What happens if Australia wins Eurovision?

Every May, us Aussies gather around the telly (or let’s be honest, the livestream at some unpleasant hour) to watch Europe unleash its annual buffet of bangers, ballads, and bizarre on-stage theatrics. And every year, between cheering for our act and judging Moldova or Serbia’s latest unique entry, one question comes up… What happens if Australia wins Eurovision?

It’s a question that sounds simple, but once you scratch at it, you realise Eurovision has rules, loopholes, and traditions more confusing than trying to explain daylight savings at a local in Queensland. But don’t worry as the team here at Joe Fortune is on hand to help. First up, yes, Australia can win but no, Eurovision will not be hosted on Coogee Beach, no matter how many times someone posts the idea online. So, let’s get you all the info on what will go down if Australia ever takes home that shiny glass microphone.

Why is Australia in Eurovision?

Australia first joined Eurovision in 2015, but not as a random gate crasher it was a one-off special guest invitation to celebrate the contest’s 60th anniversary. SBS had been broadcasting Eurovision since 1983, long before most of the artists currently competing were even born, and Australia had developed a famously passionate fanbase.

Guy Sebastian stepped onto the Eurovision stage for our debut and casually dropped a fifth-place finish. Europe went, “These Aussies aren’t too bad at this stuff.” Then came the twist: due to overwhelming fan response, the EBU said we could come back permanently, with our participation contracted through to 2023, which has since been extended! Australia has competed every year since 2015, becoming a fully integrated part of the contest.

What is the EBU?

This stands for the European Broadcasting Union, which is the world’s largest alliance of public service media organisations. It was founded in 1950 and headquartered in Geneva, it operates as a non-profit association and is responsible for major international broadcasting collaborations including organising the Eurovision Song Contest.

A yellow alarm clock, a yellow airplane, and a retro yellow television displaying the European Union flag on a bright green.

Who will host if Australia wins Eurovision?

This is where things start to get interesting! Australia will not host Eurovision, and it’s not because Europe hates long flights or because the EBU doesn’t trust us with enough glitter cannons. It’s purely logistical and here’s what was agreed on day one and why a Eurovision Down Under isn’t on the cards:

Time Zones: A live show in Canberra would air at 5am across Europe. Not even Eurovision diehards will wake up for that.
Travel Costs: Flying every delegation, journalist, production crew and thousands of fans to Australia… Great for our economy but simply not feasible.
EBU Agreement: When SBS was invited in 2015, it came with one condition: If Australia wins, a European broadcaster will host on our behalf.

So, who would actually host?

Australia would be the official “winner” nation, and SBS would help produce the show, but the physical hosting would happen in Europe, co-organised with a partner broadcaster. Our research team have identified two major candidates:

The United Kingdom (BBC). The BBC was a strong contender to host if Australia had won in 2020. London, naturally, was the suggested city. The UK also has recent co-hosting experience after staging Eurovision for Ukraine in 2023.

Germany (NDR). Germany’s broadcaster NDR has long been considered a likely partner. They’re well-resourced, centrally located, and seasoned Eurovision organisers. This arrangement would mirror the 2023 situation, proof that Eurovision can absolutely accommodate a “winner” who doesn’t host.

How it would look in practice

Australia wins the contest.
SBS announces that the next Eurovision will be held in collaboration with a European broadcaster.
The host city is selected, likely London, Berlin, Hamburg or another major European hub.
SBS co-produces creative input, graphics, interval acts, presenters, branding.
Europe cleans up the confetti. Australia gets the glory.

How close have Australia come to winning in the past?

Short answer: very close. We’ve flirted with victory, teased Europe, and then cruelly watched it slip through our fingers much like an England cricketer trying to catch… Here’s our Eurovision track record so far:

2015: Guy Sebastian (5th place). Our very first entry. Guy set the bar high and announced Australia as a serious competitor right out of the gate.

2016: Dami Im (2nd place). The one that still haunts us. Sound of Silence was a ripper and was vocally flawless, artistically sharp, and an absolute jury favourite. Dami won the jury vote outright and held the trophy in her metaphorical hands until Ukraine surged in the televote and overtook us by about 20 points. This remains Australia’s best result ever.

We’ve also enjoyed three ninth-place finishes:

2017: Isaiah Firebrace – Don’t Come Easy
2019: Kate Miller-Heidke – Zero Gravity
2023: Voyager – Promise

Recent speed bumps: 2024 & 2025… Of course, not every year is gold. In both 2024 and 2025, Australia ended heartbreakingly close but failed to qualify, finishing 11th in the semi-finals each year—just one spot short of the Grand Final. Eurovision can be a cruel beast sometimes!

A gold crown, a clear glass microphone, and a speech bubble showing a map of Australia with the Australian flag, on a bright yellow background.

What do you get if you win Eurovision?

Winning Eurovision sounds like it should come with a truckload of cash, a diamond-encrusted microphone, or maybe even a free IKEA kitchen but surprise surprise it doesn’t… The real prizes are:

Prestige: Your country becomes Eurovision royalty.
A trophy: A very fancy glass microphone.
A huge career boost: ABBA… they went alright, didn’t they?!
The honour of hosting the next edition, unless you’re Australia but we’ll still get to produce it.
Cultural bragging rights: This is honestly the most valuable part. Aussies would be able to travel around Europe without having to try and explain winning the Ashes to countries that don’t understand cricket. Instead, they’ll all know what Eurovision is.
For Australia, winning it would bring all the prestige and celebration, minus the billion-dollar hosting bill.

Final Thoughts

Australia might seem like Eurovision’s odd cousin a little too far away, a little too enthusiastic, and always a bit dramatic, but we’ve proven time again that we belong on that stage. We’ve come second, cracked the Top 10 multiple times, and even when we miss the final, we show up with something bold, inventive, and unapologetically Aussie.

And if we ever take the crown? We’ll celebrate harder than a European disco at 3am and let Europe handle the clean-up. Honestly, that feels pretty on brand and something we can all get behind. So, bring on May and let’s see if we can finally get our hands on the trophy. And when we do get the title, it’ll come without the headache of building temporary arenas or explaining to the EBU why we put the Green and Gold Army in charge of security.