The world’s biggest song contest is back and looking to be as big and camp as ever as it comes to Malmö for the 68th edition as 37 acts face off for the overall win.
It’s the 7th run at hosting for Sweden, who gained hosting rights after Loreen took out the title last year.
The official slogan this year is once again, United By Music, and it has been decided to keep the slogan for all future Eurovision Song Contests.
“The Eurovision Lights” will serve as the theme art for the 68th Eurovision Song Contest, inspired by the vertical lines that permeate both the northern lights and sound equalisers.
placed 9th last year with their prog-synth hit Promise.
Here’s everything you need to know about Eurovision, and why Australia is involved.
How to watch Eurovision
The 68th Eurovision Song Contest is held from Tuesday 7 May — Saturday 11 May 2024 in Malmö, and:
LIVE from Malmö (early morning broadcasts) on SBS and SBS On Demand:
Semi Final 1 Live from Malmö – Wednesday 8 May at 5am AEST ** FEATURING AUSTRALIAN DUO ELECTRIC FIELDS**
Semi Final 2 Live from Malmö – Friday 10 May at 5am AEST
SBS is showing an exclusive prime time event on Friday 10 May at 7:30pm AEST for those unwilling to set the early alarms.
Grand Final Live from Malmö – Sunday 12 May at 5am AEST
Following the live stream broadcasts, the Live from Malmö Semi-Finals and Grand Final are expected to be available to stream at from the following times (may be subject to change):
Semi Final 1 Live from Malmö: 8:30am on Wednesday 8 May
Semi Final 2 Live from Malmö: 8:30am on Friday 10 May
Grand Final Live from Malmö: 10:30am on Sunday 12 May
SBS On Demand’s all of the 2024 contestants’ official music videos, and there’s more to get you in party mood too, with a great , (available until 8 May 11:59PM), music documentaries and more.
When the contest starts, you’ll be able to find live streams and replays of semi-finals and the grand final here too.
Australian pair Myf Warhurst and Joel Creasey will keep up MC duties for the semi-final and grand final.
Who are the Eurovision favourites?
Nemo representing Switzerland poses on the turquoise carpet ahead of the opening ceremony for the 68th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. Source: AAP / Jessica Gow
The Big Five (The UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy) and the hosts are given entry straight to the grand final without having to perform at the semi-finals, but according to bookmakers they’re not favoured to win.
This year, Croatia’s Baby Lasagna and Switzerland’s Nemo have reportedly the lowest odds for those placing bets.
Ukraine’s Alyona Alyona and Jerry Heil are third favourite and could be likely to do well given support for Ukrainian Eurovision entrants since .
Croatia’s Baby Lasagna are among bookmakers’ favourites to win this year’s Eurovision song contest. Credit: Jessica Gow/AP
Ireland and Sweden are tied for the most Eurovision wins with seven each and could be in line for an eighth.
Since first performing in Eurovision in 2015, Australia has been in the top 10 five times.
The country’s strongest result was in 2016, when Dami Im scored second place with her song Sound of Silence.
Who are Australia’s Eurovision entrants?
South Australian electronic music duo Electric Fields will be representing Australia at this year’s contest, set to become the first artist to sing in an Aboriginal language on the Eurovision stage.
They will perform their song One Mikali, which loosely translates to One Blood in the Yankunytjatjara language.
Vocalist Zaachariaha Fielding and keyboard player and producer Michael Ross have been performing as Electric Fields since 2015.
The pair’s eclectic music blends soulful pop and upbeat electronica, and they have become known for their lively and visually vibrant live performances.
Fielding this year the name captures the song’s unifying message.
“The song is about all of us being together as one,” he said.
Electric Fields pose on the Turquoise Carpet ahead of competing in the 68th Eurovision contest. Source: AAP / Jessica Gow
“Aboriginal culture has a way of dealing with situations and it’ll be nice for this country and the globe to learn that way of doing it. You don’t have to jump on anybody to get what you want. You can actually dialogue it out.”
Why does Australia compete in Eurovision?
Since it started in 1956, the Eurovision Song Contest has almost entirely involved countries from the European Broadcasting Union.
Fans have often wondered why Australia, a country at least 14,000 kilometres from Europe, has been able to compete, but it’s because of Australia’s decades-long relationship with the contest.
Audiences have been watching Eurovision on Australian TV for more than 30 years, since it was first broadcast on SBS in 1983.
In 2014, to mark the show’s 60th anniversary, Darwin-born singer Jessica Mauboy was invited to make a guest appearance at the contest in Copenhagen.
Eurovision was by this stage hugely popular in Australia, with SBS recording an Australian audience of 2.7 million people in 2014.
The following year, Australia was invited to participate as a wildcard entry, and singer Guy Sebastian took fifth place with his song Tonight Again.
While the country’s participation was initially declared a “one-off”, it has been given a place in the competition every year since.
