Delta Goodrem has brought Australia to the Eurovision Song Contest grand finals for the first time in three years.
The Australian singer wowed audiences with her epic ballad Eclipse on during the semi-finals on Friday morning, with Australia making it through to the finals by popular vote.
Australia joins second-round winners Ukraine, Bulgaria, Romania, Norway, Cyprus, Malta, Albania, Denmark and Czechia in the finals.
They will compete against against first-round winners: Finland, Sweden, Greece, Moldova, Israel, Belgium, Serbia, Lithuania, Croatia and Poland.
Betting markets have placed Australia firmly among the frontrunners to win the competition, with bookmaker Sportsbet ranking Australia as the second favourite to win behind Finland.
Delta has also been heavily backed by Eurovision fans online, with many praising her dramatic performance of Eclipse following her semi-final performance.
Delta Goodrem has brought Australia to the Eurovision Song Contest grand finals for the first time in three years
‘So errr.. Delta Goodrem really just came out here and said ‘Eurovision winner? That would be me.’ A vocal masterclass. Her stage presence is UNMATCHED!! Australia, 12 points!!!!’ one user enthused.
‘No doubt who gave the best performance in the two Semi Finals of the ESC – tonight Delta Goodrem knocked it out of the ball park for Australia. Repeat that on Saturday night & she has a great chance of first Aussie win,’ another agreed.
‘Delta just SMASHED the stage of #eurovision. That’s what an artist means,’ yet another user commented.
Insiders have also called Australia one of the most visually ambitious Eurovision performances to date.
Set against dramatic beams of light, cascading shadows and swirling smoke, Delta’s staging transforms Vienna’s Wiener Stadthalle into a shimmering cosmic spectacle inspired by the shifting brilliance of a solar eclipse.
It comes after Delta was forced to mime one crucial part of her performance.
The singer, who regularly plays piano during her performances, mimed the instrument on stage during due to Eurovision’s strict rules banning live instruments on stage.
The rule, introduced in 1999, means all instruments must be pre-recorded and played through backing tracks during performances.
The Australian singer wowed audiences with her epic ballad Eclipse on during the semi-finals on Friday morning, with Australia making it through to the finals by popular vote
Betting markets have placed Australia firmly among the frontrunners to win the competition, with bookmaker Sportsbet ranking Australia as the second favourite to win behind Finland
It was brought in to help keep the huge live broadcast running on time.
Delta’s song Eclipse features a dramatic piano solo, and rehearsal footage shows her seated at a piano during the performance.
However, despite being an accomplished pianist, the instrument is likely being used as a prop rather than played live.
Meanwhile, there is one performer who has reportedly been granted an exception this year, with Linda Lampenius allowed to play violin live for Finland.
