A 30-second clip from Cyprus's second rehearsal at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in Vienna has been released, offering the clearest look yet at the staging Antigoni Buxton will bring to the Wiener Stadthalle when she performs "Jalla" in the second semi-final on 14 May.
The performance draws on Cypriot cultural references while wrapping them in a thoroughly contemporary package. Its centrepiece is a large table fitted with an LED strip runner, on which Antigoni and four dancers move together, using the prop as a catwalk complete with chairs and plates as part of the choreography. The staging consciously echoes Cyprus's memorable 2012 entry at Eurovision in Baku, when Ivi Adamou danced on a table, but scales the concept up considerably. Antigoni appears in a short white beaded dress evoking the goddess Aphrodite, backed by a set design of large illuminated architectural structures in blue referencing ancient Cyprus. Pyrotechnics mark the performance's climax. Eurovision commentators have noted her strong stage presence and command of the camera, with the warm Mediterranean lighting enhancing the song's celebratory atmosphere.
Cyprus is competing in the second half of the second semi-final, a slot allocated at the draw held in January. The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 takes place at the Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, with semi-finals on 12 and 14 May and the grand final on 16 May. Cyprus's best ever Eurovision result was second place, achieved in 2018 with "Fuego" performed by Eleni Foureira. Last year, Cyprus failed to qualify from the semi-final for the first time since 2022.
Antigoni was selected internally by the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation in November 2025. A British-Cypriot singer-songwriter based in London, she co-wrote "Jalla" with Charalambos Kallona, Connor Mullally-Knight, Demetris Nikolaou, Claydee, Paris Kalpos and Trey Qua. The dress rehearsal is scheduled for Wednesday 13 May.
