Canada to join Eurovision Song Contest from 2027
Canada to make Eurovision Song Contest debut in 2027 as competition welcomes first new participating nation in over a decade.
Canada to make Eurovision Song Contest debut in 2027 as competition welcomes first new participating nation in over a decade.
Key points:
Canada will compete in the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest in Bulgaria.
It becomes the first new participating country since Australia joined in 2015.
National broadcaster CBC/Radio-Canada will reveal its artist selection process later this year.
Canadian viewers have become one of Eurovision’s biggest international audiences, ranking among the top supporters in the “Rest of the World” vote.
Canada is officially heading to the Eurovision Song Contest, with the country’s national broadcaster confirming it will join the iconic music competition for the first time when the contest heads to Bulgaria in 2027.
The announcement marks the biggest expansion of the Eurovision family since Australia was invited to compete in 2015. Canada will enter the competition through the Semi-Finals before hoping to secure a place in the Grand Final.
The move follows CBC/Radio-Canada becoming a full member of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), giving the broadcaster eligibility to participate in Eurovision from next year’s 71st edition.
Details of how Canada’s inaugural Eurovision act will be chosen are expected to be revealed before the end of the year, with CBC/Radio-Canada set to outline its selection process in the coming months.
The decision comes after years of growing Canadian enthusiasm for the contest. During the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna this May, Canada ranked among the top three nations in the international “Rest of the World” vote. Canadian fans also travelled to Austria in significant numbers, making them one of the largest groups of ticket buyers from outside Europe for both the Semi-Finals and Grand Final.
Announcing the landmark entry on Canada Day, Marie-Philippe Bouchard, President and CEO of CBC/Radio-Canada, said: “On this Canada Day, as we celebrate with Canadians across the country and around the world the richness and diversity of Canadian culture, we’re so excited to confirm that we’re bringing the world’s largest live music event to Canadians.
“Our participation in the Eurovision Song Contest, starting next year in Bulgaria, will allow Canadian talent to be showcased on one of the most storied music stages in the world. It will also allow fans in Canada to continue watching and voting in the Song Contest, as they have done for years - with the added thrill of seeing their own country represented on the Eurovision stage.”
Martin Green CBE, Director of the Eurovision Song Contest at the EBU, welcomed the expansion, saying: “We are absolutely delighted to welcome CBC/Radio-Canada to the Eurovision Song Contest family - a further sign that, while born in Europe, the Contest continues to welcome the world.
“Canada has a proud and memorable connection to the Contest, with Canadian artists, not least 1988 winner Céline Dion, having taken to our stage many times leaving a lasting mark on audiences around the world. With CBC/Radio-Canada now able to participate in the Contest as a full EBU Member, we look forward to seeing Canada bring its own voice, creativity, and energy to the Eurovision Song Contest stage in Bulgaria in 2027.”
Canada already has strong historical links to Eurovision despite never having competed. Most famously, Canadian superstar Céline Dion won the contest in 1988 while representing Switzerland, becoming one of the competition’s most celebrated champions.
The Eurovision Song Contest continues to grow well beyond Europe. More than 130 million viewers across 35 markets watched the 2026 contest from Vienna, while its digital audience also reached new heights. Eurovision’s TikTok account has surpassed four million followers with more than 870 million content views, while Instagram generated more than one billion views for the first time, underlining the contest’s expanding global appeal.