Today, the rehearsals for Eurovision 2026 begin in Vienna. Countries rehearsing on Day 1 include Moldova, Sweden, Croatia, Greece, Portugal, Georgia, and Finland. The first to rehearse today is Moldova’s Satoshi.
What did we learn about Satoshi’s staging?
Opening Semi-Final 1, Satoshi’s “Viva, Moldova!” wastes zero time setting the tone. From the first seconds, the performance leans fully into one thing: energy that refuses to sit still.
Rather than staying centred, Satoshi treats the entire stage as his playground. The Wiener Stadthalle suddenly feels smaller as he moves constantly, pulling attention in every direction. It’s similar to Selecția Națională performance
Visually, the concept doesn’t overcomplicate itself. Everything revolves around impact. The styling goes bold, with metallic elements running through the entire team. There’s also a clear personality behind the staging. The LED visuals lean into something more playful and colourful, adding contrast to the intensity of the performance.
And then there’s the familiarity factor. Eurovision fans will recognise a returning face among the performers, as we see Aliona Moon back on the stage.
Who is Satoshi?
Satoshi is the stage name of Vlad Sabajuc, a 27-year-old rapper and singer-songwriter born in Cahul. He became interested in music at an early age, composing his first songs at the age of 12. Later, aged 19, he adopted his moniker. He went on to sign to a local record label and has released four albums since, to domestic success.
Moldova’s Eurovision Journey
Moldova is relatively new to the Eurovision Song Contest, joining in 2005. Their debut entry, Zdob și Zdub, finished in 6th place, which had remained their highest scoring entry up until 2017. They were dethroned by returners Sunstroke Project and the song ‘Hey Mamma’, which finished in 3rd place. At the close of voting, Moldova received 374 points.
After representing Moldova in 2007, Natalia Barbu returned to Eurovision in 2024 with the song “In the Middle”. She received 20 points in the first semifinal, ultimately placing thirteenth and missing out on the grand final.
What do you think of the first rehearsal of“Viva, Moldova”? As always, let us know what you think by commenting below. Also, be sure to follow “That Eurovision Site” on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Tumblr, Threadsand Bluesky as we gear up for Eurovision 2026!
News Source: reddit
Photo Credit: Satoshi
Euan T 
Rory Gannon