Eurovision 2011

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Eurovision 2009: What's planned for your Eurovision party?

14 May 2009 | 0:00 - By

How can we not talk about the Eurovision Song Contest without acknowledging Australia's love affair with Eurovision parties? Are you hosting one? Are you attending one? Share your ideas here!

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Every year thousands of us cram into living rooms, and sometimes bars and restaurants, to watch Eurovision. It's a bit like the World Cup of Pop. There's nothing like cheering for your country of choice as they battle it out for music glory.

Whether it's a last-minute suburban gathering around the telly, or a big screen high-end event in a public venue, Sunday night will see hundreds of Eurovision parties across the country all glued to their TV screens.

Some participants insist on dressing up in traditional outfits. And you don't even need any particular affiliation with the country you're supporting. If you suddenly become a Spaniard for the night, or adopt the native tongue of Sweden for the night, who's to argue?

One of the best ways to celebrate is with a smorgasboard of cultural food. Frankfurters from Germany, Cheese from Switzerland, Pastries from France, Chocolate from Belgium –there's no end to the possibilities. Maybe the main course this year should be Russian?
The trick of course is in making sure your guests only partake of the food when the country actually takes to the stage. If it means you end up having desserts first, it's just part of the fun of your Eurovision night!

For a drinking game you could also take a swill every time you see the wind machine getting a good workout. Just make sure you have a designated driver, please!
Sweeps are another big part of Eurovision parties. It's pop's own version of the Melbourne Cup. There are 25 countries in the Final. Try dividing them up between your guests and make sure you have a special prize allocated to the last place too. Checkout the Sweepstake kit available here.

Of course fundamental to any Eurovision party is the need to make sure you are Spoiler-Free. Just like an Oscars party, there's nothing worse than knowing the winner before it's declared. A word of advice: the winner of Eurovision will be plastered over media on Sunday, online, radio and in TV news. If you are serious about avoiding the winner, don't go near electronic media anytime from Sunday morning!

Finally, we want to hear about YOUR ideas for your parties, and if you are a venue having a public party, feel free to plug the address, including any entry fee.

See you by the big screen!

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Comments (71)

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23 May 2009 18:19 AEST

Vera

From:

Can we see it live, please?

Leave Julia alone! I watched it again and she was quite in the spirit of Eurovision: joyful, often overreacting, overenjoying. Everything and everyone was "beautiful", "gorgeous", "fabulous"... I prefer it over Wogan's cynical comments. For God's sake: he was talking over each and every song, ever the winner! Often wrong information, always totally predictable. When did you hear him saying a single word in any other language? Hello! This is Eurovision and in Europe there are many more nationalities. And everyone is welcomed: Israel, Azerbejan, Georgia... Great job Julia and Sam! I have been watching it since the first one (yes, I am 59) and for the first time after I left Europe, I enjoyed it. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. And thank you SBS! Please consider broadcasting it live. I am sure you will have equally large number of viewers, if not larger.

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22 May 2009 7:56 AEST

Ning

From: Frankston

Hosts

Well done Sam I hope you get the gig again next year great to see RRR hosts making good. Just speak a bit louder into the mircophone. Love you Julia eating chips into the mircophone makes the whole Eurovision experience sound more homely.

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20 May 2009 16:26 AEST

Milica

From:

GB is not Europe!

For those who see Europe through Terry Wogan's eyes: please wake up! What Wogan was cynically talking about was not nothing European at all! It was purely superior English view of everybody and everything. Get over it and let the rest of us who think in real terms of what 'Europian' means, enjoy a bit. And, SBS, please leave Julia there. She is as Europian as an Aussie can be. Any commentator from Europe will have to be from England and then, we will have the same, xenophobic and Anglocentered commentators as Wogan was.

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20 May 2009 15:32 AEST

David

From:

A major disappointment from the SBS team

3 words to describe the SBS Commentators: rude, boring, annoying. I wish them all the best with their career.

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18 May 2009 22:16 AEST

Katrina

From:

disappointing commentary

I was very disappointed in Julia's efforts as the host for eurovision. I had high expectations as I love her rockwiz efforts. Maybe she was jetlagged or hung over from too much vodka! Terry Wogan needs resurrecting. (Who was that guy with Julia?)

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18 May 2009 21:17 AEST

jakie

From:

shut up woman!

can we send sam and Julia to Moscow next year? for no reason, but just to get rid of them. also can we just get the UK commentary next year, atleast that might be funny and the commentator WONT TALK THROUGH EVERY BLOODY THING! gah! SBS is run but morons. thankyou

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18 May 2009 20:08 AEST

Ting

From:

I CAN'T STAND JULIA

Eurovision was quite nice but my watch of the show was significantly spoiled by the commentator - Julia. She should never be part of it!! Please don't ever let her be in it again!! She was making all these silly personal criticisms about the performers - no depth, not professional. I don't really care what she likes or dislike - I am not watching the show to hear all that. They need to do a bit more homework prior to the show. I am not a big fan of Norway team, but it is unnecessary to put the guy (and some other performers) down like that. Please give them a bit more respect and credit, they deserve it! If I had to listen to her again next year, I think I will stop watching Eurovision, at least the oz version.

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18 May 2009 16:52 AEST

Barbara

From:

Eurovision commentators

The Australian commentators really spoilt Eurovision. At times they were plain nasty and uninformed and their commentary was laboured and derogatory.Graham Norton, while being funny and irreverent, never talks down at people and is well informed. His charm and comedic abilities make him the perfect choice for Eurovision. And seeing that it is "Euro"vision we really do not need Australian commentators. Particularly when they are as uninformed, ignorant and self-righteous as these two.Rockwiz is awful enough but at least we can choose not to watch. Eurovision however is only on once a year and we have no choice but to put up with Julia's awful drivel. I have talked to people who won't even watch next year after this bad taste commentary.

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18 May 2009 16:41 AEST

rose

From: neerim south

Worst commentators, no more! SBS! leave Eurovision alone!

I agree, with all negative comments. We have watched the contest for many years and enjoyed it without any commentators! They were so biased and I am sure many people whose countries were involved, would have been insulted by most of the comments, especially the winners! When we were trying to listen to some replays their continuing noice and uninformed chatter made it impossible to hear! SBS never do that to us again! Keep them away from us! I loved the contest it gets better every year

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18 May 2009 16:12 AEST

Danny

From: Five Dock

The worst Commentary ever

Julia and Sam must not host Eurovision next year- their efforts were uninspired,bland, banal,repetitive, uninformed and often just plain annoying. Just wish they could have shut up,or even better that someone could have pulled the plug altogether.I had high hopes for Julia- she is a very talented, engaging and sharp woman -so where was she on Sunday night? Julia and Sam were truly appalling. SBS please just use the BBC feed again- it doesn't matter who hosts as no one could possible be any worse

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About this Blog

Join David Knox as he reports on the build-up to Eurovision 2011. Who will capture the imagination of an entire continent? Knox is a media commentator with an unhealthy addiction to television and pop culture. His coverage of Eurovision is an annual fixture at SBS and he blogs at TV Tonight.To this day, he still thinks Gina G was robbed at the 1996 Eurovision Song Contest.

 
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