When Eurovision meets Kylie Minogue: From covers to collaborations
This Saturday, Australian pop icon Kylie Minogue will take centre stage at the MCG as part of the AFL Grand Final pre-match entertainment, bringing Kylie fever back to Melbourne.
While Kylie has never competed at Eurovision, and most likely isn't about to, she's no stranger to the Contest.
Over the years, Eurovision artists have covered her biggest hits, performed alongside her and even collaborated with her on original music.
With Kylie mania taking over Melbourne this weekend, we take a look at some of the most interesting Eurovision artists who have crossed paths with the pop superstar.
Eurovision artists covering Kylie
KEiiNO – On A Night Like This & Can't Get You Out of My Head
Eurovision 2019 televote winners KEiiNO have put their own spin on not one, but two of Kylie's biggest hits.
The Norwegian group released their rendition of On A Night Like This, before performing it live as the interval act at Eurovision – Australia Decides 2022 on the Gold Coast.
It wasn't the first time KEiiNO had covered Kylie.
When the group toured Australia for the first time in 2019, they delighted local fans with a cover of Kylie's global 2001 hit Can't Get You Out of My Head.
Joci Pápai – The Loco-motion
Joci Pápai competed on the Hungarian version of Your Face Sounds Familiar a few months after representing Hungary at Eurovision 2017, where he finished in the Top 10 with Origo.
The show sees artists transform themselves into other musicians, and when Joci took on Kylie's 1987 version of The Loco-motion, he certainly didn't hold back on the costume!
It's definitely one of the more... interesting Kylie covers on this list!
Tornike Kipiani – Can't Get You Out of My Head
Tornike Kipiani was due to compete for Georgia with Take Me As I Am at Eurovision 2020 before the Contest was cancelled.
He returned the following year to represent Georgia in Rotterdam with You.
But years earlier, Tornike competed on X Factor Georgia, where he performed a rock-heavy version of Kylie's Can't Get You Out of My Head.
The performance has racked up more than 1.5 million views on YouTube, and Tornike went on to win the entire competition.
Saara Aalto – Kylie Minogue medley
Saara Aalto has covered Kylie many, many times!
Before representing Finland at Eurovision 2018 with Monsters, Saara performed Kylie's Your Disco Needs You at the London Eurovision Preview Party.
But for this one, we're highlighting a Kylie medley she performed at a concert in Yeovil.
And the Kylie connection doesn't stop there.
At the end of 2019, Saara released her Christmas song Every Christmas Day, which was written by Kylie and her collaborators.
Saara has explained that she first connected with Kylie during her time on The X Factor and was subsequently offered the song.
Sheldon Riley – Can't Get You Out of My Head
Australia's Eurovision 2022 representative Sheldon Riley delivered a powerhouse rendition of Kylie's Can't Get You Out of My Head on America's Got Talent in 2020.
Sheldon performed the cover during the quarter-finals while wearing one of his trademark dramatic crystal masks – very Sheldon!
Daði Freyr – Padam Padam
Icelandic Eurovision 2021 artist and singer-songwriter Daði Freyr put his own spin on Kylie's 2023 hit Padam Padam.
The cover came about after Daði posted on X that he had lied about doing a cover of Britney Spears' Toxic two years earlier.
Instead, he revealed that he had secretly been working on a cover of Padam Padam.
Other Kylie covers
There are plenty more Eurovision connections hiding in Kylie's catalogue.
Eurovision 1995 artist Philip Kirkorov and Eurovision 2008 runner-up Ani Lorak performed a cover of Kylie's Your Disco Needs You after New Year's in 2019.
Meanwhile, Vukašin Brajić, who represented Bosnia and Herzegovina at Eurovision 2010 with Thunder and Lightning, performed an acoustic cover of Kylie's early-2000s classic In Your Eyes in 2009.
Eurovision artists Kylie has performed with
Amir – I Was Gonna Cancel
Amir and Kylie Minogue shared the stage on The Voice France in 2014.
Kylie appeared during the show's third-season finale, performing I Was Gonna Cancel with Amir.
Amir would go on to represent France at Eurovision in 2016 with J'ai cherché, finishing sixth.
Nutsa Buzaladze – Padam Padam & Can't Get You Out of My Head
Georgia's Nutsa Buzaladze, who represented the country at Eurovision 2024, got one of the ultimate Kylie experiences.
During the American Idol 2023 season finale, Nutsa performed a medley of Padam Padam and Can't Get You Out of My Head with Kylie herself.
Nutsa later described the moment as a dream come true.
"I was very proud to sing with Kylie Minogue... she's a sweetheart and it was also a dream come true because when you sing in front of a mirror her songs (when you were) like seven years old and then you get to sing with her in real life it's just crazy!"
The performance marked Kylie's first live performance of Padam Padam, before she transitioned into Can't Get You Out of My Head with Nutsa.
Delta Goodrem – When You Wish Upon a Star
There's also an Aussie Eurovision connection.
In 2020, Delta Goodrem, who would go on to represent Australia at Eurovision 2026, joined forces with Kylie for Christmas with Delta.
Kylie performed remotely from London while Delta was in Australia, with the pair performing When You Wish Upon a Star together.
Eurovision artists Kylie has collaborated with
Olly Alexander / Years & Years – A Second to Midnight
Kylie has collaborated with Eurovision 2024 representative Olly Alexander several times.
The pair first worked together when Kylie featured on the Years & Years remix of Starstruck in 2021, before teaming up again on A Second to Midnight later that year.
The song was released as the lead single from Disco: Guest List Edition, with Olly also credited as a co-writer.
Olly would go on to represent the United Kingdom at Eurovision 2024 with Dizzy.
Edyta Górniak – Love Is on the Line
In 1994, Poland made its Eurovision debut with Edyta Górniak, who finished runner-up with To nie ja.
The following year, Edyta released Love Is on the Line, a song written by Kylie Minogue.
The song was originally written by Kylie for a 1993 project called Sessions, before being recorded by Edyta and released as her second single in 1995.
Edyta subsequently performed the song at the Sopot International Song Festival in Poland.
Laura Pausini - Limpido
In 2013 Kylie teamed up with Italian Laura Pausini on the track Limpido.
Although Laura never competed at Eurovision she did host the 2022 Contest in Turin.
She has also competed or performed in Italy's Sanremo Festival a number of times including a win in the Newcomers Section in 1993.
And there's probably more...
From Eurovision covers of Can't Get You Out of My Head to artists actually sharing the stage with Kylie, the Australian pop icon has more Eurovision connections than you might expect.
And with Kylie about to take over the MCG for the AFL Grand Final, there's no better time to revisit them.
Know any other Eurovision connections to Kylie? Let us know on our socials!
Written by Kyriakos Tsinivits and Dale Roberts
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