Attention one, attention all. It’s Eurovision week. This is not a drill. With the first semi-final only hours away, I thought I’d compile all the information in one handy place. So if you’re unsure how to vote, when the show is on, and how to watch it, keep reading!
How to watch Eurovision 2015
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Watch via SBS
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Watch via Eurovision.tv
When can you watch Eurovision?
Although SBS has upped their game with their promotions, you may not realise that SBS is actually promoting the repeats for their usual night time broadcast. This is where you need to decide whether you’re watching Eurovision for the fun, or watching it to vote.
If you want to vote: You will need to watch the show live. What does this mean for you? Well, if you’re not a morning person, this may not be an option for you. Unfortunately due to time differences, the show will be broadcast at 5am AEST.
Due to the nature of voting, it has to be done live, which is why if you’re dedicated, you will have to be up nice and early. In Europe, the Semi Finals are on Tuesday and Thursday, which will translate to 5am on Wednesday and Friday. The final is on Saturday night in Europe, which means 5am Sunday for us.
Summary:
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Wednesday May 20th – 5am AEST
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Friday May 22nd – 5am AEST
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Sunday May 24th – 5am AEST
If you don’t want to vote: This is a bit simpler. SBS will be broadcasting repeats of the show in their usual manner – that being, first semi-final on Friday night, Second on Saturday night, and then the final on Sunday night. If you’re not too concerned about finding out who wins, this is perfectly fine. As a warning though, if you would not like to know who wins, most Australian news broadcasts announce who wins, so try to avoid television, radio and social media (but if you’re that dedicated, you’re more likely to be up for the live shows). The shows will be on at 7:30pm on all of these nights. The semi-finals last for 2 hours each, and the final goes for 4 hours.
Summary:
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Friday May 22nd – 7:30pm SBS One
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Saturday May 23rd – 7:30pm SBS One
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Sunday May 24th – 7:30pm SBS One
How do you vote?
After all the songs are presented, voters have a 15 minute window to vote for their favourite songs (although you cannot vote for your own country). Australia is lucky in the sense that we get to vote in ALL three shows, whereas European countries can only vote in their semi-final and the final.
Voting numbers will be shown throughout the show, so if you see a song you like, take note of the number so during that 15 minutes, you can quickly send those messages through to ensure your favourite gets a vote.
Key Points:
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SBS are promoting the delayed broadcast, not the live one
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If you want to vote, set your alarm for 5am
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Follow the prompts on the screen to vote
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You can watch the show via SBS or Eurovision.tv online
If you want more information about how your votes are counted, Eurovision.tv have created this video to make sense of the complex voting system:
And now for the Announcement!
Are you new to Eurovision and don’t know what it’s all about? This year, Eurovision Union will be hosting a Eurovision for Beginners Interactive Alternate Commentary for the delayed broadcast. What does this mean?
Well, for Australian viewers, this means that you can join an event via Facebook, where you will have the opportunity to chat with other viewers about the songs, ask questions, and receive information about the acts or the contest. If this is your first Eurovision, Eurovision Union will help you understand it all with alternate commentary – sure Julia Zemiro and Sam Pang from SBS will give you funny commentary, but for more detailed information, and a chance to connect with others, our event is for you!
For international viewers, unfortunately this will not be live for you, however, you are very welcome to join in and watch it alongside us via Eurovision.tv, or comment opinions on songs and performances (but please, no spoilers!)
Here is the link for the Facebook event:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1108957089117862/
Click on the picture below for more details:
