Listen: Dami Im shares her thoughts on Eurovision 2021 with Sam Robinson on Hope Breakfast
By Sam RobinsonWednesday 19 May 2021Hope BreakfastMusicReading Time: 2 minutes
After the music competition’s first cancellation in 65 years, last year, Eurovision is back! However, for 2021’s Australian entrant Montaigne, it will mean a brand new way of competing.
Across the last decade, the annual Eurovision Song Contest has hit new heights of popularity. The competition has grown a cult following, inspired an Oscar-nominated Netflix film starring Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams and, since 2015, included Australian contestants including Guy Sebastian, Jessica Mauboy and Kate Miller-Heidke.
Source: Official Montaigne Facebook
This year, a global pandemic has affected Australia’s plans to compete on stage in Rotterdam, in the Netherlands – a country still seeing more than 5000 new daily cases of COVID-19. So, Hope Breakfast’s good friend, and 2016 Eurovision runner-up, Dami Im jumped on the phone to share with our early morning listeners more about how Australia’s 2021 entry Montaigne will compete without being in the room.
“All the other countries except for Australia will be in Rotterdam, with strict rules,” Dami said.
“But Montaigne couldn’t go for obvious reasons, it’s just too dangerous and there’s too much risk involved.
“So she filmed her pre-recorded live performance in Australia. I believe it was watched by the official people that Eurovision sent, to ensure it is still fair. She recorded it [in March] and she’s sent it and that’s the way she is part of it.”
It’s a world-first for the competition, and Dami shared that although it’s wonderful Australia is still able to compete, she feels for Montaigne in missing out on the in-country experience.
“I know that she is feeling quite disappointed that she didn’t get to go, which I really understand,” Dami said.
“I would feel that way as well. It’s not the same as being there. You spend weeks ahead with the whole city buzzing with Eurovision energy.
“Everybody is so excited about the whole thing. To miss out on that, I feel for her and the whole team. I know they worked so hard for it.”
Dami Im and her husband Noah celebrate her success at Eurovision in 2016.
We can still cheer Montaigne on as she virtually hits the Eurovision stage, starting this Friday at 7pm on SBS. Hear more from Dami Im about Eurovision 2021 in the player above.