Several European countries take part in the Eurovision Song Contest, but one of the most striking things is that in each edition there are countries that are not on the European continent. This is the case in Australia, a country that has participated in this festival in recent years, which is surprising since it is on the other side of the world.
The Oceanian country has not been taking part in the festival for so long, its first appearance took place just eight years ago, in 2015 to be precise. This edition would be the eighth time that the country has taken part in the European festival, but do we really know why? Is Australia taking part in the Eurovision Song Contest?
The Eurovision Song Contest is a very popular music competition in Australia, even before its own songs are performed there. This country has been broadcasting the competition live since 1983 and is received with great success by its viewers. Artists such as Olivia Newton-John and Gina G are the first singers of Australian nationality or origin to have previously performed as representatives of other countries at the Eurovision Song Contest.
It was in 2014 when they invited an Australian singer, Jessica Mauboy, who performed her song “Sea of Flags” in the semi-finals of that year. The performance was only as a guest artist, not a contestant, but it set the stage for the following year when Australia would officially enter the Eurovision Song Contest.
In 2015, the Eurovision Song Contest took place in Austria and the public broadcaster of this country allowed the Oceanic country to participate in the competition with its representative Guy Sebastian. The only condition stipulated was that if Australia won the competition, it would not be allowed to host the following year, but would have to partner with a European country.
After Australia received the competition positively, this initiative allowed the country to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest for a longer period of time. This was formalized a few years ago when the Australian public radio and television company SBS reached an agreement with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to maintain this connection until 2023. So this edition could be the last in which this country takes part. It remains to be seen whether this relationship will be expanded so that Australians can continue to enjoy this great musical event.
