Noam Bettan Completes Second Eurovision Rehearsal in Vienna

The contest opens on May 12 with the final scheduled for May 17. The rehearsal provided a clearer view of the staging, which centers on a diamond structure. The performance begins with Bettan and dancer Lihi Freud inside the rotating diamond, which then opens like a flower.

Bettan moves to the front of the stage and proceeds along a catwalk toward the audience, joined by four additional dancers. The dancers performing with Bettan are Lihi Freud, Eden Zino, Daniel Ben Avraham, Yasmin Hachmon, and Zhenia Gafonov. Israel will compete in the first semifinal on May 12, hoping to advance to the grand final on Saturday.

Austrian police said they were preparing for a week of heightened security both before and during the event. The FBI has established a dedicated task force in New York that will operate around the clock during Eurovision week to assist local police in identifying and thwarting cyber threats.

The focus includes potential attacks against voting systems, the broadcast infrastructure of Austria’s public broadcaster ORF, and efforts to disrupt delegations. “The FBI is supporting us through its own task force in New York,” a Vienna police official was quoted as saying.

“The goal is to monitor cyber threats and potential attacks on the voting systems and the technological infrastructure of the event. ” The cooperation follows American intelligence assistance that helped thwart an ISIS attack planned for a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna in 2024.

Austrian police are conducting extensive operations around the main Eurovision sites and have declared a no-fly zone with a 1.5-kilometer radius around the hall. Authorities are preparing for demonstrations expected on May 15 and 16 near the contest venue and the Eurovision Village.

The Israeli delegation is receiving protection from special units of local police in coordination with Israeli security officials. Travel routes and locations for the delegation are being kept under a high level of classification, with security levels adjusted dynamically based on assessments conducted every few hours.

KAN, the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation, is marking the 70th anniversary of Eurovision with a week of special programming across its television, radio, and digital platforms. The schedule begins on May 10 with a Eurovision-themed episode of the game show The 1% Club hosted by Shahar Hason.

On May 11, a special episode of What Was That? will feature Yardena Arazi, who previously participated in and hosted the contest. KAN 11 will broadcast the documentary Euro-Pop: 70 Years of Eurovision on May 13, which reviews the contest’s reflection of and influence on European trends over seven decades.

Additional programming details are available on the KAN website.