On Sunday morning, Laura Thorn and the Luxembourg delegation departed for Basel, where they will take part in the Eurovision Song Contest, with their first rehearsal on the big stage in Switzerland scheduled for 6 May.
In just 11 days, Thorn will stand on the Eurovision stage in the second semi-final on Thursday, 15 May, where she will compete against 15 other countries for a spot in the final on 17 May.
The journey began on Sunday morning, with a group of fans gathering in front of RTL City to wish Thorn good luck. Some even crafted special dolls as part of a competition launched by RTL in honour of her song La Poupée Monte Le Son, allowing fans to create a lucky mascot for the artist. These creations were handed over to Thorn and will accompany her to Basel.
The past few days have been busy for Thorn, who has had to balance numerous rehearsals, performances at various events, and her teaching responsibilities at the Esch Conservatoire. She is taking four suitcases full of clothes to Basel, and Saturday evening was a hectic one at home to ensure everything was ready in time.
Thorn's boyfriend, Félix, has provided her with strong support over the past few months and will also travel to Basel. He has helped around the house, and together, they have coordinated the preparations as best as possible.
In Basel, the first rehearsal on the big stage will take place on Monday. Another major event is the Turquoise Carpet on Sunday, 11 May, marking the official start of ESC week in Basel. Artists will present themselves in a special look and participate in hundreds of interviews over a few hours.
This year's Eurovision Song Contest in Switzerland will certainly go down in history as well. After the first ESC was held in Lugano, Switzerland, in 1956, the contest is returning to the country where it all began. Nemo's victory last year in Malmö, Sweden, brought the ESC back to Switzerland.