Why is Australia in Eurovision?

There have been ups and downs for Australia at Eurovision in recent years as we struggled to gain points from European fans in the popular vote, and the competition was rocked by the Covid pandemic. But just when things were looking precarious, Voyager arrived in 2023 to reignite the flame. We wrap up this series with Voyager's Danny Estrin, Eurovision academic Associate Professor Jess Carniel, and Blink TV's Paul Clarke.

Australia first got into the Eurovision Song Contest as a one-off wildcard entry, but we had to prove ourselves to be able to stay. We look at the importance of Guy Sebastian’s impressive debut in 2015, and Dami Im's almost-win in 2016 with 'Sound of Silence'. In this episode, hear from Dami Im herself, Eurovision academic Associate Professor Jess Carniel, and Blink TV's Paul Clarke.

To understand why Australia is at Eurovision, we first need to understand why Aussies love it so much. Chart the progress of the competition's popularity in Australia, and hear what tests Australia passed to earn a spot on the Eurovision stage. In this first episode you'll hear from Eurovision academic Associate Professor Jess Carniel and Paul Clarke from Blink TV, SBS' production partner for Eurovision broadcasts.