SBS, the Australian national broadcaster has unveiled its Eurovison schedule for May with a full fledged plan of action in store for Aussie ESC fans including the rebrocasting of the last five Eurovision editions, a nation wide Eurovision 2020 competition and Eurovision: Europe: Shine A Light.

The Aussies have embraced the Eurovision Song Contest with open arms since their debut in the competition back in 2015.  SBS thus joins other European broadcasters like SVT and YLE in scheduling an extensive Eurovision week as a replacement to the cancelled 2020 Eurovision edition.

The 2020 Eurovision edition was cancelled due to the COVID-19 global pandemic.

Following the unprecedented cancellation of the Eurovision Song Contest this year, SBS is excited to announce a week-long festival of Eurovision from 10-17 May, culminating in a brand new alternative Eurovision 2020 with SBS’s Eurovision 2020: Big Night In! and Eurovision: Europe Shine A Light from The Netherlands.

Eurovision 2020: Big Night In!

In an exclusive network event, SBS will unite Australians and celebrate the 2020 artists and songs with Eurovision 2020: Big Night In! premiering Saturday 16 May at 7.30pm local time. SBS is inviting fans to vote for their favourite three 2020 acts from all competing nations and watch as the Aussies countdown the results over three big hours. Voting is open now until Sunday 3 May via sbs.com.au/Eurovision.

Hosted by Eurovisionaries music buff  Myf Warhurst and comedian Joel Creasey, the must-see TV event will feature special guest appearances from big names across the globe and an exclusive studio performance from the 2020 Aussie hopeful Montaigne, giving audiences the first look at the performance she would have unveiled in Rotterdam next month.

Social TV will play a central role during Eurovision 2020: Big Night In! through tweets on screen and party pics from loungerooms across Australia. Viewers can join the conversation and the chance to have their party pics feature on screen during the broadcast by using #Eurovision #BigNightIn.

Eurovsion: Europe Shine A Light

On Sunday 17 May at 8.30pm local time, SBS will broadcast a special two-hour program Eurovision: Europe Shine A Light from The Netherlands. Hosted by Dutch Eurovision presenters Chantal Janzen, Edsilia Rombley and Jan Smit, Eurovision: Europe Shine A Light will honour all 41 songs in a non-competitive format and provide plenty of surprises for fans at home.

Mr. Josh Martin (Australian Head of Delegation/ SBS Commissioning Editor) says:

Sixty-four years ago, Eurovision was born as an idea to help unite people after a period of turmoil and instability. In 2020, SBS is incredibly proud to fill the gap left from the cancellation of this year’s contest in Rotterdam, with a network event that champions the very same goal.

Music really is the great unifier and a perfect antidote for a nation in isolation. We’ve already seen this through the thousands of apartment block singalongs and virtual choirs and, in this spirit, we promise this will be a fun, exciting and inclusive party that everyone is invited to! So get your costumes planned, and your twitter fingers ready as we countdown Australia’s Eurovision 2020 votes.

Joel Creasy says:

Myf and I are stoked to be able to celebrate Eurovision with Australia as we countdown to your favourite 2020 artists and songs. Thank you to SBS for putting together a whole week of festivities to keep us entertained while we’re spending more time at home. I thought I was going to have to play Sound of Silence on repeat. Join us and a bunch of big names with nothing else to do. Eurovision 2020: Big Night In! is going to be bigger than a big night out, but won’t break the bank and you’ll still feel good about your decision the next day (well, hopefully!).

Myf Warhurst says:

We can’t wait to see who your favourite acts are, Australia. Will it be one of the bookies favourites – Daði & Gagnamagnið from Iceland, VICTORIA from Bulgaria or The Roop from Lithuania? Or will our love of kitsch see Russia’s Little Big take the virtual crown? Let’s come together and celebrate our passion for music and make this an unforgettable moment in Eurovision history!

Road to Eurovision

On Sunday 10 May, SBS VICELAND will kick off Eurovision week with a Road to Eurovision special filmed live in the Netherlands in December. The two-hour program featured this year’s hosts of Eurovision celebrating the 64-year history of the event with 22 past Eurovision winners and performers coming together to perform their biggest hits including names like Sergey Lazarev, Dana International, Netta and Johnny Logan.

Eurovision 2015-2019 editions on ‘Replay’

From Monday to Friday, SBS celebrates Australia’s history in Eurovision. Australia has been an official competitor in the song contest since 2015 and has progressed through to the Grand Final every year since. Aussie Eurovision fans and audience will be able to relive these historic moments weekdays on SBS, with replays of the last five Eurovision edititions (2015-2019).

Eurovision week schedule

• 10/05/2020- Road to Eurovision (SBS Viceland)
• 11/05/2020- Eurovision Song Contest 2015 rebroadcast (SBS)
• 12/05/2020- Eurovision Song Contest 2016 rebroadcast (SBS)
• 13/05/2020- Eurovision Song Contest 2017 rebroadcast (SBS)
• 14/05/2020- Eurovision Song Contest 2018  rebroadcast(SBS)
• 15/05/2020- Eurovision Song Contest 2019 rebroadcast (SBS)
• 16/05/2020- Eurovision: The Big Night In! (SBS)- Produced by Blink TV
• 16/05/2020- Eurovision Top 40 Controversies (SBS)
• 16/05/2020- Secrets of Eurovision (SBS)
• 17/05/2020- Eurovision: Europe Shine A Light (SBS)- Produced by NOS, NPO and AVROTROS

Australia in Eurovision

Australia debuted at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2015 and has competed in the event five times with flying colours . Montaigne was set to represent our neighbours down under at the 2020 Eurovsiion Song Contest in Rotterdam with her entry Don’t Break Me.  SBS has confirmed her as the 2021 Aussie Eurovision act.