Pyjama Fandom: Watching Eurovision Down Under

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

Abstract

Despite the apparent geographic barriers, Australia has been a notable participant in the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) from 2014, when Jessica Mauboy performed as an interval act in Copenhagen. Since 2016, when Australia has been allowed to vote in the ESC as well as perform, the “live broadcast” of the ESC has taken place on SBS from 5.00 a.m.—marking a departure from the previous delayed telecast, which had been in the “prime time” slot from 8.00 p.m., since the ESC’s debut on Australian TV in 1983. This has complicated notions of ESC fandom in Australia: instead of consuming the broadcast in the evening, accompanied by alcoholic drinks and dance parties, fans now watch the broadcast bleary-eyed and pyjama-clad in the morning, more likely accompanied by caffeinated drinks. This chapter considers how the live audience experience has changed in Australia with the shifting time of the broadcast, combining a historical survey of the ESC’s Australian reach with a thick description of the contemporary experience of Eurovision fandom from down under.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationEurovision and Australia
Subtitle of host publicationInterdisciplinary Perspectives from Down Under
EditorsChris Hay, Jessica Carniel
PublisherPalgrave Macmillan
Chapter12
Pages239-258
Number of pages20
VolumeCham, Switzerland
ISBN (Electronic)978-3-030-20058-9
ISBN (Print)978-3-030-20057-2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2019
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Eurovision
  • Australia
  • Broadcast
  • Fandom
  • Liveness

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