The Junior Eurovision adventure has begun in Tbilisi! This Sunday, December 7, the individual rehearsals for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2025 have started. The Georgian capital is preparing to experience frantic days of work on the extraordinary stage installed at the Gymnastic Hall of Olympic City.
With the 23rd edition drawing ever closer, the young participating artists have continued preparing and refining their performances for the big musical event that will take place this Saturday, December 13.
All participating artists have been actively working from their respective countries to shape their proposals. However, the rehearsals on the festival stage have been the key moment to bring their staging concept to life and adjust those elements that need improvements 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 mark 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, ensuring everything is perfect before the general rehearsals. This second phase is usually more efficient and serves mainly 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 nearly identical to the live show, the professional juries of each country will cast their votes, which will represent 50% of the final result.
The first day of rehearsals in Tbilisi
On this first day of Sunday, December 7, the first nine countries have taken 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.
Malta: Eliza Borg – «I Believe»
Here is the English translation with the most important parts in bold, without altering or removing essential information:
The first to step on the stage was Eliza Borg, who, with her ballad “I Believe,” filled the venue with an atmosphere in the purest Disney style.
Dressed in an elegant white gown and accompanied by five classical dancers wearing the same color, the performance opened with an almost cinematic image: Eliza gently waking up on a rounded-edge bed.
Throughout the performance, touches of gospel choir interpreted by the dancers were incorporated, while the background shifted into deep blues and shining golds, sprinkled with stars that completed a scene as magical as it was radiant.
Azerbaijan: Yağmur – «Miau Miau»
The representative of Azerbaijan, Yağmur, made the stage vibrate with her catchy song “Miau Miau,” turning the performance into an explosion of urban energy. From the very first moment, the street-style aesthetic dominated the scene: purple, green, and blue tones, graffiti everywhere, and four or five trash containers as props, integrated into a choreography full of attitude.
Yağmur began wrapped in a black coat covered in glitter, then dazzled with a surprising costume change revealing a purple sequin top. Around her, five dancers brought to life a vibrant staging marked by graffiti, intense colors, and almost feline movements — perfect for what is already shaping up to be the most “animal” song of this edition.
Croatia: Marino Vrgoč – «Snovi»
Here is the English translation with the most important parts in bold, without altering or removing essential information:
It was Croatia’s turn with Marino Vrgoč, who, with his song “Snovi,” transformed the stage into a visual journey full of sensitivity. Dressed in an impeccable white suit, Marino appeared alone on stage, elevated on a circular platform that became the center of all attention.
The performance began wrapped in a dark and starry atmosphere, enhanced by softly flickering light bulbs around him, creating an intimate and almost dreamlike effect. However, as the song progressed, the number evolved into a warmer environment, where pastel colors began to take the spotlight, illuminating the stage with a hopeful and delicate tone.
A minimalist yet deeply evocative staging, allowing Marino to shine as the sole narrator of this Croatian dream.
San Marino: Martina CRV – «Beyond The Stars»
Here is the English translation with the most important parts in bold, without altering or removing essential information:
The proposal from San Marino came from Martina CRV, who with her song “Beyond the Stars” delivered a performance full of country charm and modern western aesthetics. With a silver glittery guitar and a stool as the main prop, Martina began the performance sitting on a silver moon, creating a simple but very striking opening.
On the screens, neon letters shone while landscapes of mountains, deserts, and endless horizons passed by, reinforcing that cinematic atmosphere reminiscent of the great stages of the Wild West. The combination of warm tones, rustic textures, and sparkling lights made the performance feel intimate and visually appealing.
A staging that, among stars, landscapes, and neon, seemed to come straight from a stellar western.
Armenia: Albert – «Brave Heart»
The proposal from Armenia came from Albert, who with his song “Brave Heart” filled the stage with magic and delicacy. Dressed in a white suit and accompanied by a yellow scarf very similar to the one in the music video, Albert stood on a platform decorated with white flowers and stars, which lit up evoking a meadow of grass under a starry sky.
The performance was accompanied by twinkling white lights and seemed to include some fan effect that gently moved his outfit and scarf, adding a sense of movement and life to the scene. Although the photos only showed very close shots, the combination of light colors, lights, and small natural details created a staging that was visually very attractive and ethereal.
An intimate and poetic show, where Albert shone as the sole protagonist in his meadow of stars.
Ukraine: Sofia Nersesian – «Motanka»
The proposal from Ukraine comes from Sofia Nersesian, who with her song “Motanka” opts for a traditional white and red costume, adorned with red ribbons and traditional dolls that reinforce the cultural identity of the performance.
The stage background, completely red, subtly changes during the performance: at times, blue clouds with rain seem to appear, while balls with red threads float, creating a very striking visual effect. Beside her, four dancers, the same ones seen in Vidbir Junior, bring dynamism and energy to the choreography.
A performance that combines tradition and modernity, where the colors, cultural elements, and staging perfectly accompany the strength and character of “Motanka.”
Ireland: Lottie O’Driscoll Murray – «Rúin»
The entry from Ireland, with Lottie O’Driscoll Murray and her song “Rúin,” presents a staging concept where the focus is on the visuals on the screen, with nature as the main protagonist. From mountainous landscapes to weather phenomena like rain.
Throughout the entire performance, there is a contrast between cool tones and warm colors, filling the space with an intimate atmosphere despite the endless possibilities of the staging.
Regarding the wardrobe, Lottie opts for a black sequined outfit with details in white and other colors like blue. Along with the lighting effects used in the performance, the young artist shines with her own light on the Tbilisi stage.
Netherlands: Meadow – «Freeze»
The next to take the Eurovision stage in Tbilisi was Meadow, the representative of the Netherlands, with her song “Freeze.” The Dutch proposal is renewed compared to their national selection, choosing white as the main color for the wardrobe of the singer and her dancers. Despite the update, the outfits maintain their sporty essence, in the style of ‘High School Musical,’ with numbered tops and pants with many pockets.
Once again, the dance and its traditional choreography from the music video take control of the performance, where the stage staircase gains special importance.
The abstract visuals, neon colors in various shades of blue, along with the word ‘Freeze’ have a prominent role on the screens.
Poland: Marianna Kłos – «Brightest Light»
The Polish representative Marianna Kłos with her song “Brightest Light” closed the rehearsal day in Tbilisi. In yet another performance, cool colors and white costumes were the protagonists. The singer wears a large, voluminous white dress, with the artist elevated on the stage.
In her performance, she is accompanied by four dancers who perform synchronized choreography around her while the smoke on stage adds drama to the proposal in an intimate atmosphere that bursts with lighting effects and powerful visuals on the screens.
