"It's an event for the whole country, not just for RTL"

Tali, 22, appeared shortly after 10am, confronted with the dual challenges of being the first act on stage and combating jet lag after a flight back from New York. Although singing so early is difficult in itself, without sufficient time to warm up, she was not the only singer to struggle with the early start.  Luxembourgish-Icelandic singer Thorunn said she felt nervous before her performance, despite extensive experience on stage, but the performance went well: "As soon as I'm on stage, it goes away. There are always so many thoughts running through my head when I'm performing." When asked what she expected from the ESC performance, she added: "I go with the flow. This opportunity came up, so of course I'm happy to take part."

Jonathan Reichling, one of Friday's first male acts on stage, brings 10 years of music experience with him, and two songs with which he hoped to impress the ESC jury. A few days ago, he says he was offered a third song, but turned it down. "It was too short notice, I couldn't do it. But it was such a great song, perfect for the ESC, there just wasn't enough time to add it, and I didn't want to do a half-hearted job." However, he says he had to be convinced to participate in auditions in the first place. "I know a lot of other acts and I wanted to leave it to them."

Another familiar face to RTL Today readers is Josh Island, fresh from his first album release and a European tour this autumn. "I'm glad the ESC is finally back. I've always asked myself why Luxembourg wasn't part of it. I feel it's a love-hate kind of thing," the singer told RTL after his audition on Friday. He said he observed a more distinct closeness within the national and international music community immediately after it was announced that Luxembourg would be returning to the Contest. "The hype abroad is just enormous and I feel honoured to be a part of it."

One of the youngest candidates to audition is 19-year-old Melvyn Schartz, a student at the Lycée Aline Mayrisch, accompanied by his bandmates with an average age of just 16. Despite the reinforcements, nerves were running high on Friday. "I really felt unwell before the audition, but then it was fine. You can't help but focus on any mistakes, I feel I could have done better but I'm still satisfied." This was the school band's first performance outside of a school environment, and they are hoping it is just the beginning. Melvyn added he was not returning to school after the audition, and his teachers and classmates were all aware of his attempt.

The last audition before the break was a performance by Emilie. This appearance had a more personal resonance for the singer - the last time she appeared on stage before a jury was for the French edition of "The Voice", back in 2015. The experience was marred by the Paris bombing attacks, and Emilie did not progress to the next stage. Now, after much cajoling from her friends, she is attempting to make a fresh start for the ESC. The act of participation alone is a huge positive, she says, no matter how far she goes.

How is the backstage team experiencing Luxembourg's Eurovision hype?

RTL's back-office coordinator Viviane Folscheid is a staple at the RTL offices, with a wealth of knowledge and a solution for every problem. For many people, Eurovision is a personal event, watched by all the family, and for Viviane it is no different. "I still remember watching 'Ein bisschen Frieden'," she says, referring to Nicole's winning song in the 1982 contest. It's different now. This is not the first time Viviane has worked on a casting process, but she says this time, "it's really a big deal, with the addition of an international jury."

RTL journalist Lisa Jentsch also grew up watching the ESC with her family, but it was less of a big deal, in part due to Luxembourg's absence. Now, she says it is vastly more exciting, with the country's return after 30 years, and she is enjoying playing an active role in reporting the process. It all began with a report on the preview night: "I didn't even know this existed in this country. It's such a vast bubble and I didn't imagine it to be that way at all."

Jeff Spielmann, head of programming at RTL and responsible for the press at the ESC, among other things, agrees that interest in Luxembourg is extremely high: "It's turned the ESC world on its head, and triggered a wave in the community." The tough competition for the jury, and coordination with the media represented an immense challenge, and he has already been fielding international requests for the January live final. Although the process is overwhelming, Jeff says he is enjoying the experience. "It should be an event for the whole country, not just for RTL."

What would an article be without images? Photographer Steve Müller has worked for RTL since 2008 and the Rockhal is practically his second home. Capturing the Eurovision process on camera was a no-brainer. "It's nice to be a part of it from the beginning, I'll know them all," he says, as he looks forward to finding out who the finalists are. "It's a fun and different experience to my usual Rockhal jobs, where it's usually a case of 'three songs, no flash'."

RTL's Head of Eurovision David Gloesener and Eric Lehmann, RTL's Eurovision coordinator, will share their experiences in this week's Sunday interview on RTL.