While Eurovision 2020 won’t be going ahead, fans in Australia still have plenty of Eurovision-related programming. Today at 19:30 AEDT — that’s 11:30 CEST and 10:30 BST — SBS will air its Saturday-night special: Eurovision 2020: Big Night In! The show is giving Montaigne the spotlight she deserves — and revealing the favourite Eurovision 2020 songs from Australian fans. You can watch on SBS On Demand. You’ll need to create an account and potentially use a VPN.
Big Night In! will be hosted by Australia’s Eurovision commentators and national final hosts Myf Warhurst and Joel Creasey. The show will feature an exclusive performance from Montaigne, who will deliver the performance of “Don’t Break Me” she had been due to give in Rotterdam. She recently sat down with me on Skype to reveal some of the details. Apparently there will be impressive 3-D effects — including some very large hands trying to grip and grasp her. We hope she’s made of elastic!
Montaigne: “Eurovision: Big Night In” interview
Montaigne tells us she’ll be shifting away from the blue clown look during tonight’s show. She’ll be wearing a more subtle frill. Taken from her recent tour, the frill is shiny with pearls in it — more royal family than circus troupe.
The performance she’ll create this evening was filmed inside a studio, which obviously doesn’t have all the tricks of the Eurovision stage in Rotterdam. But it’ll still be fabulous.
“We were hoping to be able to project some animation through the floor to simulate an explosion and bursting of light,” she says. “But we’ve been able to implant AR into the movements and the space, which is really cool.”
Just like Australia did in the years before they started competing at Eurovision, SBS ran a poll for down under fans to vote for their favourites. Voting closed on 3 May. The results will be revealed throughout the Big Night In! show.
Even more Eurovision programming in Australia
Following Saturday night’s Eurovision 2020: Big Night In!, SBS will keep the celebrations going into the night with Eurovision Top 40 Controversies and Secrets of Eurovision.
On Sunday evening, Australia will get slightly delayed covered of Eurovision: Europe Shine a Light, which will honour the acts of Eurovision 2020.
SBS’s Commissioning Editor and Australia’s new Head of Delegation Josh Martin was enthusiastic about the events, saying: “Eurovision was born as an idea to help unite people after a period of turmoil and instability. In 2020, SBS is incredibly proud to fill the gap left from the cancellation of this year’s contest in Rotterdam, with a network event that champions the very same goal.”
Australia: Eurovision 2020 alternative shows
All times are in Australian Eastern Standard Time – GMT+10.
- Saturday 16 May: Eurovision 2020: Big Night In! (19:30 on SBS)
- Saturday 16 May: Eurovision Top 40 Controversies (22:30 on SBS)
- Sunday 17 May: Secrets of Eurovision (00:30 on SBS)
- Sunday 17 May: Eurovision: Europe Shine a Light (20:30 on SBS)
What do you think? Will you vote in the Big Night In poll? Which shows will you tune in for? Tell us your thoughts below!
You didn’t mention you’d be on the show too!!
Just saw it and it was bad. The staging at Australia Decides was much much better.
How can we watch the show in Europe? Anyone has the link?
@William Adams
Someone have an explanation as to why the album was pulled from iTunes? Anything to do with the Greece/Croatia song mix up? They just keep f*cking this up day after day this year.