Delta Goodrem’s Historic Eurovision 2026 Performance
Delta Goodrem made a lasting impression during her grand final performance at Eurovision 2026, bringing the house down with a powerful rendition of her song Eclipse. Her performance was so electrifying that it put her on the brink of a historic victory, although she ultimately fell just short of the win. The singer delivered a show-stopping act that featured bright lights and a wind machine, creating an unforgettable atmosphere for the audience.
Goodrem was one of the top contenders to win the final in Vienna on Saturday night (Sunday morning AEST), and her performance was widely praised by both fans and critics alike. Immediately after finishing her set, she called Today entertainment editor Richard Wilkins to share her thoughts.
“She’s such a sweetheart,” Wilkins said. “She asked, ‘Did I do all right?’”
He continued, “She’s sung the song a thousand times and she finds something new in it every time. What I think she has done is the performance of her career so far. This takes her to a whole new level.”
During their video call, Wilkins told her, “You’re the Matildas, you’re Cathy Freeman… the whole of the country is just holding its breath and sending its love, it’s incredible.”
Goodrem responded, “Oh thank you, I felt everybody with me in this entire journey and I just wanted to make everybody proud and do what I do. The crowd was insane, they were chanting my name as they came out, and I was like, how many people flew from Australia… it was definitely a lot of love.”
UK star Graham Norton, who was reporting from the ground, confirmed the same sentiment. He noted, “If the audience could crown a winner right now, they would give it Australia. I hope her star power doesn’t go against her,” according to the Liverpool Echo.
Aussies back home were also cheering her on, including former Eurovision representative Dami Im, who took the stage in 2016. Im encouraged her fellow contestant with a message: “COME ON YOU’VE GOT THIS.”
GoJo, Australia’s contestant from last year, added, “YOUVE GOT IT IN THE BAG!!!❤️”
One of the most significant messages of support came from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who posted on X: “Good luck at the Eurovision Grand Final, Delta. You’ve already made Australia proud. We’ll all be cheering you on.”
Despite her incredible performance, Eclipse finished second behind Finland’s Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen with their song Liekinheitin. TAB and Sportsbet both have Australia as the second favorite to win, with odds at four to one.
Finland is the clear favorite, likely because Australia has never won Eurovision before, and the idea of a non-European nation winning makes some fans uneasy. However, the entire nation is backing Goodrem after her incredible performance in the semi-final sent her flying into the finals.
She made it to the Grand Final alongside countries including Malta, Denmark, Norway, Albania, and Cyprus. Other nations in the Grand Final include Ukraine, Bulgaria, and Romania. The “big four” automatically qualify for the Grand Final: France, Germany, Italy, and the UK.
Betting companies aren’t the only ones who believe Goodrem has a chance to win. Fans flooded social media proclaiming she’s the best chance of “bringing it home” since Dami Im’s performance of The Sound of Silence in 2016, which placed her in second place.
Before jetting off to Vienna, Goodrem spoke exclusively with nine.com.au. She expressed her love for the positivity surrounding her entry.
“I love it, I love the passion, the positivity,” she said. “I’m gonna take all this incredible good energy and vibes with me and fly over to Vienna with it all.”
Traditionally, the winner of Eurovision hosts the following year’s contest in their home country. However, Eurovision has stated that if Australia were to win, it wouldn’t be able to host the event. Instead, SBS would co-host the broadcast in collaboration with another European broadcaster.
Goodrem, however, believes an exception should be made. “We’d be an amazing host,” she said. “Everyone coming to Australia, we’ve got the most beautiful country, we’d be great… we’d put on an incredible hosting.”
She also emphasized that she pays no attention to such remarks. “I think what we saw was an awesome music show,” she said. “I’m really happy that we’re a part of it. We’re there for a great time, and we give it a go!”
“When [Eurovision] saw how involved Australia was when it came to getting involved with the contest from afar, it made logical sense [to invite us]. I think we’re the only country part of it that’s not part of Europe… we’re always visiting anyway!”
