In 1956, Eurovision began. In 2015, Australia joined. Now in 2024, Eurovision has come to Australia. The world’s biggest and most extravagant music contest is touring for the first time in its history, so it only makes sense that after visiting the likes of London, Paris and Madrid, Australia would be next.
All parties knew the long journey would be worth the wait as the Eurovision following in Australia is enormous. This is evidenced by the packed house that streamed into Melbourne’s Palais Theatre to witness 15 Eurovision legends take the stage, some of whom had never performed in the country before (until Brisbane three days ago).
With hosts Senhit and Soraya bringing the upbeat energy, wholesome banter and supreme crowd-work that’s synonymous with Eurovision, the stage was set for a night to remember. My one gripe regarding the hosts is that they weren’t given more moments to take the stage (or the stalls) and flex their wonderfully entertaining charisma. That being said, from referencing Pesto the internet-famous penguin to a classic Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi chant, they knew how to appeal to their audience and executed it with finesse.
Kicking off the night, the show eased people in with performances from Denmark’s Emmelie De Forest and Ireland’s Linda Martin, each performing their respective Eurovision songs. Coming out first in a field of 15 performers runs the risk of being overshadowed, but both make a nice impact on the night. Martin shows off her musical range by singing her 1992 ballad “Why Me?” and backing it up with the upbeat jives of 1984’s “Terminal 3″, impressing with vocals that haven’t skipped a beat at 72 years old.
Hailing from Romania, Ovidiu Cernăuțeanu and Ilinca Băcilă team up to bring their respective iconic duets to life in the absence of their original partners. This is where the fun of the night really begins, with Ovi lending his voice to a new rendition of 2017’s “Yodel It!“, in which Ilinca’s incredible vocal and iconic yodelling talents are on full show. She even takes the opportunity to get the crowd involved in a yodel session – a brief but fun moment that stands out. Finishing off with a performance of 2010’s “Playing with Fire“, these two had the crowd primed for some big hits, and boy did they come quick.
Malta’s Destiny was the first artist to really get the audience on their feet with her triple-threat of hit performances. She first hits the stage with a powerful cover of Loreen’s “Euphoria“, the winning song of Eurovision 2012, and commands huge applause when she smashes those high notes. Chasing it up with her two Eurovision entries – “All of my Love” from the cancelled 2020 concert and “Je Me Casse” from the 2021 show, she took the energy in the room up a few notches with truly astonishing vocals.
Following a surprise duet that saw Senhit pause her hosting duties to join Destiny for a beautiful rendition of Marco Mengoni’s “Due Vite“, it was Soraya’s turn to take a break from hosting and take the stage. Kicking things off, she belts out her 2009 entry “La Noche Es Para Mi” while impressively donning the exact same sequin dress she wore on stage 15 ears prior, then closes with 2003’s “Dime” originally sung by Spain’s Beth.
At this point ‘Australia’ graced the screen and the crowd erupted as Dami Im’s arrival was imminent. In her segment, which was extended due to long bouts of rolling applause and classic Aussie convo, she filled the night with some huge emotional beats. The home crowd locked in for her phenomenal performance of “Sound of Silence“, a song which one audience member comically exclaimed to be the true winner of the 2016 contest, getting a good reaction out of Dami. Finishing up with Conchita Wurst’s “Rise Like a Phoenix“, she left the stage to a huge ovation.
Representing Italy, Jalisse took the stage to perform their 1997 entry “Fiumi di parole” before dipping into the archives and pulling out a rendition of Italy’s 1985 entry “Magic, Oh Magic“. Taking a short flight over to Portugal, Suzy kicked off with her 2014 entry “Quero Ser Tua“. While it may not have qualified back then, it didn’t fail to get the crowd up on their feet and grooving along. She then pulled out Ivi Adamou’s underrated 2012 entry for Cyprus “La La Love“, which continued the upbeat energy for a further few minutes.
Taking the stage outside of her hosting duties was Senhit, and doesn’t she know how to put on an electric show. Amongst her trio of performances were her 2020 and 2021 entries “Freaky!” and “Adrenalina“, two dazzling songs that pumped new life into the crowd. She was also joined (on screen) by Flo Rida, who understandably didn’t make the trip down to perform a single verse then bounce, but was still a huge addition.
In representing the Netherlands, it was a no-brainer that Esther Hart would perform Duncan Lawrence’s 2019 winner “Arcade“, and she delivered with a cover that captured the spirit of the iconic song. She also performed her 2003 entry “One More Night” for a little more of an upbeat edge.
Next up, Sunstroke Project took the stage in one of the night’s biggest highlights. Having represented Moldova twice, they kicked the party into a higher gear with their 2017 entry “Hey Mamma“, their best-performing Eurovision hit that’s just an absolute blast. While their 2010 hit “Run Away” didn’t get much love in the contest, the Epic Sax Guy meme turned it into one of the most iconic Eurovision songs and so its performance last night lifted the roof off the theatre. That sax solo will now be in my head for the rest of 2024.
All the way from Azerbaijan, Efendi brought the fire with two huge bangers. Taking a page out of Destiny and Senhit’s books, she performed “Cleopatra” from the phantom 2020 contest and “Mata Hari” from the 2021 followup. The UK also made the trip down-under in the form of Nicki French, bringing back her 2000 entry “Don’t Play That Song Again” and performing the UK’s most recent winning song, 1997’s “Love Shine a Light”. French then welcomed Esther Hart and Linda Martin to the stage to channel their inner ABBA and perform “Waterloo“. As much as it’s a Eurovision classic, it didn’t make as big of a pop as expected.
Hey look, another 2020-2021 Eurovision feature! The Roop performed their hits “On Fire” and “Discoteque” in eccentric yellow outfits and had much of the audience performing the dance moves along with the songs. While not the most electric tunes, they’re loved by Eurovision fans worldwide, so they got a huge response.
If you’re going to go out with a bang, who better to deliver than Silia Kapsis, the Sydney-born singer who represented Cyprus in this year’s contest. This really was like the grand medley that closes out a musical, firing up the entire crowd as she first paid homage to her heritage with two iconic Eurovision jams. First she performed Eleni Foureira’s “Fuego“, my favourite song from the 2018 contest, then came out with Helena Paparizou’s “My Number One“, Greece’s winning song in 2005 and my favourite Eurovision hit. She then ended the night with her high-energy number, “Liar“, the newest song on the night’s roster.
Credit also needs to be given to the four dancers who make up the choreography of nearly every song through the night. Donning countless outfit changes and learning choreography for upwards of 20 songs, they’re an incredible talent and raise the energy in the room with each performance.
While it’s not the actual contest, the organisers and singers did an incredible job at channeling the vibe of Eurovision. The graphics introducing each country and artist are done in similar style to what’s seen leading up to each contestant. The outfits, though not quite as elaborate, are fun and quirky enough to fit the tone. And then there’s the runtime – at three hours long, this concert does well to channel the sheer length of Eurovision, though it also could have been trimmed.
All in all, Eurovision’s first world tour is a triumph. It’s a celebration of some of the contest’s biggest hits and personalities, while also celebrating what the contest stands for – unity, peace, diversity and bringing people together through music.
FOUR AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
With few tickets still available for the Sydney performance tomorrow night (17th November 2024), head HERE to find out more and purchase. Don’t miss out!
