the Grand Final.
23:55 CET // To Eurovoix.com’s question regarding the delegation’s COVID case, Maro from Portugal replies that she found it even more special to rehearse together and perform tonight. Maro wrote the song about his grandfather.
11:57 p.m. CET // Portugal will play in the first half of the Grand Final.
00:05 CET // After a brief photo call, the next 5 artists entering the press conference room are S10, Kalush Orchestra, Subwoofer, Amanda Georgiadi Tenfjord, Zdob si Zdub and Advahov Brothers.
00:06 CET // Subwoofer shows Wolves also celebrating their qualification for the final with a drink. They enjoyed being on stage very much, while DJ Astronaut also sends his regards to the press.
00:08 CET // Norway will perform in the first half of the Grand Final.
00:09 CET // Amanda Georgiadi Tenfjord wasn’t nervous today and it feels good to hear the applause even through her ears. Amanda was happy with her performance and could connect with the audience.
00:11 CET // Greece will play in the second half of the Grand Final.
00:12 CET // Klaush would like to thank everyone who decided to support Ukraine. Olesh hasn’t had time to talk to his mother Stefania, who the song is about, but they’ve texted and hope to get in touch tomorrow. Kalush wants to focus on demonstrating that Ukrainian culture is still alive.
00:14 CET // Ukraine will perform in the first half of the Grand Final.
00:15 CET //Zdob if Zdub thinks the most important thing in their performance was the traditional music and the message together: freedom, positivity, friendship. They think it fits the spirit of Eurovision. Zdob and Zdub thank those who worked on the event. They will write a song on a train from Chisinau via Bucharest to Turin in case they win.
00:19 CET // Moldova will perform in the second half of the Grand Final.
00:20 CET // S10 explains that the song and the staging made her vulnerable to show her emotions. She felt that it made it easier for her to accept the sadness she had experienced in the past. As the Netherlands were the last country to be called up from the qualifiers, it was very taxing for the team and the Dutch, but number 10 brought them luck in many ways.
00:22 CET // The Netherlands will perform in the first half of the Grand Final.
00:23 CET // The press conference ends with a photo opportunity for the other five qualifiers.
Image source: Eurovision.tv
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