The Eurovision adventure continues in Tbilisi! This Monday, December 8, the second day of individual rehearsals for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2025 has begun. The Georgian capital remains immersed in an atmosphere of intense activity inside the impressive stage installed at the Gymnastic Hall of Olympic City.
With the 23rd edition drawing ever closer, another nine countries have taken the stage today to continue polishing every detail of their performances. The young artists keep fine-tuning vocals, cameras, and choreography ahead of the grand musical event taking place this Saturday, December 13.
Although all participants have worked intensively on their proposals from their respective countries, the in-person rehearsals on the festival stage are proving to be the decisive moment to see their staging concepts come to life and to adjust those elements that need perfecting for the live show.
How do the Junior Eurovision 2025 rehearsals work?
Each artist in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2025 has two individual rehearsals, as is customary every year, in which they can perform several run-throughs of their act. This rehearsal phase will continue until Wednesday, December 10.
In the first individual rehearsals, each artist has 30 minutes to record as many takes of their performance as possible. They can improve and adjust aspects of the staging and production after the stand-in rehearsals carried out the previous week. These are usually the most complex rehearsals because they are the first contact with the stage.
Next come the second individual rehearsals, where each country has 20 minutes to fine-tune any remaining details of their entry, with the goal of having everything perfect before the general rehearsals. This second phase is usually more agile and serves to reinforce the performances with small adjustments. From these rehearsals, the organization will publish a summary with production footage at the end of the day on YouTube.
Meanwhile, on Friday, December 12, the major general rehearsal known as the jury show will take place, where, in addition to enjoying a performance very close to the live show, the professional juries of each country will cast their votes, which will account for 50% of the final result.
Second day of rehearsals in Tbilisi
On this second day of rehearsals, on Monday, December 8, it was North Macedonia, Montenegro, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Georgia, Cyprus, France, and Albania who took the stage at the Gymnastic Hall of Olympic City. Just below, you can enjoy a brief description of each country’s rehearsal and a selection of images published on the Junior Eurovision social media accounts.
North Macedonia: Nela Mancheska – Miracle
The young Nela Mancheska represents North Macedonia with her song “Miracle” and was in charge of opening the second day in Tbilisi. The North Macedonian performance focuses on emotional staging, once again playing with warm and cold contrasts in visuals and lighting.
The screens are filled with stars and nebulas, creating a feeling of weightlessness. There are also on-screen recreations of the singer herself, enhancing the dramatism that defines the entry.
The young performer opts for light-toned, airy clothing, and the fabric connected to her wrists allows her to move fluidly throughout the entire performance.
Montenegro: Asja Džogović – I Tužna i Srećna Priča
Montenegro returns to the competition with Asja Džogović and her song “I Tužna I Srećna Priča.” In her performance, she leaves behind the iconic coat from her music video and opts instead for light-colored attire, styled as a tunic cinched with a matching belt.
The young artist performs her song from the center of the stage, surrounded by soft lighting in white and red tones. The visuals used are reminiscent of Måns Zelmerlöw’s performance at Eurovision 2015, featuring chalkboard-style drawings that come to life.
Italy: Leonardo Giovannangeli – Rockstar
The young Leonardo Giovannangeli represents Italy at Junior Eurovision 2025 with his strong stage presence thanks to his song “Rockstar.” For his outfit, he opts for a black tracksuit with yellow accents on the sleeves and legs.
For the performance, he makes extensive use of lighting, supported by visuals dominated by red tones and fire. Leonardo will be accompanied by two dancers, just like in the music video, and he will also perform standing on a sort of metal cage, though it is still unknown whether someone will end up inside it.
Portugal: Inês Gonçalves – Para Onde Vai o Amor?
Portugal celebrates its tenth participation in Junior Eurovision with Inês Gonçalves, who represents the country with the song “Para Onde Vai o Amor?”
The staging uses translucent white fabrics, which seem to represent memories, recollections, and the passage of time, as part of the message of melancholy and nostalgia conveyed by the song.
