As today’s rehearsals draw to a close at Basel’s St. Jakobshalle, Marko Bošnjak takes the stage for Croatia with his entry, “Poison Cake.” The pressure is palpable—expectations are sky-high following Baby Lasagna’s impressive second-place finish for Croatia last year in Malmö.
A thick layer of low-lying fog rolls across the stage as the performance begins—not with a bang, but with a sense of creeping tension. In the center sits a stone-grey cauldron, an anchor for the ritualistic choreography that unfolds around it. Marko, flanked by four dancers, opens the show with synchronized gestures that suggest spell-casting, setting a mystic tone from the first verse onward.
What Marko wears this time is worlds away from his Dora look. The sharp-shouldered black ensemble is gone, replaced by a striking new costume: a floor-length, fur-trimmed cape that evokes the aura of a cursed royal, something between Shakespearean villain and Tudor antihero. Meanwhile, the dancers move in delicate contrast, dressed in coordinated blue-and-white garments adorned with ribbons and frills—a design that softens the otherwise brooding scene.
Lighting plays an equally commanding role. Narrow beams dart across the stage in sharp angles, constructing a more intimate arena within the broader space. These intersecting lights—reminiscent of criss-crossing laser grids—combine with visuals of blazing flames and storm-cloud skies on the LED screens, cloaking everything in fiery red and deep green hues.
As the performance progresses, the dancers transition to a separate elevated frame structure, drawing the eye upward and adding verticality to the staging. Marko joins them by shedding the cape to reveal a matching blue-and-white shirt, visually merging him with the ensemble for the final act. At this point, the stage erupts: smoke jets explode in rhythm with the music, flames rise along the front, and the lighting rig surges into an intense, full-techno climax. Everything—movement, visuals, and sound—builds to a gothic, electrifying finale.
Official recap footage from the rehearsal will be released later today on the Eurovision YouTube channel.
Looking ahead, the Dress Rehearsal for Croatia and the rest of the Semi-Final 1 participants is set for Monday, 12 May.
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Sources: EBU, Wikipedia
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