With the Eurovision Song Contest just a few months away, Australia is faced with the difficult decision of which artist to represent us.
On Saturday night the nation will vote for its favourite performer from a line-up of 11 incredible acts in SBS’ Eurovision – Australia Decides.
With huge names like Paulini, G-Nat!on and Jaguar Jonze in the running for the coveted spot in Turin, Italy this year, it’s going to be an incredibly close race.
So what can we expect from the live show on Saturday night, and who will be crowned this year’s Eurovision representative?
Paulini was giving nothing away about her incredible performance outfit.
(Image: Getty)
Hosted once again by comedian Joel Creasey and music buff Myf Warhurst, the show promises to deliver a little bit of everything, from glitz and glamour to raw and heartbreaking performances.
Presented at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre, expect all the lights, lasers and special effects that Eurovision is so well-known for.
Fans will even be treated to a special performance by Norwegian supergroup KEiiNO, who represented Norway in 2019.
But the most exciting parts by far are the performances by the 11 artists vying to represent Australian in Italy, including former Australian Idol star Paulini.
“Expect an epic, euphoric experience that is going to be about story-telling and getting out a message that I think people really need to hear,” she said of performing her song We Are One during a chat with MC Dylan Lewis on Friday.
“Showing kindness and loving on another and unifying. That’s what I love about Eurovision, it gives permission for artists to get out here and really be themselves.”
While she couldn’t give away too much about her outfit for the live finale, we can tell you that it’s definitely a show-stopper.
“It’s glamorous, but strong,” she told Dylan, who joked that they had more than just music in common; they also both starred on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!
Australia’s 2017 Eurovision representative Isaiah Firebrace will be performing a duet with Evie Irie.
(Image: Getty)And Paulini isn’t the only one spreading a message of unity with her song choice.
Australia’s 2017 Eurovision representative Isaiah Firebrace told Dylan of his duet with Evie Irie, “We want everyone to feel the love and the positivity of the song.”
The song, titled When I’m With You, was inspired by some of the elements of COVID-19 lockdowns, like isolation and being apart from the people you love.
“It’s all about being together and united, and we really want people to feel that energy.”
WATCH: Three more acts announced for Eurovision – Australia Decides. Story continues after video.
The Voice’s girl-group sensation G-Nat!on will also be pulling out all the stops in their fierce performance of Bite Me.
But it’s Jaguar Jonze’s rendition of Little Fires that is guaranteed to leave everyone at home absolutely breathless.
This is a spoiler-free zone, so we won’t tell you what she’s got planned for her performance, but we can tell you this: you won’t want to take your eyes off the screen.
Of course, all the artists will be putting on a show in the hopes of winning the Aussie votes they’ll need to secure a spot in Italy.
G-Nat!on will also be pulling out all the stops in their fierce performance.
(Image: Getty)Voting opened on Friday at 10pm and will remain open until just after 9:30pm on Saturday, so there’s plenty of time for you to back your favourite artist. You can find out how to vote here.
We can’t decide between Voyager’s head-banging metal tunes and Charley’s heartbreaking ballad… fortunately, you can vote more than once, something we’ll definitely be taking advantage of.
Fan votes will make up half of the acts’ final scores, while the other half will come from a jury who watched the artists perform on Friday night.
As for who will win, you’ll just have to tune in to find out.
The Eurovision – Australia Decides live TV final will be broadcast exclusively on SBS and SBS On Demand on Saturday 26 February from 8:30pm AEDT.
Who is competing?
Jaguar Jonze’s rendition of Little Fires is guaranteed to leave everyone at home absolutely breathless.
(Image: Getty)If you haven’t read up on all the acts yet, don’t worry. We’ve put together a handy cheat-sheet below to help you keep track of who’s who on the night.
Sheldon Riley – Not the Same
Jaguar Jonze – Little Fires
Voyager – Dreamer
G-Nat!on – Bite Me
Charley – I Suck At being Lonely
Andrew Lambrou – Electrify
Paulini – We Are One
Jude York – I Won’t Need To Dream
Isaiah Firebrace and Evie Irie – When I’m With You
Seann Miley Moore – My Body
Erica Padilla (TikTok wild card) – To The Bottom
