SBS celebrates 40 years of broadcasting the Eurovision Song Contest… and it’s gonna be synthsational!
Perth synth-metal band Voyager to represent Australia in Liverpool with their song Promise
Practice your growls and dance moves, Australia, as we celebrate 40 years of broadcasting the Eurovision Song Contest on SBS, sending a band to represent the country for the very first time at this year’s event in Liverpool. We’ll ferry ‘cross the Mersey to bring you all the action LIVE from Wednesday 10 – Sunday 14 May at 5:00am on SBS and SBS On Demand with the prime time broadcast from Friday 12 – Sunday 14 May at 7:30pm on SBS and SBS On Demand.
Move over mods and rockers, synth-metal will be the talk of the town, when Perth’s fearless, riff-laden, genre-bending band Voyager perform their epic, progressive pop metal track Promise on the Eurovision stage where dreams are made, and anything is possible. Vying to represent Australia since we first participated in 2015, and after taking out second place in a nail-biting finish with Dreamer at last year’s Eurovision- Australia Decides, the time is finally right for Voyager to belt out, “It’s gonna be alright,” to millions of people across the globe.
SBS’s exclusive coverage will once again be in the capable hands of music buff Myf Warhurst and comedian Joel Creasey who will bring their witty banter to the commentary booth as they guide Australia through the glitz, glamour, and madness of the Semi Finals and spectacular Grand Final direct from Pier Head in Liverpool, UK.
Make sure you join in the conversation during the prime time broadcast using the hashtag #SBSEurovision, with tweets and party pictures promoted on screen, where you can not only catch all the performances, but also experience exclusive behind the scenes content, as Myf & Joel report from backstage with interviews and gossip with contestants, and more.
SBS’s prime time Eurovision event kicks off with Semi Final 1 on Friday 12 May at 7:30pm, followed by Semi Final 2 where Voyager will compete alongside 15 other countries including fellow Aussie Andrew Lambrou who’ll be competing for Cyprus with his song Break a Broken Heart. The Grand Final package will air Sunday 14 May at 7:30pm, but don’t forget you can tune in LIVE at 5am from Wednesday 10 – Sunday 14 May to witness all the action as it happens in Liverpool.
This year, major changes in how the voting in Eurovision will work have been announced. The countries that qualify from the two Semi Finals, 10 from each, will now be decided solely based on the votes cast by viewers of the competition, rather than a combination of a jury and public vote as has been the case since 2009. Also, countries not taking part in the competition will be able to vote online for their favourite songs. Their votes will be added together and converted to points that will have the same weight as one participating country in both the Semi Finals and the Grand Final. Professional juries, made up of those working in the music industry, will continue to contribute to the result of the Grand Final combined with the public vote. Australia’s jury will be announced soon.
All Eurovision content will be available to watch on a dedicated SBS On Demand page – including the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest. SBS World Movies celebrates Eurovision with a season of musical movie favourites from around the globe, including Nowhere Boy, This is Spinal Tap, and more. On SBS Food, SBS’s favourite foodie and mega-Eurovision fan Adam Liaw takes us on a culinary adventure around Australia with the aim of creating the ultimate Eurovision party in Destination Flavour Eurovision. Please refer to your program guides for further information on SBS’s supporting content.
SBS Audio celebrates the Eurovision Song Contest, bringing audiences exclusive news and Eurovision artist interviews in English and in language. Download the free SBS Audio app available now at the iTunes App Store and Google Play.
How can Australia vote?
*The jury and Australian public can vote for any country except Australia.
Australian viewers will need to tune into the LIVE broadcast of Semi Final 2 on Friday 12 May at 5am (AEST) and the Grand Final on Sunday 14 May at 5am (AEST) by following the voting prompts that appear on screen. Details for how to vote will be revealed soon.
The 67th Eurovision Song Contest is held from Tuesday 9 May - Saturday 13 May 2023 and will broadcast in Australia at the dates and times listed below:
LIVE early morning broadcasts on SBS and SBS On Demand
Semi Final 1 – Wednesday 10 May at 5:00am AEST
Semi Final 2 – Friday 12 May at 5:00am AEST FEATURING VOYAGER
Grand Final – Sunday 14 May at 5:00am AEST
Prime time broadcasts on SBS and SBS On Demand
Semi Final 1 – Friday 12 May at 7:30pm AEST
Semi Final 2 – Saturday 13 May at 7:30pm AEST FEATURING VOYAGER
Grand Final – Sunday 14 May at 7:30pm AEST
Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra won the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest in Turin, Italy, with their song Stefania. This year, the United Kingdom will host the competition on Ukraine’s behalf with the theme United by Music. This is the ninth time the United Kingdom will host Eurovision and the fifth time it’s hosted for other countries due to financial or capacity issues.
The Eurovision Song Contest is the world’s biggest live music event and in 2022 it attracted 161 million viewers worldwide and 2.7 million Australians tuned into SBS’s coverage of the event.