AUSTRALIA – The week-long celebration will kick off on May 10 with screenings of the contest’s highlights from recent years followed by two main events.
On Saturday 16 May, Eurovision 2020: Big Night In! will see fans vote for their three favourite acts from all competing nations in Australia’s stay-at-home alternative to the song contest.
Hosted by music buff Myf Warhurst and comedian Joel Creasey, the night will also feature guest appearances from big names across the globe and an exclusive studio performance from Montaigne, who was selected to represent Australia in Rotterdam before this year’s contest was cancelled.
Then, on Sunday 17 May, SBS will broadcast the two-hour program Eurovision: Europe Shine a Light From the Netherlands.
Hosted by Dutch Eurovision presenters Chantal Janzen, Edsilia Rombley and Jan Smit, the program will honour all 41 songs in a non-competitive format.
SBS Commissioning Editor and Australian Head of Delegation Josh Martin said he hoped the week-long television event would help fill the void many lifelong Eurovision fans would be feeling, following the contest’s cancellation.
“Sixty-four years ago, Eurovision was born as an idea to help unite people after a period of turmoil and instability,” Mr Martin said. “Music really is the great unifier and a perfect antidote for a nation in isolation. We’ve already seen this through the thousands of apartment block sing alongs and virtual choirs and, in this spirit, we promise this will be a fun, exciting and inclusive party that everyone is invited to.”
VOTING FOR THE SONGS
The real Eurovision Song Contest 2020 may be taking a break, but that doesn’t mean you still can’t have a bit of fun and vote for which songs you love the most!
SBS will unite Australians and celebrate the 2020 artists and songs with Eurovision 2020: Big Night In! premiering Saturday 16 May at 7.30 pm. SBS is inviting you to vote for your favourite three 2020 acts from all competing nations* and watch as we countdown the results over three big hours.
Just like voting in the actual Eurovision, you can allocate 12, 10 or 8 points to your favourite songs to see which Eurovision performance Australia thinks is the best!
Voting is now open until Sunday 3 May at 11:59 pm AEST, and all you have to do is:
Step 1: Watch the 2020 Eurovision acts
Watch or listen to the songs that would have competed in Eurovision 2020. Stream the Eurovision Song Contest playlist below or watch the videos on the YouTube channel.
Step 2: Vote!
Head to our poll here or via the link below to allocate your 12, 10 or 8 points for your 3 favourite songs. You must rank your favourite 3 songs from 12 (highest) to 8 (lowest).
*In keeping with Eurovision rules, you cannot vote for your own country Australia (even though you may want to!) and you can only vote once.
Remember, this is a fun vote, so don’t try anything tricky to skew the results – otherwise, your vote may not get counted!
