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And Finally Artist News Releases
New Zealand seeking to compete in Eurovision 2024
By Andy Malt | Published on Thursday 4 May 2023
A petition calling for New Zealand to be allowed to compete in the Eurovision Song Contest now has more than – wait for it – 70 signatories! But, hey, 73 people is most of the population of New Zealand, right? Now they just need to convince the 745 million people living in Europe.
Comedy pop duo Two Hearts launched a campaign last month calling for New Zealand to be allowed to enter next year’s Eurovision Song Contest. They state their case with the country’s “official/unofficial Eurovision entry” ‘Eurovusion (Open Up)’.
Among other things, the song points out that Australia has now been allowed to compete in the contest since 2015 and that New Zealand probably wouldn’t upset the balance of things by actually winning. Anyone who thinks New Zealand – like Australia – should be classified as European in the context of Eurovision can sign this petition here.
Somewhat inevitably, this fun, frivolous thing is actually promoting something. It’s all been cooked up by New Zealand beer company Yeastie Boys, mainly to highlight the fact that it now also brews its beers in the UK. But, like I said, it’s fun and frivolous, so what are you going to do? Oh, and I know I should have said brewed up, not cooked up, earlier in this paragraph, you can stop thinking that now.
“We’ve become big Eurovision fans since arriving here in the UK but we really miss having our own country to cringe at while simultaneously supporting unwaveringly”, says Yeastie Boys founder Stu Mckinlay. “I was the youngest of five kids and whenever my older siblings went to gigs, I was too young to join them. Australia being in Eurovision, when New Zealand hasn’t been invited, gives me the same vibes and I don’t like it”.
“New Zealanders grow up with a sense of social justice being very important and Australia being invited to Eurovision without New Zealand is like inviting someone to your wedding but not giving them a plus one”, he goes on. “Everyone loves New Zealand and finds us cute and non-threatening and that makes us a sure thing for doing well in the public vote. I mean who really likes Australia?”
Well, Australia has three times finished in the Eurovision top ten, so maybe that answers that question. Whatever, let’s let New Zealand in too. Anyone else?
Watch the video for ‘Eurovusion (Open Up)’ here:
