“Welcome to the Eurovision” was also the motto for Malik Harris on Sunday evening shortly after half past six.

And that in German.

It was his greeting on the turquoise carpet, the official start of the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) in Turin.

Even if the carpet was not rolled out in Turin, but outside the city in front of the palace of Venaria Reale, a small town north of the Italian metropolis.

There was a real welcoming marathon that lasted a few hours, and of course the Mayor of Turin, Stefano Lo Russo, was not missing.

For this "Mr.

Eurovision”, the Secretary General of the ESC, the Swede Martin Österdahl.

You could literally see his relief: He had taken responsibility for the song contest in Corona year 2020, when no ESC could take place.

Peter Philipp Schmitt

Editor in the department "Germany and the World".

  • Follow I follow

Shortly before Malik Harris finally appeared on the turquoise carpet as the third last participant, it had stopped raining, which was pleasant for the German ESC hope.

Harris - black open shirt, shiny red suit, white sneakers - was dressed up just like all the other participants from the 40 countries who are hoping for a win in Turin this year.

Harris said he wasn't nervous.

"I enjoy every minute." And of course he's also proud to be able to compete for Germany.

Lots of dress rehearsals

The ESC lasts two long weeks this year.

The rehearsals started as early as the end of April: The first on the big stage was the Albanian Ronela Hajati with her song "Sekret", followed by the candidates from Latvia and Lithuania and the Appenzell Marius Bear, who represented Switzerland with "Boys Do Cry". goes to the start.

The four will also compete in the first semi-final on Tuesday evening in this order.

After two stage rehearsals of 30 and 20 minutes, the first 17 semi-finalists will have three dress rehearsals each, two this Monday and one on Tuesday.

The second dress rehearsal is of the utmost importance, because the jurors look at it and then vote on the performances.

The judges make up 50 percent of the decision.

The whole thing is then repeated with the second semi-final, in which 18 candidates compete against each other on Thursday evening.

Malik Harris, who, as a candidate for one of the "Big Five" countries, is a direct seed in the final, only arrived with his delegation on Thursday.

In the evening he had his first rehearsal, the second followed on Saturday afternoon.

The two dress rehearsals for the final are not due for him until next Friday, and again the juries decide on the evening before the final, which follows on Saturday evening - after the third dress rehearsal in the afternoon - as the big highlight of the entire ESC.

Masks, tests and clean hands

The twenty-four-year-old and his song "Rockstars" are not among the favorites at the moment.

The betting shops see him in 24th place. But he still has a week to catch up.

A lot can happen before Saturday.

One of the big unknowns is – Corona.

The Portuguese already had a first case, and a member of the delegation has been in isolation ever since.

The "hygiene protocol" at the ESC is strict.

Everyone was given 60 (!) masks as a welcome, plus three bottles of disinfectant for their hands.

In addition, a test had to be made in advance, plus another on the day of arrival.

A large test center was set up at the PalaOlimpico, the former Olympic site in Turin.

Everybody there, whether artist or journalist, has to appear for the test every three days. Anyone who doesn't come or is positive automatically loses their accreditation.

Actually, hardly anyone likes to think of "the dark times" last year at the ESC in Rotterdam, when the pandemic still had us firmly in its grip, as Martin Österdahl writes in his message.

She must be a few days old.

On Sunday evening he spoke of "difficult times" and meant the war in Ukraine.

At least the Ukrainian representatives made it to Turin in time and were able to walk across the turquoise carpet.

The band Kalush Orchestra, who will take the stage sixth in tomorrow evening's semifinals, will be greeted with particular acclaim at each of their performances here - including, of course, in front of the former residence of the Savoy royal family in Venaria Reale.

According to betting shops, they currently look like the clear winners of this year's ESC.