Panel Discussion: Post-Eurovision Blues
Co-hosted by the University of Sydney, the ANU Centre for European Studies, the University of New South Wales and the Ukraine Democracy Initiative
Why is Australia in the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC)? The Guinness World Book of Records named the ESC the longest-running music competition in the history of modern broadcasting. It is certainly the biggest non-sports event in global television, targeting over 1 billion viewers in 2017. Started in 1956, the ESC has always pushed the limits of European integration, spilling into the political arena and bringing together the most unlikely cohort of artists: from Iceland at the edge of the Arctic Circle to Australia Down Under. This panel brings together academic commentators on European politics, languages, gender, culture and music, who will try to illuminate the significance of this year’s event and past performances, uncovering the myths and realities of the Eurovision Song Contest. The program will be covered in part by SBS radio programs, and supported by Home Migration Services, Sydney and individual performers.
For more information download the event flyer.