Australia’s Sheldon Riley has made it through the semi-finals and will complete in Eurovision’s Grand Final on Sunday morning.

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Riley took to the stage in Eurovision’s second semi-final on Friday morning and performed his song Not the Same, and despite a few technical challenges got a lot of support from the audience in the auditorium. 

Since Australia’s saw Riley perform the song at Eurovision Decides a few months ago the staging of the performance has been reworked. Riley now appears in a stunning white outfit with his face covered by an elaborate headpiece. During the performance he climbs a structure cumulating in him revealing his face during the song’s crescendo.

Unlike some of Australia’s previous Eurovision contenders who have had the backing of record labels, Riley remains an independent artist and his journey to Turin, Italy, has been largely self-funded.

Riley was one of eighteen artists who took to the stage at the second semi-final, where only ten artists go through to the next stage. Alongside Australia – Finland, Serbia, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Romania, Poland, Belgium, Sweden and Czech Republic survived the semi-final.

They’ll join Lithuania, Switzerland, Ukraine, Netherlands, Moldova, Portugal, Iceland, Greece, Norway, and Armenia, the successful participants from Wednesday’s first semi-final.

The Grand final will also include the entries from the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Germany and France, who always have automatic entry into the final stage. Australia will perform in the 21st position on Sunday morning.

OIP Staff, Images: Sarah Louise Bennet, Andres Putting EBU. 

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