Europe, Weird, Odd & Just Plain Fun



Australia has been invited to submit an entry to next year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Stockholm.

2014 European winners announced at the World Travel Awards. Image by Rock Cohen / CC BY 2.0

Australia is European for song contest. Image by Rock Cohen / CC BY 2.0

The European Broadcasting Union said in a statement that the contest “has the potential to evolve organically into a truly global event”, adding that Australian attendance “is an exciting step in that direction”.

Australia competed in the 60th edition in Vienna in May as a one-off celebration because of its “long tradition of broadcasting the show”.

For the 2016 event, Australian broadcaster SBS will not be guaranteed a finals place as it was in Vienna. Instead, Australia’s entry will have to earn a spot via the semifinals.

The event is known for its eclectic line-up of techno beats, love songs and pop tunes.

(Press Association)