From Mr Eurovision to Australian Idols: Australian Performances (and Performing Australia)

Abstract

Australia’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest is hotly contested by media commentators and fans alike, but many agree that the Australian delegation has made an effort to submit quality songs and to present a consistent image of Australia as diverse. This chapter examines the various representations of Australia that have appeared on the Eurovision stage with a consideration of how this adheres to both national and international ideas about multiculturalism and diversity. It argues that the deliberate selection of artists with various Asian and Indigenous heritages disrupts the European connection narrative. By highlighting its postcolonial status and its more recent waves of migration, representations of Australia at the Eurovision Song Contest present an image of contemporary Australia poised to be a bridge between Europe and Asia.