Whoever thought that the Eurovision Song Contest was just only plain fun, will have to revise that opinion: the greatest live musical show on earth can now be studied in earnest at the University of Melbourne, Australia!

The Eurovision Song Contest, which celebrated its 60th edition this year in Vienna, Austria, is truly a unique event, bringing together people, countries and musical styles from all over Europe – and beyond. No wonder that Eurovision is far from your average musical show or contest: whether you love it, or loath it, it is never boring and always offers food for thought. Australia, which made its debut this year at the ESC in Vienna, has had a special relationship with Eurovision for many years, a fact that is now evidenced by a very special course at the University of Melbourne: you can follow the subject Eurovisions in the first year of the Bachelor of Arts, offered by the Faculty of Arts!

Focussing on the relationship between Eurovision and the history, culture and political structures of Europe, Eurovisions sheds light on the full spectrum that forms the Eurovision Song Contest. Like Melbourne University states If you know Eurovision then you know Europe. It is deadly serious but also a whole lot of fun.

2015 is Australia’s Eurovision year. For the first and perhaps only time Australia will be competing in the world’s largest media event – the Eurovision Song Contest – broadcast around the world to billions of viewers. Australia will be competing with more than 40 other nations – all for the glory of winning Eurovision in Vienna.

Eurovision is more than just a singing contest – it is a critical arena for competing political and cultural interests from across Europe to play themselves out. If you look closely, it is also about strategy. What voting alliances will form? Who will the Ukraine give its 12 points to this year and why? How far will competing nations go to win Eurovision? Oh yeah and then there is the music…

The subject Eurovisions is open to all first year students at the University of Melbourne.

Watch Australia’s performance during the grand final of Eurovsion 2015, Guy Sebastian with the song Tonight Again:

Stay tuned to ESCToday.com for all the latest news on the Eurovision Song Contest!