Eurovision

[New Judge]

Help me out here: how did Australia qualify for the Eurovision Song Contest?

[Hopkirk]

They were invited

[douglas9401]

I think it's about Eurovision rather than European.

Other countries just have more pride in themselves. :-)

[Redhelen72]

They were initially invited for the 50th anniversary and were so popular they gave been invited back every year

[Togo]

The same way as Israel does. It used to be called bribery and corruption but now it is defined as inclusivity and diversity at the same time. What I want to know is, when did it need a full week with quarter and semi finals? Is it the new Olympics for the woke and hopeless?

[Hazlinny]

Found this ....

https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/2871331/australia-eurovision-why-what-happen-if-won/

[bobbinwales]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia_in_the_Eurovision_Song_Contest
Morroco and Isreal have been in it also

[douglas9401]

For clarity I am an Antipodeophile. x

[Redhelen72]

Apologies 60th

[THECORBYLOON]

TOGO, in 2004, the format changed and there was an extra round the night before the competition to decide which ten countries would be added to the best ten from the previous year and the four that qualified automatically for the Final.

In 2008, the semi-finals were introduced.

[ichkeria]

There are no quarter finals: yet :-)

No problems with Israel or indeed N African countries being in it but Australia I agree is not right.
This year for the first time there’ll be an overseas phone vote.
I think Ukraine have done a good job this year of choosing a song so stultifyingly awful there’s little if any chance of another potentially embarrassing this time sympathy vote

[Buenchico]

Entry to the Eurovision Song Contest is open to any Full member organisation of the European Broadcasting Union that pays the relevant fees. (It's technically the BBC that enters the competition, rather than the UK).

Full Membership of the EBU is open to broadcasters within Europe and surrounding territories (largely using the International Telecommunications Union's definition of 'Europe' for such purposes, as radio waves don't stop at national borders). So, for example, Jordan and Lebanon are both full members and entitled to participate. (Lebanon actually entered one year but got thrown out of the competition after refusing to broadcast Israel's entry).

The EBU also has Associate Members in many countries, including Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, the USA, Cuba and Japan. Those member organisations aren't normally allowed to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest but an exception was made in 2015 for Australia when, due to the popularity of the contest in that country, they were allowed to join in as part of the competition's 60th anniversary celebrations.

Australia then sought, and obtained, a contract with the EBU which allowed them to continue to participate until 2023. There's no new contract in place yet for 2024 onwards, so Australia's participation in future years is currently uncertain.

[fraser]

doany people watch this s??te anymore get a life.

[Buenchico]

Oi, Fraser! Leave off! The Eurovision Song Contest is one of the few things on telly that's actually worth watching! Yes, I know that it's largely rubbish but it's highly enjoyablerubbish ;-)

When I turned my telly on for the first semi-final on Tuesday, it was the first time that I'd watched it since New Year's Eve. So I'm clearly highly selective in what I watch but Eurovision is totally unmissable for me!

[New Judge]

Thanks, Chris. Fully understand now. Enjoy tomorrow (Mrs NJ and I are going out !!!!!).

[nero2024]

fraser
too answer your question YES approx 200 million

[DTCwordfan]

Who owns that huge yacht that's moored in the Mersey just behind the Eurovision site - just been on the BBC News....