ESC live ticker second semi-final: start list at a glance - Finnish cult rockers will open the show

Created: 2022-05-12Updated: 2022-05-12, 8:16 p.m

By: Jonas Erbas

Old acquaintances will compete for Finland in the second ESC semi-final: The Rasmus landed a number one hit in Germany with "In the Shadows" in 2003 © Luca Bruno/dpa/AP

The second "Eurovision Song Contest" semi-final takes place on Thursday evening (12th) - 18 nations are fighting for ten final tickets.

IPPEN.MEDIA is live on site in Turin.

• Countdown to the

  second ESC semi-final

  : Germany's ESC candidate Malik Harris meets the

  Ukraine act

  , Eurovision stars are bustling in Turin's streets.

• Second ESC semi-final

  on

  TV and live stream

  : The

  ARD offshoot ONE

  has secured the broadcasting rights, and eurovision.de is also there

  via live

  stream.

• This news ticker for the second "Eurovision Song Contest" semi-final, reported by IPPEN.MEDIA reporter Mario Hanousek from Turin, is constantly being updated.

May 12 , 8:15 p.m.

The second “Eurovision Song Contest” semi-final will take place on Thursday (May 12, 2022) at 9:00 p.m.

In the end, ten of the 18 participants are allowed to take part in the final on Saturday (the grand finale of the "Eurovision Song Contest" 2022 on TV and live stream).

All 18 nations are entitled to vote, as well as Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom (already seeded).

Voting is done by a jury and a public vote.

The results of both judgments are weighted equally.

After ten finalists, including title co-favorite Ukraine, were chosen in the first “Eurovision Song Contest” semi-final (here is the live ticker for the first ESC semi-final in retrospect) on Tuesday evening, the next round is scheduled for Thursday.

The Finnish opening act in particular should not be completely unknown to German ESC viewers: The rock band The Rasmus landed an international top hit in 2003 with "In the Shadows".

In this country, the single and the accompanying album "Dead Letters" are both at the top of the respective charts.

Old acquaintances will compete for Finland in the second ESC semi-final: The Rasmus landed a number one hit in Germany with "In the Shadows" in 2003 © Luca Bruno/dpa/AP

Countdown to the second ESC semi-final: Malik Harris meets the Ukraine act, candidates populate the streets of Turin

May 12th , 8:00 p.m.:

Our man in Turin is currently in front of the PalaOlimpico and reports: In front of the hall one looks in vain for the German flags today.

Why is that, I ask Peter (37), a German-Polish man from Berlin, who arrived with a mini-German flag.

He believes that "many are ashamed of Germany".

Every year there would be bad placements and few points, you would have to change something in the preliminary round in order to be successful.

It would take a star to represent Germany!

One looks in vain for German flags in front of the Pala Olimpico.

Other countries, such as Sweden, are much more clearly represented.

It is possible that the German ESC fans will follow suit on the final day (May 14)... © Mario Hanousek

May 12, 7:10 p.m.:

The Ukrainian band was also invited to a reception hosted by the German ambassador in Italy, where Germany’s ESC hopeful Malik Harris performed and presented their song.

The group then turns to Europe: “We want to thank everyone who supports Ukraine in any way!

With our performance we want to show that the Ukrainian culture is alive - and stays alive.

Our culture is unique!”

Of course, should Ukraine win, they would get the right to host the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest.

However, since it is highly unlikely that the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) would agree to hold the competition in Ukraine, it is unclear what exactly would happen with the next edition of ESC.

A Ukrainian journalist at the press center in Turin told IPPEN.MEDIA that the UK had already offered to host the competition if it won.

Nevertheless, Kalush Orchestra is confident: "If it happens that we win, the ESC will take place in Ukraine!"

Kalush Orchestra, who are among the favorites, are confident at an ESC reception: "If it happens that we win, the ESC will take place in the Ukraine!" © Mario Hanousek

May 12, 6:18 p.m.:

Even before the second ESC semi-final, things get really musical in Turin: Germany’s ESC candidate Malik Harris meets the Eurovision finalists Kalush Orchestra (Ukraine) with lead singer Oleh Psiuk and sings at a press event them the Ukrainian contribution “Stefania”.

After the performance, the "Rockstars" interpreter raves: "I don't speak a word of Ukrainian, the band doesn't speak a word of English, and yet we made music together, that's a good feeling!"

The afternoon before the second ESC semi-final: Eurovision stars on the streets of Turin

May 12th, 11:06 a.m.:

In Turin you meet the ESC stars by chance on the street.

IPPEN.MEDIA reporter Mario Hanousek bumped into Sam Ryder, vocal prodigy and hope for the United Kingdom.

The Brit is considered the favorite to win behind Ukraine.

The “Eurovision Song Contest” finalist (all participating ESC countries) became a viral superstar via the TikTok video platform.

"He has such a great voice," enthuses our man on site after rehearsals.

In Turin you can also meet some ESC stars on the street these days - such as the British Sam Ryder (right) in an interview © Mario Hanousek

May 11th, 7:34 p.m.:

Our ESC reporter in Turin reports that everything in the PalaOlimpico is not going as expected there: The first rehearsal lasted almost two hours longer than planned because it increased and also after the renewed appearances gave further technical problems.

In addition, Il Volo, the Italian opera pop singers who were supposed to sing a new version of their ESC song from 2015 with "Grande amore", are only rehearsing in pairs.

One member, Gianluca Ginoble, tested positive for Corona, according to Italian media.

How the performance will continue tomorrow is unclear.

Supposedly they are looking for a solution to add the third singer digitally.

May 11 , 6:15 p.m.:

Behind the scenes at the “Eurovision Song Contest” rehearsals: That’s how many people it takes to prepare the stage, a kind of living room and music studio, for Germany’s Malik Harris.

Between the songs, the stagehands only have about 45 seconds to take everything down and set up the setting for the following performance - an enormous achievement!

In order to set up and dismantle Malik Harris' stage show, numerous helpers have to help at the "Eurovision Song Contest" © Mario Hanousek

May 11 , 5:15 p.m.:

IPPEN.MEDIA reporter Mario Hanousek is in the PalaOlimpico today and reports on the rehearsals that are taking place there.

He promises: ESC fans will get their money's worth again tomorrow, it will be fiery and the list of funny and bizarre performances and gimmicks will be extended!

We would have big balloons, an artist singing on a piano, an oversized shell, bull riding and stairs, yes, lots of stairs. 

Romania, Poland, Montenegro, Belgium and the Czech Republic were allowed to rehearse twice.

There were probably ongoing problems with the artists' monitoring in-ears, so they had a permanent noise in their ears.

So there was a second chance!

Sweden has not rehearsed a second time, why is unclear - possibly voluntarily to protect the voice?

"Tomorrow the ESC fans will get their money's worth again," promises IPPEN.MEDIA reporter Mario Hanousek, who is reporting live from Turin © Mario Hanousek

Second ESC semi-final on TV and live stream: ARD offshoot ONE broadcasts preliminary decision from Turin

Like the first ESC semi-final, the second preliminary show will also be broadcast on Thursday evening by the ARD digital broadcaster ONE from 9 p.m.

The event can then be accessed in the media library.

The show can be followed live on eurovision.de.