Australia will be sending a band to represent the country at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool. The show will be live on SBS from Wednesday 10 – Sunday 14 May at 5:00 am on SBS and SBS On Demand.
Perth’s genre-bending band Voyager will perform their progressive pop metal track Promise on this year’s Eurovision stage. SBS’s exclusive coverage will be in the hands of music buff Myf Warhurst and comedian Joel Creasey who will bring their witty banter to the commentary booth as they guide Australia through the Semi-Finals and spectacular Grand Final direct from Pier Head in Liverpool, UK.
While the contest will be broadcast live during the week, SBS’s prime time Eurovision event kicks off with Semi Final 1 on Friday 12 May at 7:30 pm, followed by Semi Final 2 where Voyager will compete alongside 15 other countries including fellow Australian Andrew Lambrou who’ll be competing for Cyprus with his song Break a Broken Heart. The Grand Final package will air Sunday 14 May at 7:30 pm.
This year, major changes in how the voting in Eurovision will work have been announced. The countries that qualify from the two Semi-Finals, 10 from each, will now be decided solely based on the votes cast by viewers of the competition, rather than a combination of a jury and public vote as has been the case since 2009. Also, countries not taking part in the competition will be able to vote online for their favourite songs. Their votes will be added together and converted to points that will have the same weight as one participating country in both the Semi-Finals and the Grand Final. Professional juries, made up of those working in the music industry, will continue to contribute to the result of the Grand Final combined with the public vote. Australia’s jury will be announced soon.
Live early morning broadcasts on SBS and SBS On Demand:
Semi Final 1 – Wednesday 10 May at 5:00 am AEST
Semi Final 2 – Friday 12 May at 5:00 am AEST
Grand Final – Sunday 14 May at 5:00 am AEST
Prime time broadcasts on SBS and SBS On Demand
Semi Final 1 – Friday 12 May at 7:30 pm AEST
Semi Final 2 – Saturday 13 May at 7:30 pm AEST
Grand Final – Sunday 14 May at 7:30 pm AEST