For the first time in its eclectic 60-year-long history, the Eurovision Song Contest has invited Australia to compete.

Aussie broadcaster SBS has been airing the competition for over 30 years, and despite the time difference, just over 3 million people tuned in early on Sunday morning to watch Conchita Wurst win the contest in 2014. It's clear the stats suggest that Eurovision has a substantial following Down Under, but are the EBU making the right decision to invite them to compete?

The first (and most obvious) point to note is that Australia is approximately 14,085 km away from Europe. Their toilets flush the opposite way, Eurovision will be an autumnal music event for them instead of springtime for us, and while Europeans are partying through the contest into the night, Aussies will be cheering over bowls of cereal and cups of coffee. So geographically, the UTC timezone is working against them, but the EBU's international voting partner Digame is exploring options to allow Australia to vote.

That said, the very creation of Eurovision was to bring countries together. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) held the first contest in 1956 to unite a war-torn Europe after the Second World War with a light entertainment programme. At the time, a televised competition that would air in seven countries was a technological experiment. When it expanded with a further three European nations a year later in 1957 (which was the UK's first year competing), the EBU began to realise that the competition was starting to bring the continent back together again.

Since 1957 a further 41 countries have been invited to compete, and not all of them have always been considered European. Israel have been allowed to enter from 1973 onwards even though it's geographically located in Western Asia, and even Morocco - a country in North Africa - was a one-off entry in 1980. And then there are all of the transcontinental countries who regularly enjoy being a part of the singing contest; Russia, Armenia, Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan all partly span into Asia. So Eurovision has a rich history of inviting outsiders to compete, celebrate, and suffer the ridicule of potentially leaving with nil points.


Aside from geographical boundaries, over the decades Eurovision has become a welcoming liberal presence across the continent. Dana International's win for Israel at Eurovision in 1998 gave the transgender community one of their most recognisable trans women, helping to break down prejudice and promote acceptance. Just last year Conchita Wurst won for Austria during a time when LGBT communities in Russia and some parts of Eastern Europe were facing inhumane laws posed against their basic human rights. While it has strict rules that entries must not promote politics, Eurovision always finds itself giving a voice to people from all walks of life.

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So the EBU's decision to allow Australia compete as a one-off for the Eurovision Song Contest 60th anniversary is a timely reminder of the competition's origins and modern-day ethos of inclusion. We should welcome them with open arms. It will be exciting to see which Australian performer will be willing to take the stage - and maybe after years of complaining about Eastern European bloc voting, we might have a new ally?

If Australia wins, they will not be able to host the competition in Sydney/Melbourne/Canberra next year, but will have to co-host the show with a European city. Eurovision will never leave Europe, but allowing international friends and fans to participate within welcoming guidelines will only enhance and inject a new energy into the competition. If it means more Gina Gs and Olivia Newton John-type entries singing songs penned by Sia, then colour us incredibly excited.

But now Australia has been invited, where could it go from here? Eurovision is also aired in South Korea, America, India, and many other countries, with a growing popularity internationally. The idea of a new guest country every year would allow the competition to evolve and remain diverse, thrilling and encompassing.

60 years in and Eurovision is still being watched by an estimated 180 million viewers, but for it to see through the next 60, it will need continual reinvigoration and a wider talent pool of the outlandish. If there are more countries out there eager to put their most fabulously eccentric step forward onto the Eurovision stage, then we're ready to hand out the douze points.