All the chaos from inside the arena at Eurovision semi-finals 2023 that you didn’t see on TV

The Eurovision Song Contest is impeccably organised – here’s what you don’t see while watching from home

Thursday night’s Eurovision 2023 semi-finals proved a wild one – and it was even wilder when you were among the crowd.

Each year Eurovision draws millions of viewers, with fans hosting watch parties at home and in pubs, and families sitting down to watch it with their children – the next generation of Eurovision superfans.

Thursday saw heartbreak for some hopefuls, including the likes of Georgia, Denmark and Iceland who failed to qualify, while other underdogs such as Australia made a huge impression on voters and got through to the Grand Finals.

Eurovision is known to be bizarre, camp and chaotic, which is what we love about it.

And while it is organised to perfection, right down to the second, to ensure the live shows go off with a hitch, it is definitely still chaotic.

Here’s some of the madness those in the arena were treated to on Thursday night that you don’t see when watching from home.

Crew literally pushing the sets around during Denmark’s song

Denmark’s entry Reiley opened the night with his track Breaking My Heart, which saw him sing his heart out – no pun intended – in a makeshit house where the rooms kept spinning to become different colours.

And while watching from home you could imagine the house was on a moving pedestal, those lucky enough to watch from the arena could see a whole crew physically pushing it in time to the music. Seriously impressive.

The legendary drag Queens entertaining the crowd before showtime

Viewers went wild when hosts Hannah Waddingham, Alesha Dixon and Julia Sanina went into the Queen Machine and were yassified in real time.

Their drag queen alter egos then let loose with a jaw-dropping routine, the stage filled with talented dancers.

Those attending the semi-finals in person were treated to a preview, with the Queens entertaining the audience before showtime.

Crews working like mad to get the staging ready for the next performance

It will really give you an idea into how vital it is for things to be impeccably organised when you learn the break between each performance at Eurovision shows is just 40 seconds long.

That’s 40 seconds for crews to completely transform the stage, in some cases bringing out a full band’s worth of instruments and other props – from giant platforms to poles to makeshift houses.

Watching the show live from the arena gives a glimpse at how all the rehearsal pays off, as staff rush to get the stage ready and the artist in their spot before the cameras swing back.

And getting the podium out for the hosts ahead of voting being opened

After the final performance, the hosts come back on stage to open the voting and entertain audiences watching from the room and in homes across the world.

This, too, has to be done incredibly quickly – and involves bringing back the podium on after previously clearing it in order for the acts to have full control over the stage.

Here we can see staff doing just that, as Hannah, Julia and Alesha prepare to return to open the voting.

The absolute insanity when Australia were qualified

Australia were the underdogs of Thursday’s semi-final, and they absolutely smashed it with a top performance, excellent staging and brilliant stage presence – not to mention a great song.

While the tune might not be in everyone’s taste, with keytar, heavy guitars and screaming, they proved hugely popular and managed to get through to the Grand Final.

Even watching from home it was clear they were getting a big reaction from the crowd, as the cheers went on for ages – so much so that host Hannah had to politely indicate for the crowd to quieten down so they could read out the next set of results.

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But as we can see from videos inside the arena, fans went absolutely wild when Australia was announced, the entire building lighting up with cheers and those on the floor bouncing up and down with joy.

Sweden and Finland might be the top contender’s for the trophy on Saturday, but Australia are definitely not ones to be ruled out.

The Eurovision Song Contest 2023 Grand Final will air on Saturday at 8pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

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Watching from home is exciting enough – this is another level.