Canada to compete in 2027 Eurovision Song Contest

Canada will be allowed to compete in the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time next year.

The last new country to join the competition was in 2015, when Australia was invited to celebrate the contest’s 60th anniversary.

Last week CBC/Radio-Canada were voted into the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), who organise the music competition, after being an associate member since the 1950s.

EBU director Martin Green said: “We look forward to seeing Canada bring its own voice, creativity, and energy.”

There has been plenty of Eurovision controversy, and heated debate over which countries should be allowed to participate.

Morocco competed in 1980 and Israel joined in 1973.

Israel has faced boycotts and backlash at recent contests, because of its actions in Gaza. Five countries – Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland and Slovenia – pulled out of the competition this year in protest.

Israel’s Noam Bettan came second place in the 2026 contest with the song Michelle. / Credit: AP

Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS said that Israel’s participation was “no longer compatible with the responsibility we bear as a public broadcaster.”

Eurovision is familiar territory for the North American country, as Canadian singer, Celine Dion won the contest for Switzerland in 1988 with her song Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi.

Canadian artist Celine Dion won Eurovision for Switzerland in 1988. / Credit: AP

Sherisse Laurence was the first Canadian to ever compete in Eurovision. She came third place for Luxemburg in 1986 with the song L’Amour de ma vie.

Other Canadian contestants have included France’s 2023 entry La Zarra, and Katerine Duska who sang for Greece in 2019.

Marie-Philippe Bouchard, president and chief executive of CBC/Radio-Canada, said the opportunity will “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”.

Eurovision is popular among Canadians. In the recent contest, they were one of the largest ticket-buying groups outside Europe.

Canada was also one of the top three non-European countries to vote in the competition.