Australia joins Eurovision Song Contest

The European Broadcasting Union has announced that Australia is to take part in next May's finals of the Eurovision Song Contest. The addition brings the number of participating countries to 40.

The public broadcaster SBS has been showing the event in Australia for the last 30 years. More than 900,000 SBS viewers watched the show last year when Austrian recording artist and stage persona Conchita Wurst (pictured) won the title in Copenhagen.

Jon Ola Sand, excecutive supervisor of the contest, said: "It's a daring and at the same time incredibly exciting move. It is our way of saying: let's celebrate this party together!

For the Australian TV channel, SBS Managing Director Michael Ebeid said: "We are very excited to have secured this historic opportunity for Australia to be represented on the world's biggest stage at the 60th anniversary of the Eurovision Song Contest and are honoured that the European Broadcasting Union has supported us to achieve this ambition."

Australia will be allowed to vote in both semi-finals as well as the final.

Should Australia win the competition, the next edition would not be hosted by them in a home city, as is the tradition for European winners. Instead, SBS would co-host the competition in a European city together with an EBU Member Broadcaster. Australia would also be able to send a participant for the contest next year.

jm/kms (dpa, EBU)