The lighting aims to be soft, in warm or blue tones, creating a visual atmosphere that supports the song’s deep emotional weight.
Inês wears a flowy outfit, which will move gently along with the fabrics thanks to fans placed behind her.
Spain: Gonzalo Pinillos – Érase Una Vez (Once Upon a Time)
The outfit chosen for the staging strongly resembles, in both materials and design, the one used two years ago by Sandra Valero, featuring a leather jacket for a new journey—this time through imagination and reading.
The LED screens that form the stage stairs have been creatively used to simulate a stack of books, each step serving as the spine of a book with the titles of different classic tales, which change to be rewritten in several of the participating countries’ languages.
The visuals will depict scenes from traditional and globally recognized stories so that all viewers can perceive the powerful message of the song. In addition, cold spark fountain pyrotechnics will be used to reinforce certain parts of the performance.
Among the elements that make up the staging, Gonzalo playing the piano begins as the central part of the act. Later, as the song builds in intensity, he switches the piano for a circular structure filled with books, which will decorate the rest of the performance and with which Gonzalo appears to conclude his journey through the stories that have unfolded on the Tbilisi stage.
Georgia: Anita Abgariani – Shine Like a Star
The reigning champion, Georgia, carried out its first full rehearsal also during this second day of rehearsals. Anita Abgariani represents this year the country with the highest record of victories to date with the song “Shine Like a Star.”
Anita wears a striking white dress, decorated with stars and sparkling details that reference the title and message of her song, helping her shine even more on stage.
Cyprus: Rafaella & Christos – AWAY
It’s time for the duo of this edition, Rafaella Panteli and Christos Georgiou, who represent Cyprus this year with the song “AWAY.” Both appear in white outfits with sparkles, a very clean and luminous style that fits perfectly with the positive tone of the entry.
The stage is bathed in blues, pinks, and blacks, with stars scattered across the background, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of musical films in the style of High School Musical: a modern, polished, and highly visual touch. White lights mark the key moments of the choreography, giving the performance a very lively rhythm.
A fresh, colorful, and well-coordinated staging, where Rafaella and Christos stand out for their chemistry and for a number designed to shine both on camera and live.
France: Lou Deleuze – Ce Monde
France knows how to play its cards very well at Junior Eurovision, and this year they are coming in strong once again, represented by Lou Deleuze with the song “Ce Monde.”
The French staging presents an elegant, theatrical atmosphere clearly inspired by a classic Parisian style, with a warm and sophisticated aesthetic. Lou’s look reinforces that distinctly French flair, wearing a red beret along with a dark red velvet dress with thin straps and multiple gathered layers that add volume and movement.
Lou will appear standing on a circular platform decorated with golden spiral motifs, giving it a romantic, handcrafted feel, as if it were a giant music box. Everything forms a minimalist environment, where the performance and lighting carry the visual weight.
Additionally, as we can observe and as the French delegation has already confirmed, the staging, imagery, and overall aesthetic are inspired by the film “Amélie.”
Albania: Kroni Pula – Fruta Perime
And today’s rehearsal day comes to an end with the last country to perform and the last to complete its first rehearsal, Albania, which this year is represented by Kroni Pula and her catchy song “Fruta Perime.”
Kroni Pula will be accompanied by four dancers who will help her get all of Tbilisi on their feet with her fun and danceable melody. All of them wear similar white outfits, while Kroni also features a folkloric-inspired corset with geometric patterns in red, green, and yellow, combined with a modern design reminiscent of flowers and fruit trees. Her dancers wear the same pattern on the two pockets of their trousers.
The LED screen backgrounds are inspired by natural landscapes. From trees illuminated with colorful lights to scenes of vibrant nature, with reddish and orange leaves adding dynamism, promoting and conveying that joyful and festive atmosphere.
The lighting stands out with shades of blue and green, highlighting both the performers and the different backgrounds, moving in sync with the rhythm of the song and matching the lively choreography they present.
Without a doubt, it is a perfect song to close an entire round of performances, being a proposal full of energy, color, and emotion that will surely leave the audience with an unforgettable feeling.
