Slovenia’s Klemen Gets a Do-Over

After a wobbly first rehearsal that left Slovenia’s Klemen stuck on stage waiting for the tech to catch up, things clicked into place today—and he had some company. Mojca Fatur joined him on stage for the first time, adding a touch of real-life romance to the drama of his Eurovision performance, ‘How Much Time Do We Have Left?’

Klemen’s first go earlier in the week was, in his own words, “really bad”—not because of anything he did, but because the hall wasn’t ready. “We ended up standing around for an hour,” he said. “In the end I only got to run the song once, and couldn’t even turn my head properly.”

Smoother

Today’s second rehearsal went a lot smoother. After what sounds like  tense meetings with the production team about lift timings and camera angles, Klemen came out of it much calmer. “We can see it’ll all settle by the semi-finals,” he said, sounding far more Zen than earlier in the week.

And Mojca? Her appearance was a welcome surprise. The pair shared a moment on stage that felt personal, even in the midst of the Eurovision circus. Klemen later shared a clip online, writing: “I’m extremely happy that my dear Mojca was on stage with me.”

As for the stage itself, Klemen’s already feeling at home—though not exactly by choice. “I’ve been standing on it doing nothing for so long, I’ve kind of made it mine,” he joked. Compared to arenas back home, he says the Basel stage feels smaller, but no less stressful.

There’s also a bit of wizardry going on behind the scenes. Klemen’s performance includes a lift system that hoists him into the air at just the right dramatic moment. In Slovenia, that kind of thing is usually done by humans. Here? It’s all machines. “The difference is, a person watches you and knows when to go,” he explained. “A machine has to be programmed and hit the exact mark.” Cue the stress dreams.

Pulled off awkwardly

He’s still learning how to stand in just the right spot so he doesn’t get pulled off awkwardly by the ropes. “If I get it wrong, I’ll be pulled in three directions like a cartoon character,” he laughed. “So I need to master it… and chill out.”

Away from the chaos, Klemen’s been making the most of the Eurovision bubble—parties, chats with past winners, and a particularly meaningful moment with Estonia’s Dave Benton. “He told me to never give up, to believe in myself and keep going,” Klemen said. “I still tear up thinking about that.”

Slovenia will be up third in the first semi-final on Tuesday 13 May.