SBS has confirmed that the Eurovision: Australia Decides event won’t go ahead next year, with our new Eurovision Song Contest entrant chosen internally once more.
The 2023 Eurovision Song Contest is hosted by Liverpool in the UK, with the British city taking over on behalf of 2022 winner, wartorn Ukraine.
But back in Australia, SBS has confirmed that while Australia will take part, the broadcaster has axed the Australia Decides concert next year to pick our singer.
“We are thrilled to confirm that Australia will once again compete in the 67th Eurovision Song Contest next year, with hosts Myf Warhurst and Joel Creasey at the helm,” an SBS spokesperson said.
“However, after three years of celebrating and working with local music artists through our Eurovision selection show, Eurovision: Australia Decides, we’ve made the difficult decision not to go ahead with the program in 2023.”
SBS has staged three Eurovision: Australia Decides concerts at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre, broadcasting them live and allowing Aussies to vote.
Australian singers Kate Miller-Heidke, Montaigne and Sheldon Riley were all chosen this way.
But prior to that, the broadcaster picked the Eurovision acts through an internal process from 2015 to 2018.
An SBS spokesperson told TV Tonight, “Over the past few months, we have been exploring ways we could deliver the event to Australian audiences next year however, a variety of factors contributed to us coming to this decision.”
SBS celebrates 40 years of Eurovision Song Contest in Australia
In 2023, SBS will celebrate 40 years of broadcasting Eurovision to Australian audiences.
Earlier this year, queer performer Sheldon Riley was selected to represent Australia at the 2022 Contest in Turin, Italy.
But in Turin, Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra won the contest with their song Stefania. The UK finished second with British singer Sam Ryder’s Space Man.
However European Broadcasting Union (EBU) bosses quickly ruled Ukraine out from hosting “with deep regret” due to “safety and security issues” amid the ongoing Russian invasion of the country.
Last month, the UK’s BBC confirmed that Liverpool would host the contest.
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