Australia’s own Delta Goodrem has delivered one of the biggest performances of her career, finishing an impressive fourth at the 70th anniversary of Eurovision Song Contest after a spectacular showing that had fans around the world cheering.
While Bulgaria ultimately claimed victory, Goodrem’s soaring power ballad Eclipse lit up the grand final stage in Austria and cemented her place among the competition’s standout stars.
The Australian pop icon entered the final as one of the bookmakers’ favourites after dazzling audiences in the semi-finals, and she more than delivered on the night. Bathed in gold and surrounded by flames, Goodrem stunned viewers in a handcrafted gown featuring 7000 Swarovski crystals as she performed atop a glittering piano that dramatically lifted her metres into the air during the song’s emotional climax.
Goodrem finished with 287 combined jury and audience points, briefly sitting near the top of the leaderboard after receiving maximum 12-point scores from juries in three participating nations.
“I got to fly out of a piano, I got to use the smoke and the fire, and again just feel that love and support for my music and me as an artist,” Goodrem said after the result. “And that’s something that’s still been a huge milestone to be a part of and to be in the top four, I’m thrilled.”
The result gives Australia another strong Eurovision chapter, even if Dami Im still holds the nation’s best-ever finish after placing second in 2016.
Bulgarian singer Dara eventually took the crown with her song Bangaranga, scoring 516 points after a massive audience vote surge. Israel finished second while Romania rounded out the podium in third place.
As always, Eurovision’s famously unpredictable voting system produced plenty of drama. Despite organisers tightening rules around audience voting and campaign activity this year, political tensions and regional loyalties again became part of the conversation online.
But amid the debate, fans across social media praised Goodrem’s vocal performance, dazzling staging and commanding presence on what was easily the biggest global platform of her career. Eurovision organisers say last year’s contest attracted an audience of 166 million viewers worldwide.
For Australia, the result felt like a celebration regardless. Goodrem proved she could match Europe’s best, delivering a performance packed with glamour, emotion and stadium-sized vocals that will be remembered long after the final votes were counted.
And while Bulgaria may have won the trophy, Australia still left Eurovision shining brightly.
Images: SBS Publicity
