Australia is not in Europe. It is not in Europe even by the definition of Europe – as in the European Broadcasting Union – that includes Israel, Azerbaijan, Lebanon and Morocco.
Yet Australia will take the stage this evening in the Eurovision Grand Final nonetheless, the second time that Australia will be participating in the competition, having been invited as special guests last year in what was at the time intended as a one-off, before being invited back by the Swedish hosts this year.
Australia has taken to the competition with gusto: their song, “Sound of Silence” by Dami Im, is one of the favourites, and a huge number of fans have made the 15,000 kilometre journey to Stockholm.
Yet those who feel that Australia has no place in the competition remain, among them British TV presenter Graham Norton, who on the basis of the country being on the other side of the world, described Australia’s participation as “stupid”.
Outside the Globe Arena in Stockholm, Australian fans who spoke to the Times of Malta did not mince their words regarding Norton’s comments. “He’s just jealous because the Australian entry is way better this year,” one fan joked, not unreasonably.
“Our song is extremely competitive this year,” said another. “We don’t see the competition as a joke like Great Britain does. When they start taking the competition seriously again, then he can make those comments.”
A young woman, who had travelled to the Eurovision with her whole family, staked Australia’s claim to the competition in simple terms: “We’re basically Europe, just really far away.”
And Blair Martin, an Australian radio journalist, told this newspaper there is some truth in that statement. “Australians love a party and the Eurovision is a great party,” he said. “But more than that, Australia really is a European country. Up until the last 20 or 30 years it was predominantly European.”
Martin said that ever since Abba in the 1970s, Australians have had a love affair with the Eurovision, waking up at obscene hours of the morning to catch the competition live, and watching it on delayed broadcasts in numbers larger than the entire viewership in some European countries.
“Australians have a word: larrikin, which is someone a bit naughty, a bit fun, but ultimately harmless - and we would see Eurovision as that,” he said.
Whether Australia remains in the competition after Stockholm remains to be seen, but Martin is confident the financial benefits for the organisers – and the added dimension from the quality songs the Aussies have now provided twice in a row – will keep the Aussies in the line-up for years.
What happens if Australia wins?
Australia can vote – and win – like anyone else, but will not host the competition if they do, instead partnering with a European broadcaster to stage the competition somewhere in Europe.
No country has yet been announced as a host should this eventuality play out, although there are strong indications that Germany could be the preferred destination, and Malta will be hoping its large diaspora in the country might help sway the decision.
Times of Malta asked journalists around the Eurovision press centre where they would like to see the competition staged should Australia win.
Timesofmalta.com will be providing live commentary during the Eurovision Grand Final from our reporter in Stockholm from 8.30pm.