AS BIG AS GAMES 18
THE Gold Coast is the “frontrunner” to see Eurovision’s Australian final return in 2020.
Top city politicians and its tourism boss are hopeful of its return after the global broadcast from Broadbeach at the weekend.
It prompted one MP to say it created as much exposure as Commonwealth Games ceremonies in 2018.
THE Gold Coast is a ‘frontrunner’ to host a 2020 repeat of globally-broadcast Eurovision’s Australia final, touted to have as much impact as Commonwealth Games opening and closing ceremonies.
The first Australian final made the Glitter Strip home on Saturday night with the SBS broadcast, which was livestreamed on social media across the world, featuring video “postcards” of the artists at Gold Coast hot spots.
Destination Gold Coast CEO Annaliese Battista said the city was hopeful about hosting a 2020 return event.
“We are the frontrunners for next year,” she said.
Ms Battista said the “postcards” were arranged by Destination Gold Coast for the final.
“It’s money-can’t-buy exposure,” she said. “It showcased the Gold Coast where it has visibility for something completely different.”
Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said it was hoped next year’s plans were finalised soon.
“Council is negotiating with SBS and Eurovision for 2020 with an announcement expected later this year,” he said.
Cr Tate said the publicity from the Australia leg of the round was “priceless”.
Surfers Paradise MP and self-confessed Eurovision tragic John-Paul Langbroek said the slick production and shots of the Gold Coast were a great advertisement for the city.
“The impact for the city is the most positive since the closing and opening ceremonies of the Commonwealth Games,” he said.
The Australian final was so popular the show’s hashtag began to trend worldwide on Twitter and trend nationally in many European countries such as the United Kingdom, France and Poland.
The “postcards”, a staple of a Eurovision broadcast, showed off Gold Coast attractions such as Movie World, Surfers Paradise, the Sky Point Observation Deck, the Burleigh rainforest, Tallebudgera Creek and the pine forest in Pizzey Park.
The Eurovision Song Contest final pulls in about 200 million viewers worldwide each year.
Brisbane-born artist Kate Miller-Heidke took out both the public and industry professional vote on Saturday with her operatic pop banger Zero Gravity.
She will now represent Australia in Israel in May.
BULLETIN VIEW, P26