Australian act Voyager shoots for the stars in grand final of Eurovision
The Perth synth-metal band has cinched a spot in the grand final, set to take place on Sunday (AEST).
Australian synth-metal outfit Voyager has made it to the final of the Eurovision Song Contest this weekend, after a performance of glittery excess in the semi-final round.
Surviving a cutthroat elimination process that saw Denmark, Romania, Iceland, Greece, Georgia, and San Marino sent packing, the Perth-based band will face off against formidable artists in the competition.
The “Big Five” countries – Italy, Spain, Germany, France, and Britain – are automatically granted a starting position in the final.
The previous year’s winner, in this case Ukraine, is also guaranteed a final slot.
Voyager’s performance of Promise stood out in the semi-final, with their decades of touring experience and seven studio albums giving them the edge they needed to dominate the motley field.
And the killer stage design that looked like it was plucked out of John Carpenter’s 1983 film Christinecertainly didn’t hurt the cause.
Australia advances to the final alongside Albania, Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Finland, Israel, Lithuania, Moldova, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, Sweden, and Switzerland.
Becoming a Eurovision competitor is a dream Voyager’s lead singer and keytarist Danny Estrin – from Germany – has held for longer than Australia has been part of the competition.
“You are fiercely competitive in some ways but in other ways, you’re just all there to have a good time and perform to the best of your abilities and it’s all about the music for the end of the day,” he said. “Does it mean we don’t have what it takes to win it? I think we do.”
Australia has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest for the past eight years, featuring a consistent line-up of solo performers serenading the international stage, including Guy Sebastian, Jessica Mauboy, and the 2023 Archibald Prize-winning sitter Montaigne.
The Eurovision trophy so far eludes Australia. This year’s contest is hosted by Britain at the Liverpool Arena.
The Eurovision grand final, Sunday, 5am AEST, on SBS TV and SBS On Demand.
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